Importance of Quality Sources in Writing - Essay Example

In this paper, quality sources will be discussed and the reasons for use of such quality sources in writing with presented.
Quality Sources in Writing
In academic writing, it is critical to understand the type of sources that are allowed for use. Books are one of the academic sources of information in writing. These sources may be accessed from the library or from online libraries. The other authentic source of information when researching for academic writing are journals and peer-reviewed articles that are also available from libraries and online (Jager and Bak, 2003). Students may also use reports from governments and different organizations as the source of information when writing. Published theses are also used as authentic sources in writing (Adams and Forsyth, 2006).

Lastly, a student is allowed to use some online materials when researching.
Despite the numerous numbers of sources that a student can use, one is warned against using some online sources such as Wikipedia, blogs and websites ending with “.com”. Whenever a student uses any source, one is required to cite it accordingly within the text and provide a list of references after the work is completed (Adams and Forsyth, 2006). Citing of references may be carried out based on different referencing styles. The most common referencing styles are the American Psychologist Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), Harvard, Chicago and Oxford. References are cited in any research work to avoid cases of plagiarism and to give tribute to the source of any idea (Jager and Bak, 2003).

Reasons for Use of Quality Source
One of the reasons for the use of quality references in writing is to assure that the student accesses authentic information. In the sources such as Wikipedia and blogs, the information contained may be changed by different people. This makes such information untrustworthy and incredible for use. However, quality sources contain accurate facts that have been tested through research and over a long period (Jager and Bak, 2003). Quality sources are also important as they provide up-to-date information on the issue being researched thereby enhancing the ability of the student to comprehend the topic. The other reason for the use of quality sources in research is to ensure that the reader of such work can refer to the material used (Adams and Forsyth, 2006). Quality sources are also used in writing to ensure that the student does not fall to be a victim to plagiarizing. In using sources that are not quality, the student may end up referring to an idea from another person without giving due credit to such a person, therefore, ending plagiarizing (Jager and Bak, 2003).

Conclusion
In writing, one is supposed to use credible and quality sources. These sources must then be cited within the text and after the work is completed, a reference list is provided. The use of quality sources ensures that one uses up-date-information, does not engage in plagiarism and the information used is credible. Read More