You can gather information for your assignments from many different sources, including textbooks and other books, journal articles or websites.
Your lecturer will often identify useful sources in reading lists, lectures or study guides. These sources have been hand-picked for the course and are particularly relevant.
They are usually ‘academic sources’ which come from a recognised authority in the subject and have been peer-reviewed by other authorities as reliable and thorough.
If you are looking for information outside the recommended readings, look for academic sources. Do not use sources which are out of date or offer only a limited perspective – they can be inaccurate or even completely wrong.
When you start collecting your research notes, revisit your initial plan and thesis statement and work out how you will organise your assignment.
Library research
The best place to find information is the Massey Library. Many of the books and journals here have been chosen directly by your lecturers, and the library has greater coverage of academic subjects than most general-purpose libraries.
Types of academic source
The most common academic sources are books, journal articles and published reports. Websites may be academic sources – many journal articles and reports can be found online, for example.
Sources such as newspaper articles, magazine articles and opinion pieces are not usually academic.
Articles
Search Discover and other databases for peer-reviewed articles, full-text articles, review articles and newspaper articles.
Books, ebooks & textbooks
Find books and ebooks in the Massey library, and check what text books you need for your courses.
Statistics
Get statistical information for your study or research.
Identifying academic sources
Identifying academic sources Academic sources are authoritative, peer-reviewed, objective, written for academics and supported by citations and references.
To assess whether a source is academic, consider:
What are the author's qualifications?
A source written by a recognised expert in a field is more likely to be trustworthy. For example, academic authors often come from a university or institute. Academic writing is often published by a university press.
Are sources listed?
Academic sources credit the origins of their information and ideas in a reference list or bibliography.
Has the writing been peer-reviewed?
Academic sources are peer-reviewed by other academics who have read the source and checked it for accuracy.
Before publication in an academic journal, for example, an article is checked by a panel of referees. Peer-reviewed journals will have an editorial board or committee listed, or will provide instructions to authors that describe a standard peer review.
Academic books are checked by editors and other reviewers.
Is the writing objective?
Academic sources aim to examine a topic fairly – this doesn't mean they never take a side, but they do not ignore alternative positions on the topic. 1-sided sources are unlikely to be academic.
Who is the target audience?
Academic sources are written for university lecturers, students and professionals interested in the theoretical side of a topic.
Consider the style of the writing, the presence of advertising, and where you found the source. For example, Massey Library has a more comprehensive selection of academic sources than public libraries, for example.
What is the purpose of the source?
Academic writing aims to inform. It does not aim to sell something, or present 1 person's opinion independent of evidence or logic.
Primary and secondary sources
Primary and secondary sources Primary sources present original and direct evidence. Secondary sources draw on primary sources.
Primary sources present original and direct evidence. They are usually created by someone with personal experience of something. Common primary sources are:
- historical documents like a transcript of oral history or interview data
- raw data from an experiment
- demographic records.
Secondary sources draw on primary sources. They may comment on primary sources or use the evidence from primary sources to construct an argument. Books or journal articles that analyse, critique or discuss a range of sources are secondary sources.
Primary sources provide a clear 'first-hand account' but secondary sources have the added benefit of expert analysis and context. Your university assignments are more likely to use secondary sources.
Evaluating source quality
All sources are not created equal. People write for many reasons – to inform, entertain, persuade, describe, mislead or satirize. In an academic assignment, it's important to use evidence that is reliable, accurate, objective and up-to-date.
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