Rockers' Guide to Research Papers

Citing Sources & Avoiding Plagiarism: Overview

## First Things First

Before you begin your research and well before you begin writing, you need to know whether the assignment or your professor requires you to use a particular citation style. MLA, APA, and Chicago are the most widely used citation styles, and you will need to learn to use all three as a college student. Compare MLA, APA, and Chicago styles by taking a look at this chart from the Purdue Online Writing Lab.

If your professor doesn't have a preference as to which citation style you use, you're free to choose. MLA is more commonly used in the humanities, while APA is more commonly used in the sciences and social sciences. Chicago is used across disciplines, primarily in the humanities and social sciences. One is not more difficult to use than the others, they just have some different specifics.

Once you know what citation style you will be using, familiarize yourself with what pieces of information you'll need to collect as you perform research. Some are obvious: authors' names, titles, publication dates, etc. Some are perhaps less obvious. For example, if you download a full-text article from a database licensed by the library, you will need to include that information in your citation, along with the URL or doi and the date that you accessed the article. All these specifics can be found by looking at these official style guides:

**The Chicago Manual of Style**

Call Number: Reference Z253 .U69 2010

ISBN: 0226104206

**MLA Handbook** by The Modern Language Association of America

Call Number: Reference PN 203 .G53 2016

ISBN: 9781603292627

**Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association**

Call Number: Reference BF76.7 .P83 2010

ISBN: 1433805618

### Why is proper citation important?

By citing your sources, you are giving your reader a trail of evidence that shows where you got your information. It is important to distinguish the sources of information that you use - whether fact or opinion, data or methdology, visual or textual - from your own ideas, interpretations, and conclusions. To properly cite your sources, you need to keep track of all the relevant information from the start of your research and then use in-text references to your bibliography to alert your audience to the origin of your information.

No matter what citation style you use, the basics are the same - you need to give credit to the source of information and give your reader the information necessary to find and verify your resources.

**Failure to cite your sources is plagiarism, whether intentional or not.**

### The Basics

**In-Text Parenthetical References = Who Said What:**

Below is a sample paragraph with examples of in-text references:

Short literary forms are an intense way of expressing a great deal in very few words. An excellent example is haiku, which is "a Japanese poetic form that represents, in seventeen syllables...the poet's emotional or spiritual response to a natural object, scene, or season of the year" (Abrams 113). The haiku poem gives the writer little space to express their intent and forces the author to focus very strictly on the words and phrases that will evoke the desired image or feeling. While haiku is a traditional poetic form from Japan, short literary expressions abound across the modern world.  Twitter has given rise to several forms of abbreviated literary expression in part because of the limited number of characters allowed for each tweet. Jeremy Caplan gives some examples of "micro-writing," including six word memoirs, four word film reviews, and twelve word novels - some of which are published in print rather than electronically via Twitter or other web application. These new forms of expression may be a result of the pace of modern life and information overload, but the parallel with haiku leads one to question whether elegant minimalism may be sought out for other reasons.

**Bibliography/Works Cited = Full Citation of Information**

These are examples of how the works cited in the above paragraph would appear (these examples are formatted according to MLA 7). The in-text reference gives the reader enough information to find the appropriate item in the list of works cited, while the bibliography/works cited gives the reader all the information needed to find the original source. Note that there is no parenthetical reference for the Caplan article - this is because the author is already named in the text where his work is paraphrased and there is no page number because the source is web-based and has no page numbers.

Abrams, M. H. *A Glossary of Literary Terms*. Australia: Heinle & Heinle /

    Thomson Learning, 1999. Print.

Caplan, Jeremy. "Haiku Nation." *Time* 172.9 (2008). *EBSCOhost Academic*

*Search Premier*. Web. 3 Nov. 2010.

**One Exception: Common Knowledge**

The one exception to the rule that all information must be cited is common knowledge. Common knowledge is information that can easily be found in multiple reliable sources and would be generally known by most people.

**Not sure whether something is common knowledge? Find a source and cite it!**

### Need help with writing?

To learn more about how to write in the college context, you might want to take a look at these books.

For more personalized assistance, you should go to the Writing Center in the Library and consult one of the Writing Tutors.

**They Say / I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing** by Gerald Graff; Cathy Birkenstein; Russel Durst

Call Number: PE1431 .G73 2012

ISBN: 9780393912753

**How to Write** by Alistair Fowler

ISBN: 9780199278503

This is an electronic book.

**Student's Guide to Writing College Papers** by Kate L. Turabian

Call Number: Reference LB2369 .T8 2010

ISBN: 9780226816319

**The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing** by Michael Harvey

Call Number: PE1408 .H3927 2003

ISBN: 0872205746

**Spunk & Bite: A writer's guide to punchier, more engaging language & style** by Arthur Plotnik

Call Number: PN147 .P55 2005

ISBN: 0375721150

## Sample Papers

* MLA Format: Sample Paper from the Purdue Online Writing Lab
* APA Format: Sample Paper from the Purdue Online Writing Lab
* Chicago Author-Date Format: Sample Paper from the Purdue Online Writing Lab
* Chicago Notes and Bibliography Format: Sample Paper from the Purdue Online Writing Lab

## The MLA (Modern Language Association) Citation Style

* MLA 8th ed. Formatting and Style Guide (from Purdue Online Writing Lab)
* MLA Tutorial (from the Hunter College Reading/Writing Center)

## The APA (American Psychological Association) Citation Style

* APA 6th ed. Formatting and Style Guide (from Purdue Online Writing Lab)
* The Basics of APA Style (tutorial)

## The Chicago Manual of Style

Chicago style has two options for citing sources, Author-Date and Notes and Bibliography:

* **The Author-Date style** uses parenthetical references in the body of the text to point the reader to the full citations, which are compiled in a bibliography at the end of the paper.
* **The Notes and Bibliography style** uses a superscript number in the body of the text to point the reader to citations in footnotes or endnotes. In addition to the citations in the footnotes or endnotes, full citations are compiled in a bibliography at the end of the paper. Note that the formatting of the citations in the footnotes/endnotes is slightly different from the formatting of the citations in the bibliography.

* Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition Formatting and Style Guide (from Purdue Online Writing Lab)
* Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide (from the Chicago Manual of Style Online)

## Databases can generate citations from an article level

EBSCO Academic Search Premier - From your search results - click on the hyperlinked title. On the next screen, click on the line that says "Cite" in the box to the right of the article:

JStor - From your results list click on the hyperlinked TITLE of the article. On the next screen click on the line that says "View Citation" in the box at the top of the page. [Note, does not specify MLA]

## While you're at it...

**Whenever you use a source of information, you should carefully evaluate that source.** Ask yourself questions like:

* Is the author qualified in the discipline?
* Is the publication a reliable source of information?
* Is the content up to date?
* Who is the intended audience?
* Is the author, publisher, or sponsor biased in any way?
* Does the author cite the sources of his/her information?

**For more guidance in evaluating sources:**Evaluating Sources of Information (from the Purdue Online Writing Lab)

Sample Papers

* CSE Sample Paper

## AMS (American Mathetmatical Society) Citation Style

* Citations - Mathematics and Statistics - Tri-College Libraries
* MathSciNet: AMS Citations Good for citing any article found in MathSciNet
* AMS Author Handbook
* A Manual for Authors of Mathematical Papers

## CSE (Council of Science Editors) Citation Style

* CSE Manual - Citation Quick Guide
* Citation Machine - CSE
* BibMe - CSE

## While you're at it...

**Whenever you use a source of information, you should carefully evaluate that source.** Ask yourself questions like:

* Is the author qualified in the discipline?
* Is the publication a reliable source of information?
* Is the content up to date?
* Who is the intended audience?
* Is the author, publisher, or sponsor biased in any way?
* Does the author cite the sources of his/her information?

**For more guidance in evaluating sources:**Evaluating Sources of Information (from the Purdue Online Writing Lab)

Citing an Image from ArtSTOR: Artist Lastname, Artist Firstname. Title of Artwork. Date. Musuem/Collection Name [if known], City, State/Country. ARTstor. Web. Date viewed. Botticelli, Sandro. Birth of Venus. 1482. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy. ARTstor. Web. 14 March 2013. Citing an Image from the Web: Artist Lastname, Artist Firstname. Title of Artwork. Date. Musuem Name [if known], City, State/Country. Name of Website. Web. Date viewed. Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine. 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Artchive. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. Citing an Image from a Book Artist Lastname, Artist Firstname. “Title of Artwork.” Title of Book. City: Publisher Name, Date. Page. Print. Stein, Harvey. “Robert Birmelin, 1984.” Artists Observed. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1986. 53. Print. Citing an Image from a Magazine Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Artwork." Title of Periodical Day Month Year: page. Print. Kozyrev, Yuri. “Soldiers from the 101st Airborne.” Time 18 March 2013: 26-27. Print Citing an Image from a Newspaper Last name, First name. "Title of Artwork." Title of Newspaper Day Month Year: page. Print. Bianchi, Alessandro. “Pope Francis on the Balcony of St. Peter’s.” New York Times 14 March 2013: 1. Print. Citing an Image from a Scholarly Journal Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Artwork." Title of Journal Volume.Issue (Year): page. Print. Breitenbach, Josef. “Annabella.” Blind Spot 45.1 (2012): 6. Print.

## What's the big deal?

Plagiarism isn't about the law, it's not necessarily a copyright violation, and you won't have lawyers chasing you down as a "plagiarism perp."

It ***is*** an issue of ethics and academic honesty and is a serious violation of both the written and unwritten codes of conduct in the College community. When you plagiarize, you are presenting someone else's ideas and/or work - whether textual, visual, audible, or a combination - as your own. Even when it's unintentional, it can damage your credibility with classmates and faculty and jeoparize your status at the College. The solution is to make sure that you understand what plagiarism is and what you can do to avoid it.

**In the simplest terms, plagiarism is intellectual theft.**

**The easiest way to avoid plagiarism: cite your sources!**

## **Give credit:**

* When using any idea, words, or other production/expression that did not originate from yourself.
* When using words or ideas from any source, including books, magazines, newspapers, web sites, songs, movies, letters, or any other source.
* When using someone else’s words or ideas that were communicated in a conversation or interview.
* When using someone’s exact words or a unique phrase.
* When paraphrasing or summarizing someone’s words or ideas.
* When using any image, illustration, chart, picture, diagram, or any other visual material.
* When using any electronic media, film or audio clip, computer program, etc.

## Credit not required:

* When you’re expressing your own ideas, thoughts, experiences, insights, or conclusions.
* When using “common knowledge” – things that are generally known such as myths, folklore, and common sense observations.
* When you’re using your own artwork, picture, drawing, film, audio, diagram, illustration, etc.
* When you’re describing the results of your own lab or field experiment.
* When using generally known facts - for example, “There are 365 days in a year.”

## Avoiding Plagiarism

Citing sources isn't just putting quotes around some text and it isn't merely making sure that the full citation is listed in your bibliography. It is a system by which your reader (viewer, listener, etc.) can follow the scholarly trail back to your sources. This does sometimes involve quotes and it always involves a citation, but to link the two together, you have to follow a citation style such as MLA or APA.

Strategies for avoiding plagiarism from the start of your research:

* **When in doubt, cite!** Not sure whether something is common knowledge? Cite it. It’s better to cite something that doesn’t require it than to leave out a citation and plagiarize.
* **Medium makes no difference**, so cite all sources that aren’t your own work. It doesn’t matter whether it’s on the web, an image, printed in a book, or written on a napkin.
* **Get organized.** Keep track of where you find information and make notes as you research.
* **Educate yourself.** Learn how to use citation systems, understand plagiarism, and act responsibly when using others’ materials.
* **Ask for help.** If you don't understand how to cite your sources or you need help with the specifics, ask your professor, at the Writing Center, or Library staff for help.

## Best Practices in Research:

* **Use Zotero or another citation management system.** This will help you organize all your sources so that you don’t have to hunt for citations down the road. It will also help when you’re writing your paper by formatting in-text citations and your “Works Cited” page.
* **Take notes as your do your research.** Make a note of where you search and what search terms you use as well as the citations of the sources you find that you think you’ll be using. You may want to do this in a notebook or in a simple text file. If you use Zotero (or something similar), you can add notes to each source.
* **Record full citations.** Whether you write them down or use Zotero to capture them electronically, having the full citation from the start will prevent doing your research over just to find some missing information for a citation. Even if you have a printed copy of an article, the full citation information may not always be on it unless you put it there!
* **Use a notation system.** As you read each item, take notes about it and mark your notes somehow so that you know whether you’re summarizing (S), paraphrasing (P), or quoting (Q). You can also note your own original ideas (ME).

## Best Practices in Writing:

* **Paraphrasing and Summarizing.** Credit the source as part of the summary/paraphrase by using phrases like “according to” and “as stated by.” Write your summary or paraphrase without looking at the original then compare to make sure you haven’t copied the words or sentence structure. Use quotes around unique phrases.
* **Quoting.** Use quote marks or indent, according to the style you’re following. Quote no more than necessary – don’t use a paragraph when a sentence will do. Shorten quotes with ellipses (…) to remove unnecessary portions. Use quotes sparingly; excessive quoting weakens your argument, making it seem you don’t have any ideas of your own.
* **Using Others’ Ideas.** You must give credit for ideas that are not your own. Include the name of the person whose idea you’re using in the sentence or throughout the paragraph. Use footnotes or endnotes to refer to more information about the idea. Put quotation marks around any phrase that was used to describe the original idea.

## Citation Management

These tools are all free for you to use. They'll help you manage your information resources from the research process through writing and citing.

Remember, though, none of these tools is magical or error-free. **YOU** are still responsible for checking to make sure that your citations are correct and complete!

## Zotero

For a quick and reliable tool that helps you build a bibliography instantly from any computer or device, without creating an account or installing any software, try ZoteroBib.

For a more robust solution perfect for extensive research (such as a thesis), you want Zotero, which will help you collect citations directly from your browser as you search, organize your research, cite sources using an extension for MS Word, and generate a bibliography with one click.

* Download Zotero [help with installation]
* Zotero Quick Start Guide
* Video Tutorials
* Creating Bibliographies
* Word Processor Integration

## Mendeley

Similar to Zotero in that it enables you to import citations quickly and easily from the web and organize them in a variety of ways, Mendeley also includes the ability to import PDF files, which it will automatically scan for citations. Mendeley is software that you install on your computer and it also has extensions for most browsers as well as for MS Word and Open Office. Mendeley's drawback is that it currently works with fewer licensed databases than Zotero.

* Download Mendeley (you will have to create a free account)
* Get the Mendeley Web Importer
* Mendeley Support
* To install the word processor extension, open the Mendeley application, then click Tools > Install MS Word Plugin.

## Content

* Is the paper organized around a THESIS or argument that is clearly stated in a THESIS STATEMENT which appears early in the paper (usually either the first or second paragraph)?
* Does the paper begin with an introduction, which brings up the essay’s topic or theme?  Stay within the original historical context/s; avoid universal judgments about all humans
* Does the paper end with a conclusion, which describes how you have evolved in your thinking after having written the paper?  Think of the conclusion as an extension of the thesis. What are the implications of your thesis?  .
* Does the paper integrate at least (3) direct quotations (with page number, tablet and line number, or chapter and verse numbers)?

## Format

* Is the paper typed, doubled-spaced with one-inch margins?
* Is the paper **at least** 1000 words?  (Please provide word count.)
* Does the paper have a title which is both informative (alluding to the thesis or at least the topic) and eye-catching?  Please cite the text by name or the character/s you are studied.  Title should appear at the top center of the first page and should not have any punctuation setting it off.
* Are the pages numbered in a bottom center of the page?
* Are there appropriate transitional phrases at the beginning of new paragraphs? (for example:  “For example,” or “On the other hand,” or “Meanwhile.”)
* Use a single staple or paper clip, rather than a stiff binding.
* A separate title page is optional.
* Have you attached all Process Notes (PNs)?

## Notes

* Summarize only as much of the narrative (story) as you absolutely must in order to make your points.  Assume your reader has read the text and only needs to be reminded of the events.   Avoid re-telling the whole story.
* Use only as much of the author’s language as you need to in order to make your point; otherwise use indirect quotations.
* Use a consistent method throughout your paper for indicating the location of direct quotations.
* Keep quotations short, but note proper formatting of the BLOCK QUOTATION for quotes that are 3 or more lines long:  indent all words and drop quotation marks at beginning and end.  Provide an in-text citation.

## Links to Articles about Writing

* Where do sentences come from? Peter Filkins: "A link to a very nice article on writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg in the N.Y. Times that I find very useful writing advice."
* DRAFT "Draft features essays by grammarians, historians, linguists, journalists, novelists and others on the art of writing — from the comma to the tweet to the novel — and why a well-crafted sentence matters more than ever in the digital age."

## First Things First

This guide will give you guidelines, but you need to know whether your professor requires you to use a particular stye. MLA and APA are the most widely used styles.

If your professor doesn't have a preference as to which citation style you use, you're free to choose. MLA is more commonly used in the humanities, while APA is more commonly used in the sciences and social sciences. One is not more difficult to use than the other, they just have some different specifics.

All the details can be found by looking at the official MLA and APA style guides:

**Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association**

Call Number: Reference BF76.7 .P83 2010

ISBN: 1433805618

**MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers**

Call Number: Reference LB2369 .G53 2009

ISBN: 1603290249

## General Guidelines

* All papers should be typed and printed on standard **white** 8.5 x 11 inch paper.
* Double space your entire paper, but don't put extra blank lines between paragraphs.
* Use two spaces after a period or other punctutation that ends a sentence.
* Indent the first line of each paragraph 1/2 inch (usually the Tab button is set to 1/2 inch).
* Staple your paper in the top left corner.

## Corrections

If you notice that a correction needs to be made to your printed paper, the best course of action is to correct the file and reprint it.

If your professor allows minor written corrections:

* Write neatly in ink directly above the line involved and use a caret (^) to indicate where the correction goes.
* Do not write corrections in the margins or below the affected line.

If corrections are numerous or substantial, revise your file and reprint.

## Fonts

Choose a tyepface that is easily readable in both regular and italics styles. Times New Roman is the standard choice.

Font style should be regular, not bold or italics (see box below for appropriate uses of italics).

Font size should be 12 points.

**FONT DON'Ts**:

* Don't use fancy or novelty fonts.
* Don't use a font that's bigger or more widely spaced than one of the standard fonts.
* Don't use more than one font or font size.
* **Don't try to make your paper longer by changing font or font size or by using other font tricks.**

## Margins

Margins should be one inch on all sides of your paper (top, bottom, left and right).

Indent the first line of each paragraph 1/2 inch (the tab is usually set to 1/2 inch by default).

Indent block quotes (a quotation of 40 or more words) 1/2 inch from the left margin.

## Page Numbers

Number all pages of your paper consecutively in the upper right corner, starting with page 1 (the title page).

The page number should be 1/2 inch from the top of the page and flush with the right margin.

Insert the running head in the header in the upper left corner on the same line as the page number.

## Italics

Italicize titles of **full works**, such as books, periodicals, newspapers, Web sites, databases, films, works of art, etc.

Italicize words and letters that are referred to as words and letters:

* The word *laissez-faire* is borrowed from French.
* The initial *a* is capitalized in the name *Albert*.

Italicize foreign words only when the word is not naturalized into English, such as genre, ad hoc, versus, etc.:

* Caravaggio is known for his bold use of *chiaroscuro*.

Use syntax for emphasis; italics should only be used if emphasis might otherwise be lost.

## Title Page

Page numbering starts on the title page, in the upper right corner, 1/2 inch from the top of the paper and 1 inch from the right edge.

The running head goes on the same line as the page number

* left justified
* in all capitals
* should not exceed 50 characters, including punctuation.

On subsequent pages, the running head should not include the words "Running head:". To to this in MS Word, double click the header, then select "Different First Page".

The full title is centered in the top half of the page, followed by the author's name and institutional affiliation, all double-spaced.

The abstract begins on page two, with the word Abstract centered on the first line. The abstract is double spaced.

The body of the paper begins on page three, starting with the full title on the first line. The body of the paper is double spaced.

## Quotations

In some disciplines, quotations are rarely or never used. Instead, information is paraphrased. Paraphrased passages are cited in the same way quotations are - see Parenthetical References to the right.

If you do use quotations:

Any quotation that is less than 40 words should be placed within quotation marks **" "**.

Quotations of 40 or more words (block quotes) should begin on a new line; are indented 1/2 inch from the left margin; and quotation marks are not used.

If you need to omit a word or phrase in a quotation, you should use ellipsis ( **. . .** ) to indicate that your quotation does not completely reproduce the original.

If there is something in the quotation that the reader may assume is a mistake on your part, you can include *sic* (from the Latin for "thus" or "so") in parentheses after the quotation to indicate that you are correctly reproducing the original.

If you need to insert a comment or explanation into a quotation, use square brackets **[ ]** around the inserted portion.

## Parenthetical References

The list of references indicates to your reader the sources that you used to put your paper together. To let your reader know exactly which parts of your paper are from which sources, though, you need to use parenthetical references in the body of your paper.

After a quote or paraphrase of another person's ideas or words, place the author's last name and the page number of the original in parenthesis.

Parenthetical references should come after a quote, outside the quotation marks, but before the period that ends the sentence:

Short literary forms are an intense way of expressing a great deal in very few words. An excellent example is haiku, which is "a Japanese poetic form that represents, in seventeen syllables...the poet's emotional or spiritual response to a natural object, scene, or season of the year" (Abrams, 1999, p. 113).

**Parenthetical references must give enough information to clearly indicate the source in the Works Cited.**

They do not need to include any extraneous information, though, so keep them brief and include only information needed to identify the source. For example, if the author's name is mentioned in relation to the quote or paraphrase, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical reference:

Short literary forms are an intense way of expressing a great deal in very few words. An excellent example is haiku, which Abrams identifies as "a Japanese poetic form that represents, in seventeen syllables...the poet's emotional or spiritual response to a natural object, scene, or season of the year" (1999, p. 113).

## References Page

The title of the References list indicates that you should only include items here that you actually cite in your paper.

The References list appears at the end of the paper. Begin the list on a new page with the title centered on the first line.

Margins are the same as the rest of the paper (1 inch on all sides) and page numbering should be continuous from the previous page.

Double space the entire References list.

The beginning of each citation should be flush with the left margin, but subsequent lines should be indented 1/2 inch (called "hanging indent"). To do this in MS Word, first select all the citations, go to the Paragraph dialog box, then choose Hanging in the "Special" dropdown menu. Set the "By" box to .5" and click OK.

List citations in alphabetical order.

## Sample Papers

* MLA Format: Sample Paper from the Purdue Online Writing Lab
* APA Format: Sample Paper from the Purdue Online Writing Lab
* Chicago Author-Date Format: Sample Paper from the Purdue Online Writing Lab
* Chicago Notes and Bibliography Format: Sample Paper from the Purdue Online Writing Lab

## What are primary sources?

Primary sources are documents, artifacts, or other records created by first-hand testimony or direct evidence of an event. There are many kinds of primary sources, including letters, diaries, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, photographs, audio or video recordings, and objects/artifacts. These may be in their original form - manuscript letters, for example - or they may be reprinted or reproduced in books and other media.

Primary sources serve as raw material for research and are used along with other materials to get an intimate look at a person, period, or event in order to better understand it from your own perspective.

## What are secondary sources?

Secondary sources are documents, articles, books, and other materials that discuss and expand upon the meaning of a primary source. Exploring secondary sources is an opportunity to gain insight into an event or primary source document by reading the interpretations of experts in a field. Secondary sources help you understand the content and context of primary source materials.

## Primary Sources on the Internet

Many primary source documents are available in digital formats on the internet. In the pages on the various different types of primary sources, we'll make some suggestions of places to look. In general, though, here are some repositories that are good sources of primary source documents:

* American Memory from the Library of Congress
* Making of America
* Digital Public Library of America
* World Digital Library
* NYPL Digital Gallery
* HathiTrust
* Internet Archive
* Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy
* EuroDocs: Western European Primary Historical Documents

## Evaluating Primary Sources

Just as with any source of information - whether printed, broadcast, or web-based - you should evaluate primary sources so that you have a full understanding of the context and content. That way, you'll be better equipped to determine whether it's something you should use in your academic work, and if you do, you can explain any bias, inconsistency, or errors to your audience.

## Analyze Your Sources

**Just because you're using a primary source doesn't mean that it is accurate or truthful. Ask yourself questions such as:**

* Is the author biased in any way?
* Who is the intended audience?
* What is the context?
* What dates, locations, or people are mentioned?
* Is this the original text or has it been translated/transcribed?
* Is the translator/transcriber an expert in the field?
* Is this a reliable source of information?
* Is the content accurate?

**When possible, compare different accounts of the same event:**

* Can you find other sources to verify the information?
* Are there other accounts of the event?
* Do accounts differ or are they the same?