What's in a source?
When conducting research, it is important to know the differences between types of sources. Regardless of the source you use, look to see who the author is, what his or her credentials are, and who the publishing agency is.
- Reference and encyclopedia entries are summaries of knowledge distilled from original sources and compiled by editors. These offer a broad overview of a topic, but are of cursory value in academic research.
- Magazine and news articles are considered "popular." Articles written by journalists are reviewed by an editor, but not by a panel of experts.
- Academic journal articles are referred to as "scholarly." These articles peer-reviewed or evaluated by a panel of experts before publication.
Adapted from Scholarly and Popular Materials (NCSU Libraries)
Encyclopedia & Ebooks
These resources will be best for finding definitions and overviews.
Newspaper, Magazine & Journal Articles
These resources will take you to various articles from newspapers, magazines, and academic journals.
Controversial Issues
These resources will be best for finding information about controversial issues.
Database Passwords
Justice Library Catalog
Fairfax County Public Library Catalog
Did you know that you can place place a hold on books online to be delivered to a branch near you?
NoodleTools
This citation management tool can save you a ton of time and headache. If you need help, find Ms. Ji.