Marine Biology

Video from NCSU Libraries

This tutorial looks at

• different information sources and the relative strengthens and weaknesses.  
• difference between popular versus scholarly material and primary versus secondary.
• the issue of timeliness and how this can determine if a source is relevant to your assignment.  

There is no such thing as a perfect resource- all literature and resources can be judged on their validity and reliability. As you develop as a scientist you will develop your skills in detecting first the suitability and reliability of resources, and increasingly the validity and strength of the literature you are reading. 

Below are some videos and other sources to help you judge the quality of information you are finding and why we recommend scholarly books and peer-reviewed articles for your research. While web-based resources may not be appropriate for academic assignments, it is important to understand how to critically evaluate these too as a source of general information- if not for your studies then as a life skill!