Finding relevant and appropriate resources requires some digging and discernment. California State University developed the CRAAP test, a useful acronym, to see if your sources pass the sniff test of what is Credible, Relevant, Authoritative, Accurate and Purposeful.

To help separate the wheat from the chaff, consider the following:

• Do not cite Wikipedia, online encyclopedias or dictionaries unless explicitly called for in an order. Nevertheless, these sites may help guide your understanding but are by no means considered authoritative.
• Peer-reviewed journal articles or chapters in academic books are preferable, yet not all are equal. Use recent publications (within the past 5-10 years) unless it is considered a widely acknowledged, landmark study (e.g., Foucault, Weber, Arendt, Piaget, etc.)
• Verify that the study relates to your research questions. Don’t simply cherry pick to cram in a source. Skim the abstract and identify the main argument to ensure that it serves a purpose.
• International publications vary in quality. While articles published in India, Africa and Asia can add value, balance those perspectives with western academic authors.
• Online sources, such as blogs, web pages, social media posts and popular magazines, are appropriate for some tasks but not others. Use these resources as tertiary, supplemental sources.
• Web sources can add value but recognize biases. Choose news organizations and journals that have a degree of respectability. Harvard Business Review is preferrable to Fox Business, for instance. Frontiers in Psychology takes precedence over Psychology Today, etc.
• Government websites, trade publications, gray literature, organizational reports, and university-sponsored websites can be of service. Look for the best and most recent literature.
• For some business tasks, it may be necessary to use trade and consumer publications, as scholarly journals are unlikely to contain up-to-the-minute information on a company’s revenue, profit margins, and plans for expansion. For example, if a prompt asks you to write about a company’s financial outlook, consult investment publications, business magazines, and the company’s corporate website. When asked to write about a company’s finances, look to the firm’s financial filings/annual reports first. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website has filings for public companies in the United States; these filings provide access to income statements, balance sheets, and other financial information prepared by company accountants and auditors

Generally, use good judgment. Diversify your sources. Explore leads beyond the first page of Google. The best sources may not be the first you come across. If you ever need help finding sources, reach out to an admin for help.