Sources
This section includes a variety of topics on sources.
Primary Sources
When you read an article, book chapter, news media report, or anything else that reports some information from some other article or other source, you should access the other (primary) source and review it.
When you read an article, book chapter, news media report, or anything else that reports some information from some other article or other source, you should access the other (primary) source and review it.
I now require that bibliographies identify the appropriate category (as discussed below) for each source.
Following is how I will treat sources
Peer Reviewed Sources (of adequate length) [1]
All other qualified sources are discounted. This means that I will may consider them appropriate only if they are sparse and do not dominate your total sources:
Sources that are not counted:
Sources that are counted negatively:
Secondary Sources
Anecdotal Sources
Peer Reviewed Sources (of adequate length) [1]
- Peer reviewed journal articles are the standard to which all other items are compared.
- Peer reviewed book chapters (from academic anthologies) will be counted as equivalent to peer reviewed journal articles.[2]
- Governmental reports, published program evaluations, and reports from neutral or nearly neutral well recognized research institutions that are of substantial length and adequate quality will be counted. [3]
- Peer reviewed books, except textbooks, (from academic publishers) will be counted.
All other qualified sources are discounted. This means that I will may consider them appropriate only if they are sparse and do not dominate your total sources:
- All other appropriate books. Appropriate is context dependent. For the most part, it reflects a serious book from a high quality publisher.
- Articles published in professional journals.
- Legal and regulatory citations.
- Articles of substantial length in well established news magazines.[4]
Sources that are not counted:
- News paper articles, web pages, and any miscellaneous unidentified sources .[5]
- Encyclopedia entries, including web encyclopedias such as Wikipedia or Investopedia, should be used to find primary sources and are not counted as sources.
Sources that are counted negatively:
- Dictionary definitions should not be used if course material provides more developed definitions. If used incorrectly, they will be counted negatively.
- Non-neutral research institution studies will be counted negatively.
- Reports from advocacy groups will be counted negatively.
Secondary Sources
- When your only use of a secondary source is to point to a primary source, the secondary source will not be counted. In general, I expect the use of primary sources where they are available.
Anecdotal Sources
- When any requirement authorizes the use of anecdotal material the sources you should use are news paper articles, news magazine articles, professional journals and appropriate web pages.
[1] Regardless of category, articles of 5 or fewer pages will not be treated as peer reviewed sources.
[2] All references to academic publishers refer to publishers who are well respected for publishing academic books that reflect research (not textbooks). It is difficult to be sure you are using material from an academic publisher.
[3] The following research institutions and appropriate governmental sources are considered neutral or nearly neutral (only for published full length reports). If you have some other institution, you should ask:
[4] Typical well established news magazines that publish articles of substantial length include:
[5] Some assignments specifically require use of an anecdotal source, these can be from newspapers or web pages. These sources do not substitute for peer reviewed sources.
[2] All references to academic publishers refer to publishers who are well respected for publishing academic books that reflect research (not textbooks). It is difficult to be sure you are using material from an academic publisher.
[3] The following research institutions and appropriate governmental sources are considered neutral or nearly neutral (only for published full length reports). If you have some other institution, you should ask:
- RAND
- The Urban Institute
- Brookings Institution
- Pew Research Center
- Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
- Congressional Research Service (CRS)
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- World Bank
- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
- Government Accountability/Accounting Office (GAO)
[4] Typical well established news magazines that publish articles of substantial length include:
- The New Yorker.
- The Atlantic.
- There may be others, but I am not sure. Magazines that have articles of 3-5 pages length will be treated as newspapers.
[5] Some assignments specifically require use of an anecdotal source, these can be from newspapers or web pages. These sources do not substitute for peer reviewed sources.
Source requirements by paper page length/number of sources
In courses using other media, requirements for media are additional to these requirements.
In general, I now assign paper length by the number of required peer-reviewed sources. For substantial papers, I expect:
In courses using other media, requirements for media are additional to these requirements.
In general, I now assign paper length by the number of required peer-reviewed sources. For substantial papers, I expect:
- Two or more peer reviewed articles or book chapters from the assigned course readings.
- Eighteen or more peer reviewed articles that you find on your own.
- Your paper should reflect adequately using these sources.
- If I do not designate a number of sources, assume that I am asking for a substantial paper.
- If I designate a smaller number of sources, at least one should be from any related assigned readings.
- Where I ask for an example or application, it is generally permissible to find that example from a non-peer reviewed source; however, this does not reduce the number of peer reviewed sources required. Examples brought from your personal knowledge that cannot be linked to published source may not be fully credited.