WRIT 120: Hip Hop Culture and the Poetics of Place

Sometimes your research topic is so new or so specific, it is hard to find scholarly sources for it.  For example, if you're researching a film or song that came out last year, there hasn't been enough time to publish a fully peer-reviewed paper on that topic.

In that instance, you may find yourself relying on other kinds of sources: blogs, non-scholarly magazine articles, and so on. When you use these materials, you want to ask yourself: How credible is this source?

Even if the resource hasn't been peer-reviewed, you can look for clues to tell you if the information is reliable. The categories in the ACCORD method help you determine if a source is reliable for your project.

Evaluate with ACCORD

Agenda

Why was it created?

• to inform?
• to express an opinion?
• to sell something?

Credentials

Who created it?

• a subject expert?
• a professional writer?
• an enthusiast?

Citations

Can you follow the research?

Look for citations, bibliographies, and functional hyperlinks.

Oversight

Who published it?

Academic presses, professional organizations, and reputable news outlets employ peer reviewers and fact-checkers.

Relevance

Is it suitable?

• how does it relate to your project?
• is it written for an appropriate age group?

Date

When was it created?

• can you easily find the creation date?
• is there likely to be more recent research?

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