研究生英语第四章翻译.docVIP

Everyone finds that many of the ideas which he desired to retain have slipped irretrievably away. The Idler, NO. 72 The ability to find information is a useful skill, but it will not guarantee a successful research paper. It is only a first step. You must also be able to evaluate your sources, read efficiently, select material supporting your thesis, and take usable notes. Evaluating Sources You will need to evaluate your sources on two levels. First, is the information reliable? Second, how useful will a source be for your own paper? Be sure to think seriously about both questions. Information may be accurate without being especially useful, and unreliable information may be useful for showing problems associated with certain points of view. For many students the first question may be especially daunting if they have never been asked to question what they read. Perhaps because they have been taught to rely so heavily on textbooks, some students feel excessive reverence for everything they see in print. Yet publication does not make something reported as a fact true or an opinion valid. Composing a research paper provides a good opportunity to learn how to judge the reliability of sources and to extract relevant material from them. Only a specialist can judge the reliability of a source authoritatively, but considering the following points can help you determine whether a source is likely to be (1) trustworthy and (2) relevant to your research project. Criteria for Evaluating Internet Sources Evaluating information you find on the Internet is crucial, but you can follow the same principles you would use to assess information in any other area of your life. You probably would not buy a car from a stranger without making some investigations, and the same should be true of “buying” what you find on the Internet (or any other source). 1. Author. If an author is named, that is the place to begin. Re