This is a common question from beginning composition students. This page provides an answer.
It's a good question too because one of the main differences between academic research and non-academic writing is the sources.
Academic writing requires sources that have gone through an editorial process and deemed authoritative. This doesn’t mean they’ve been censored: in fact, on many contentious issues – the death penalty, abortion, immigration – you’ll find a variety of opinions in databases and print. What it does mean is that that there’s a general consensus that said source is credible and worthy of serious discussion.
Unfortunately, an open online search (Googling) will often lead to articles that focus on opinion instead of fact – or use questionable sources for their facts. Such sources are not credible and not worthy of discussion (though they could be used to illustrate historical or public misrepresentations on a topic).
This means that while you’ll use the internet for much of your writing in college, instead of using a search engine, you’ll head to the college’s library and use one of the databases.
It’s best to have an idea of a particular fact, statistic, or example instead of just going on a trawling expedition for essays on your topic. For example, in an essay on the dangers of the internet and children, one fact readers would want to know is how many households (in America?) with children have internet access? Then, to give that number some meaning, you’d have to find out what percentage is that of all children.
The example above shows the need to focus your research: use your divisions as search subjects. If you’re examining the causes of voter apathy, and your divisions are consumerism, lack of civic education, and distrust of government, you could research how history/government is being taught (or not being taught) in high school to prove your point, how consumerism is dominating American culture, and/or get poll reports on American’s distrust of government. If you're arguing that liberalism is best for America, instead of searching out "liberalism," it would be better to look at a possible division, such as "social programs."
Remember that your economics, psychology, sociology, history textbooks are fine sources, as are the variety of specialized encyclopedias (Psychology Encyclopedia, etc.) in our library– though Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica and other general encyclopedias are not.
And when you’re stuck, turn to that great analog, carbon based reference: a librarian.
The worst way to find information for college level essays is through a basic search internet search (Google, Yahoo, etc.) on the web. Unless the information was first published in print form or is from a government site (designated by .gov), it will probably not be considered authoritative.
Quick back story on this. A colleague of mine teaches Science at Monmouth University. Her pet peeve when it comes to student essays? “Why do they use Google??!!**@@ Haven’t they been taught to use databases!!”
The moral? Use the college’s databases.
You can access all of the college’s databases from home. Click on Library Services at the end of Ocean Connect menu.
The databases you’ll find most helpful include:
As noted above, textbooks are often a goldmine of information on psychological, historical, etc., topics. And books you already have at home or from the college or local library or online can be useful as well.