Description
Academic research involves a systematic investigation into a problem or situation that relies on sound scientific principles. Academic research requires the use of scientifically acceptable sources only. This type of research depends on sources known as peer-reviewed sources. Professional research sources cannot be opinions or views on a topic that are not included in reputable academic spheres. Peer-reviewed sources are accepted by professionals in the field and are usually found on distinct platforms.
Research Sources and Examples
Some of the main sources of academic research include journal articles, reports, dissertations, books, and approved websites. Books can be easily located online or offline in libraries that avail the hard copy formats of the books on shelves (Ahmad & Jan 2018). Electronic copies of books are found on the internet and various online libraries belonging to institutions that can be accessed if a researcher has the necessary credentials.
Journal articles are easily available online and are the most popular academic research sources. A major website that provides a great number of academic journals is Google Scholar that has many articles. Upon searching in Google Scholar for a specific title, many articles are presented for a researcher to explore. A researcher can filter the articles they are interested in by period by clicking a specific time frame (Ahmad & Jan 2018). Other sources of journal articles include Sagepub, PubMed, and ScienceOpen that are available upon searching on Google.
Reports are the result of crucial meetings or deliberations by professionals in a specific field. Reports are also available online and in hard copy in libraries. Dissertations are written declarations by scholars seeking to attain credentials in a particular field of study and are written as proof that the scholars are eligible for the qualification. Credible websites include government websites and international organization websites, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) website. There are no slides that need auditory or visual support.
Plan
When searching for academic research sources online, a student should open their browser and search for any of the sites already provided. While within the sites, a student should open the various materials provided and peruse through them to determine their suitability. The materials found compatible should be paraphrased to avoid plagiarism, a serious offence. The source of the academic material should be cited according to the specified citation style and a list of references provided at the end of the paper.
Reference
Ahmad, M., & Jan, M. A. (2018). Evaluating research: diversity and credibility of information sources. The Dialogue, 13(4), 353. Web.