Quick study guide: appraising and using sources

We asked some study experts for their advice on how to do well in college. Dr Majella Dempsey is course leader for the science and maths education programme at Maynooth University. Kathy Bradley is coordinator of the new UCC Skills Centre. Linda Doran is head of the disability support services in UCC. Peter McGuire is a freelance journalist and former lecturer and adult education tutor in Irish Folklore at UCD.

What sources are generally reliable:

Text books: the author has done their research and read extensively. For college assignments or exams, it's generally best to avoid books that don't include a bibliography or other references, although you don't need to stick rigidly to this. But the book should, at the very least, have an index at the back. While text books can be old and can even be out-of-date by the time they reach the bookshelves, students should be able to get around this by using more than one source. Indeed, it's important to read a few different texts so you don't just get one viewpoint

Journal articles: Your lecturers and tutors - or your college librarians - will have guided through how to access these online or in the library, as well as which are most relevant to your course. If they haven't, ask. A particular strength of academic or professional journals is that they are peer reviewed or held to professional standards.

Documents from professional bodies: Organisations including the Law Reform Commission, the Ombudsman for Children and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants will often produce articles or submissions on topical or legal issues which contain valuable insights from those working in the field. You'll find a more comprehensive list of such bodies here.

Government publications: These include statistical releases, government bills and white papers for discussion which may contain useful information.

Where’s a good source for more information about sources? Ideally, use the websites of higher education institutions, either Irish or international. Your college library may have its own advice and information here. If not, we find the Open University and Yale University to be particularly useful here.

Sources to be used sparingly or with caution:

Newspapers: If you're looking for particular information from a particular day, these can be useful but, ideally, only where they stick to the bare facts. Sometimes you might need to access newspapers if your assignment touches on how the media report on any given topic or issue. Be aware of the difference between tabloids and broadsheets, news and comment. Be aware of how a newspaper might slant a story: if, for instance, they're covering crime - especially crimes where children are the victims - the coverage might be sensational or it might involve thoughtful and balanced reporting. Be careful of trusting that a report is completely true; ideally, look for the information from more than one source.

Websites and blogs: Blogs and websites are not subject to the same academic rigour as textbooks or journals, nor the same journalistic standards as newspapers and certain online news outlets such as IrishTimes.com or TheJournal.ie. They can - and do - make up completely fake news. Use for background only.

Films and historical novels: You might be tempted to skip the book and just watch the movie, or get an interpretation of history based on a historical novel. Be particularly careful of YouTube videos on any topic, as there’s nothing to stop anyone saying whatever they want. While it might occasionally be appropriate to talk about how events or ideas are depicted in books and movies, don’t quote these sources as facts

Wikipedia: Often reliable and it can be a good starting point but anyone can edit any wiki page so you've a fair chance of including false information.

What not to do:

Plagiarise: Because almost all colleges expect you to submit your essay online, they're automatically scanned through plagiarism software - and you're likely to be caught. One lecturer tells a story of a student who submitted an essay which was, word for word, lifted from the Kid's Fun section of the Ben and Jerry's ice-cream website. Caught red-handed, the student denied it.

Skip lectures or tutorials: Of course you might miss the odd class, but going to lectures helps you consolidate the information while tutorials not only encourage deeper thinking on the topics but give you a chance to fill in any gaps in understanding. "When it comes to taking notes, it is a misconception that Moodle does it all," says Dr Majella Dempsey, course leader for the science and maths education programme at Maynooth University. "If it was really so easy to learn online, we would be out of business. Learning is a social activity and it is really important that the students come and hear what the lecturer says, and make their own supplementary notes - regardless of how much is in the Powerpoint."