We use sources to support our arguments and inform our behaviours in every day life. We read up on how to fix our cars, what brands we should buy, and how to treat that pesky wart on our toe. We share articles from our favourite news sources and organizations on social media. And when someone holds an opinion different from ours, we want to know what information they're basing that opinion on.
As a student, your sources become even more important. As part of the scholarly community within your selected field you will learn from the research and writing (also known as the scholarship) of others that came before you. You are considered a scholar when you build on the research and writing that already exists.
In many ways, scholarship is like a conversation. All scholarship within a research area is connected to what has come before it, and what will come after it. Scholars (including you as a student) enter the conversation by citing the work of others. This helpful video describes how it works: What is the Scholarly Conversation?
Throughout your academic career, integrating a variety of sources within your own writing will be an important skill to develop.
Your sources could include:
Integrating appropriate sources into your writing requires a number of key skills: