HOW TO FIND A GOOD SOURCE FOR RESEARCH PAPER - Essay Example

College Finding a Good Source for a Research Paper A research paper is as good as the sources used in preparing a research paper. In other words, a researcher who uses credible and authoritative sources in preparing a research paper would be in a better position to come up with an authoritative and reliable research paper and vice versa. As such, researchers have to be equipped with the right skills in searching for and utilizing the best scholarly and authoritative materials that would lead to a reliable and authoritative research paper.

One of the factors to consider before settling on a source for a research paper is whether the paper is a primary or secondary research. As Belk (72) argued, primary research sources offer credible evidence that is produced in the historical period under investigation and relates to the actual findings of the researcher. Therefore, the best criterion in choosing a research source is determining whether the source is a primary or secondary source. Moreover, Levy and Ellis (181) noted that methodological reviews of past literature are an important undertaking in research.

Methodological reviews are systematic research findings of what has been covered in the past and are critical in initiating a new research. As such, using studies with such methodological reviews would ensure the researcher stands a better place to formulate a new research armed with ample knowledge of what has been done before. Therefore, studies with methodological reviews are some of the best sources to choose before undertaking any research paper. Moreover, the date of publication of a research source may affect the quality of the source used in research papers.

However, the need to seek recent sources depends on the topic of study. Recent studies have updated and current findings, which might be a good basis to formulate a research paper (Perdue Owl, 2013). For instance, when undertaking a research paper on technology, choosing the most current source guarantees crucial information about the current technology, which may not be found in a source published one or two years ago.Work CitedBelk, W. Russell. Handbook of Qualitative Research Methods in Marketing.

Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2006.Levy Yair and Ellis, J. Timothy. A Systems Approach to Conduct an Effective Literature Review in Support of Information Systems Research. Informing Science Journal, 9(2006) pp181-212.Perdue Owl. Using research and evidence. Nov 3, 2013. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/02/ April 9, 2014.