Dental Hygiene & Dental Assistant
USEFUL TERMS
- Abstract: a brief summary of an article to help the reader understand the purpose
- Bibliography: a list of the sources used in research
- Database: a searchable collection of information
- Keywords: the important terms from a research topic
- Reference resources: research tools such as encyclopedias and dictionaries
OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT SOURCES
- Is the information considered current for my topic?
- What bias does the information show, if any?
- Can this information be verified elsewhere?
- Did the author cite their sources or provide evidence?
A NOTE ON WIKIPEDIA
When you don't know much about a topic, Wikipedia is a great place to start for a couple of reasons:
1. You can read an overview of the topic to learn more and even narrow down a few keywords.
2. You can follow the references at the bottom of the page to find useable resources.
However...
Wikipedia is not a valid source for research. You should never have it in your bibliography.