Help:Find sources: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:38, 10 April 2015

Latest revision as of 14:48, 26 July 2025

(58 intermediate revisions by 26 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Redirect|Help:Sources|information regarding how to cite sources|Wikipedia:Citing sources}}

{{shortcut|WP:FIND}}

{{Wikipedia how-to|H:FIND|WP:FIND}}

{{HelpTOC}}

{{nutshell|About finding sources to support a specific Wikipedia article. For finding a source you have already identified, see [[Wikipedia:Find your source]].}}

__NOTOC__

[[WP:Independent sources|Independent]] and [[WP:RS|reliable]] sources are vital for creating encyclopedia articles. Reliable sources allow editors to [[WP:V|verify]] that claims in an article are ''accurate''. The higher the quality of the source for the statement it backs up, the more likely that statement is to be accurate. Independent sources help editors to write ''[[WP:NPOV|neutrally]]'' and to prove that the subject has ''[[WP:N|received note]]''. Wherever possible, editors should aim to use sources that are independent and highly reliable for the subjects they write about.

Many of the best sources are not available online, or are only available under subscription. For example, many books are not available online at all, and subscription to academic databases such as [[JSTOR]] can be fairly expensive. However, it is possible to use the internetopen web to find many good sources to use in writing encyclopedia articles. Examples of such sources are news stories from newspapers with a reputation for accuracy, books which have previews on Googledigital Bookslibraries, and academic papers which are available for[[open freeaccess]] on theirin authors'[[open websitesarchives]].

== Types of sources ==

== For Students in High School and College ==

Many High Schools and Colleges have resources and databases that it's students can access to use in school assignments. Databases such as JSTOR, Facts on File, and ABC-CLIO are often resources that educational institutions give their students.

Many types of sources are available, although some are appropriate only in certain situations.

==The Wikipedia Library==

*[[Academic_publishing#Scholarly_paper|Scholarly articles]]: short papers published in [[academic publishing|academic journals]]. They may present original research or review the research of others. Many undergo a process of [[peer review]] before publication. Watch two short videos on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd_0ErD_Gws traditional peer review] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o25ENtTy2vw a comparison to open peer review].

[[WP:TWL|The Wikipedia Library]] is an initiative to help Wikipedians get access to subscription or paid sources to improve Wikipedia articles. Editors can [[Wikipedia:The_Wikipedia_Library/Journals|apply for access to databases]].

*[[Book]]s and [[monograph]]s: longer academic or popular works.

*[[Textbook]]s: an instructional or educational manual covering a particular subject area.

*[[Dictionaries]] and [[encyclopedia]]s: reference works containing multiple entries for different words or topics. Wikipedia is an example of an encyclopedia.

*[[Archive|Archival]] and other [[primary source]]s: historic documents. [[WP:PSTS|This page]] outlines appropriate use of primary sources.

*[[Magazine]] articles: short papers in popular or trade publications.

*[[Newspaper]] articles or [[news]] reports: writing or multimedia that discusses current events or editorial analysis. [[WP:NEWSORG|This page]] assesses the reliability of news content.

*Reports and other [[grey literature]]: a broad category that includes most government documents, conference proceedings, and other writings not provided by traditional publishers.

*[[Statistics]]: data, particularly [[census]] data, and analysis.

*[[Thesis|Theses]] and [[dissertation]]s: works created as a requirement for the completion of an advanced postsecondary degree. [[WP:SCHOLARSHIP|This page]] describes some of the considerations in using these types of sources.

*Websites, blogs and other user-generated sources: online content from a variety of authors/publishers. Reliability depends on the editorial control of the website. [[WP:SPS|This page]] discusses issues with user-generated content.

== Where to look for sources ==

*[[DuckDuckGo]] or other general [[search engines]] are effective for finding online sources in particular, but can also be used for some other kinds of sources depending on the topic area. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBV9HsPKXi0&list=PLF2KCgTC6mbQX8Creoyl4jI8q-xeyfcyj&index=2 <!-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WbRIjTRj2U --> This video] outlines the fundamentals of "advanced search" techniques.

**[[Wikipedia:Advanced source searching#Custom search engines|Wikipedia editors have created custom Google search engines]] to help find sources on websites that Wikipedia editors have determined are generally more reliable.

*Several [[academic search engines|general search engines]] exist for more academic material, particularly scholarly articles, although some content will be behind a paywall: examples are [[Google Scholar]], [[BASE (search engine)|BASE]] and the [[Internet Archive]]'s https://scholar.archive.org/ . [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJH6MfuZs7s This longer video] outlines the use of some Google Scholar features.

*[[Internet Archive]] and [[Google Books]] index millions of books, both academic and popular; however, not all will be available in full text.

**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCBy9z3f9Mw This video] introduces the use of Internet Archive for research.

**Several publishers make multiple editions of their books available through Google Books. Sometimes, Google initially returns a link only to the e-book edition, but that edition may include links to alternate hardcover or softcover editions which do have original pagination. Google Books limits previews of copyrighted books to a certain number of pages. It is possible to jump ahead to exhaust that number from a later starting page by editing the browser URL. For example, adding "&pg=PA100" will usually jump to page 100. [[WP:GBOOKS]] explains how to cite sources found through Google Books.

**Installing the [[Unpaywall]] extension on your browser helps you find the full text of the articles wherever you found them.

* [[WorldCat]] has millions of books and journal articles, and if you register for a free account, it will show you the closest libraries to you that have the source you are looking for. Some books and articles are available in full-text versions which you can view or borrow online.

*Public or research libraries have both books and research databases, covering a wide variety of subject areas. [[WP:FYL|Find yours]].

*See if any [[WP:TWL/Resources|free resources]] cover the topic area

**[[Wikipedia:Free English newspaper sources]] (WP:FENS) provides a list of text-searchable, free (no-pay, non-subscription/-membership/-login) online English newspaper sources.

*[[WP:TWL|The Wikipedia Library]] is an initiative to help Wikipedians get access to subscription or paid sources to improve Wikipedia articles. Editors can [[Wikipedia:The_Wikipedia_LibraryThe Wikipedia Library/Journals|apply for access to databases]], [[WP:RX|request specific sources]], or [[WP:RD|request help with research]].

*Bibliographies on a topic outline the main scholarly sources in a subject area and provide a good starting point, where they are available.

*Once you have found one good scholarly source, you can see what sources it cites and what cited it ([https://sydney.edu.au/library/skills/elearning/print/iResearch_Print_CitationChaining.pdf citation chaining]). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1mu4VZVzk0 This video] describes citation chaining using Google Scholar.

*If you are having trouble accessing a particular source, e.g. due to [[General Data Protection Regulation|privacy laws]], try this [[Wikipedia:How to access US news websites|list of ways to get around IP-based restrictions]].

== Evaluating sources ==

Issues to consider in deciding whether a source is [[WP:RS|reliable]] include:

*Who is the author? What are their qualifications and reputation? Do they have any identifiable biases?

*Who is the publisher? Is the work [[WP:SPS|self-published]]? Does the publisher have a history of editorial reputation? Does the publisher have any biases?

*When was the source published? Is the information outdated?

*Does the source cite its own sources? Is it based on facts or opinions?

*Is the source [[WP:PSTS|primary, secondary, or tertiary]]?

*Are there any obvious errors or omissions?

{{For|more information about how Wikipedia policy evaluates sources |Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources}}

== Templates ==

To help find such sources, Wikipedians have developed a number of [[:Category:Source-finding templates|source-finding templates]] which link to searches most likely to find references suitable for use in articles. The most well-known of these is {{tl|find sources}}, an inline template which can be used almost anywhere. (But [[WP:ELNO|please don't use it in articles themselves]].) This template allows editors to tweak search strings to find the best match for the subject; see the [[Template:Find sources|documentation]] for details. Alternatively, users who desire more freedom can use the meta-template {{tl|find sources multi}}, which allows a choice of search engines.

Example of {{tl|find sources}}:

Line 21 ⟶ 62:

:<code><nowiki>{{find sources multi|human disguise|link1=g|link2=gnews|link3=ddg}}</nowiki></code> produces: {{find sources multi|human disguise|link1=g|link2=gnews|link3=ddg}}

For subjects that have several names or spellings, it may be desirable to use more than one search. This can be as simple as using several {{tl|find sources}} templates.

=== Multiple searches ===

{{WP:TWL/Header}}

{{Wikipedia referencing}}

For subjects that have several names or spellings, it may be desirable to use more than one search. This can be as simple as using several {{tl|find sources}} templates. However, if you want to add the links to an article talk page, the most elegant solution may be to use {{tl|find sources notice}}. This template can handle single searches or multiple searches, and all search strings can be tweaked; see the [[Template:Find sources notice|documentation]] for all the possibilities. It should be placed under the WikiProject banners. You can use this syntax for multiple searches:

{{Help navigation|state=uncollapsed}}

:<code><nowiki>{{find sources notice|search1=human disguise|search2=human suit|search3=aliens among us|search4=disguised as a human}}</nowiki></code>

This produces:

{{find sources notice|search1=human disguise|search2=human suit|search3=aliens among us|search4=disguised as a human}}

== See also ==

{{Help navigation|state=uncollapsed}}

[[Category:Wikipedia tools]]

[[Category:Wikipedia sources]]

==[[Category:The Wikipedia Library==]]