ENGL 1711 03

Types of Outside Sources

Researching and reading articles on your topic will not only expand your base of knowledge but will also help you define your main points. 

You are required to include a minimum of three outside sources for your argumentative research paper.  However, up to eight sources are allowed.  The three minimum sources must be scholarly ones from an academic journal. That means you can use up to six other sources, but they should all be from a SPC database.   

·       Scholarly or peer reviewed articles from academic journals can be found in any of the SPC databases.  If you’re searching in Opposing Viewpoints, academic journals are separated by category already.  If you’re searching in another database, you usually have to select a box that designates the article is scholarly or peer reviewed.  Other good databases you have access to through the college’s system are CQ Researcher and the Academic Premier.  

Additional outside sources (after the minimum of three scholarly ones)

·       Books that are about your topic.  Sometimes students have used a chapter from a textbook that provided information about their subject.  Books can be reliable provided they are from a credible author and are current. 

·       Articles from a database, not necessarily scholarly in nature. One example is the side of Opposing Viewpoints where the “Viewpoints” articles are separated from the Academic Journals.  In the “Viewpoints” side, you will find articles that are more opinion based than research based.  They are usually easier to read and understand than those from academic journals because their audience is the general public.   

·       Internet articles, provided you can determine the reliability according to the criteria on page 614 of the text. 

·       Two personal or published interviews.  There are published interviews where it’s a question-and-answer format.  You may also ask questions of someone who works in a field related to your topic, or teaches in a related subject, or has some qualifying experience with your research topic.  In “New Technology and the Deaf Community,” Christie Doran interviewed an ASL instructor at SPC.  She included his responses as part of her paper.  These interviews can be conducted via email or phone and can be used to develop either side of your argument.

·       Documentaries about your topic

·       Government publications or manuals

Research is time consuming.  Even though you are only required to use three outside sources, you will probably read from two or three times that many sources.  However, you only list the sources on your Works Cited Page that you have directly referenced in your paper with an MLA citation (signal phrase and parenthetical reference).