First off, read the assignment carefully to look for instructions or clues. Keep in mind that even for the same professor, in the same class, different assignments will require different types of information.
Once you understand the assignment and have a working topic idea, consider what types of sources are out there that you might want to use.
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Sometimes you’ll be able to narrow down what kinds of sources you should use based on the assignment instructions:
Example assignment: "For this presentation on a court case, you should base your research on academic research. This means at least 5 peer-reviewed sources. You can supplement your understanding with quality information available on the open web"
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Other times, you’ll have to think about what sources work best for your topic or purpose:
Example assignment: "Analyze the history of a social movement in popular culture. Think critically about how the movement has been portrayed and discussed in the media and compare popular interpretations to scholarly investigations."
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Remember the CRAAP test from your first-year Inquiry class?
C - Currency: How recent was a source created/researched?
R - Relevance: Does the information in the source meet your needs? Is it the right type of source for your assignment?
A - Authority: What are the author’s credentials and expertise related to the topic?
A - Accuracy:
P - Purpose: What is the intent of the author or sponsoring organization?
