Working with Sources

Start reading your sources as soon as you begin collecting them. Don't wait until you have gathered everything together. Your reading may lead you to revise your topic, and you'll want to choose other sources based on what the ones you've already collected have to offer. As you're reading, keep the following tips in mind:

• One source will often lead you to others. Check out the bibliographies and notes at the end of the books and articles you're reading to see if they list other materials that you would want to locate.
• Make copies of the printed materials and print out or download electronic materials so you can mark on them. Try using a highlighter to mark useful information, main points, and references in the materials you're reading. Write your own notes in the margins or on the back of the pages. This is easier than making note cards.
• Keep a research journal in which you write your responses to what you're reading. In many cases, your teacher or reader will be at least as interested in what you think of the information you gather as s/he is in what your sources say, and writing your own notes can help you develop your argument. Writing down your thoughts will help you clarify your own opinions and figure out what additional information you need to find.
• When your sources make arguments, it may be useful to take some time to analyze their positions. Take note of the writer's relationship with the topic, the position s/he takes, the main ideas used to support the argument, and the kind of supporting evidence provided. This will help you get a clear idea of where different writers stand on the subject and how useful their arguments will be for you.

Evaluating Print & Electronic Sources

 Developing Your Thesis & Supporting Argument

E-mail your comments and suggestions to the YSU Grant Team (cardcat@bgnet.bgsu.edu)