Research Guide & Source Evaluation
Find reliable sources and evaluate information quality across languages
How to use this tool:
- Select your research type and academic field
- Identify the research phase you need help with
- Get personalized guidance on finding and evaluating sources
- Ask specific questions about your research challenges
Select Research Type
Please select the type of research you are conducting
Select Academic Field
Humanities
Citation styles: MLA, Chicago
Social Sciences
Citation styles: APA, Chicago
Natural Sciences
Citation styles: APA, CSE
Engineering & Tech
Citation styles: IEEE, APA
Medicine & Health
Citation styles: AMA, Vancouver
Business & Economics
Citation styles: APA, Harvard
What Do You Need Help With?
Topic Selection
Help narrowing down research topics
Finding Sources
Guidance on locating reliable information
Source Evaluation
Assessing credibility and relevance
Information Synthesis
Combining findings from multiple sources
Citation Help
Assistance with proper attributions
Please complete all selections to get research guidance.
Research Best Practices
- ✓Use a variety of sources (academic journals, books, reputable websites)
- ✓Evaluate sources for credibility, accuracy, and relevance
- ✓Take organized notes with complete citation information
- ✓Synthesize information rather than just summarizing
- ✓Use appropriate citation style for your field
Source Evaluation Criteria
Authority
Who created the source? What are their credentials?
Accuracy
Is the information supported by evidence? Can it be verified?
Currency
When was it published? Is it up to date for your topic?
Relevance
Does it relate to your research question? At what depth?
Purpose/Bias
Why was it created? Is there a particular viewpoint?