Post 6: Using Multiple Sources

In the past when I’ve written research papers, I have always limited myself to online sources. This was admittedly mostly out of laziness but partly out of not knowing where to look. Although this was sufficient for my high school teachers, I know it won’t cut it in the big leagues. This chapter does the favor of encouraging us to use more than one resource when finding information. While I was aware of online and print sources, like any student, I failed to consider the more abstract ways of conducting research.

For this paper in particular, it is required that we interview a primary source directly related to our topic. Although I am incredibly nervous, I think this step is a great learning opportunity and introduction to using primary sources. This interview has opened my eyes to the usefulness of getting insight from all possible corners of a certain field. I intend to further my research with not only academic sources found in databases, suggested by the chapter, but also with legal documents, data/statistics, and other websites. After reading the chapter, I strongly believe that my paper, or any paper, will be strengthened by the use of multiple source types by a gain in credibility and variety of information.