University Assignment: Locating and Using Credible Sources in Writing

This assignment response addresses three key questions concerning the use of credible sources in academic and professional contexts. The student explains the importance of using credible sources in tertiary education, highlighting the potential negative consequences of relying on unreliable information, and emphasizing the need for authentic sources for in-depth learning. The response then explores the significance of credible sources in shaping future professional practice, arguing that the use of reliable sources builds confidence and ensures a strong knowledge base. Finally, the student compares the credibility of a Quora article with a journal article on Aboriginal healthcare and community engagement, demonstrating an understanding of source evaluation and the importance of empirical research and peer-reviewed publications for professional practice. The response includes proper citations and a reference list.

Running head: LOCATING AND USING CREDIBLE SOURCES IN ACADEMIC WRITING
LOCATING AND USING CREDIBLE SOURCES IN ACADEMIC WRITING
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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LOCATING AND USING CREDIBLE SOURCES IN ACADEMIC WRITING
Answer to question 1:
Education at the tertiary level requires us to learn intensively about our chosen area of
study and his has to be done using authentic and credible academic sources. In the modern age of
internet, information on anything is easily available but not all information could be taken as
credible. Sometimes, much information is just posted on the internet out of fun or to target some
opposing ideology or school of thought. At the tertiary level, we have enough intellect to know
the difference between authentic sources and fake sources. At this level, we learn what is
actually real and not what others perceive as real. We are expected to research, collect and relate
information that has been constructed structurally and empirically over a long period.
Studies surrounding the impact of the internet are abounding in the literature however;
little research has been done to assess the importance of using academic sources has been done. I
include this because while researching for the assignment, I found online information in
abundance but very little academically credible sources. I found some studies that discussed
about the theoretical benefits of sharing of teaching materials on online platform for students and
reusing of open educational resources (OER) (Atenas, Havemann and Priego 2014). This study
shows that using credible sources even online is given much importance. Using sources that are
not authentic might lead to devastating outcomes. Consider visiting a doctor for a heart surgery
and the doctor takes help from tutorial videos found online to perform the surgery it would scare
us. Hence, using credible sources at the tertiary level is important.
Answer to question 2:
As I have mentioned in the first question, using sources that are not credible might lead to
devastating outcomes in the future. As described by the UNESCO, tertiary education has much

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LOCATING AND USING CREDIBLE SOURCES IN ACADEMIC WRITING
of its focus on learning activities in specific fields (Uis.unesco.org, 2019). This means that at the
tertiary level, we decide what profession we want to choose for ourselves. For this, we have to
carry out extensive researches on the chosen field using sources or researches that have been
done previously on the same field. Now, if I use any random source I found on the internet to
perform the research, I would be missing the important findings about my chosen field. In the
future, if I want to become a scholar, I must have the knowledge about the experts in this field
and this knowledge comes from using credible sources.
After I complete my tertiary education, I would be working in some firm or institution
where I would be selected based on my knowledge about my field. In this scenario, if the
interviewer asks me about the best people in my field or the experts in my field I would have to
be confident in answering the questions. This confidence would come from using credible
academic sources at the tertiary level. My career will be at stake if I do not use credible sources
during my tertiary education. Credible sources help shape my professional practice in that it
makes me confident as a learner and as a professional.
Answer to question 3:
I chose a topic on Aboriginal healthcare and community engagement. One article on this
topic I found in an online website known as Quora while the other article is a journal article
published in BMC Health Services Research
The article published in Quora has lesser credibility than the one published in the journal
because it does not provide any reference to previous studies on the same topic (Quora.com,
2019). On the other hand, the journal article has used the works of previous scholars who have
studied on the same topic. Furthermore, the Quora article did not include any empirical study to

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LOCATING AND USING CREDIBLE SOURCES IN ACADEMIC WRITING
prove the topic whereas the journal article conducted a complete study using participants from
the community in focus and qualitative data as well.
The journal article titled Improving healthcare for Aboriginal Australians through
effective engagement between community and health services provides intensive information on
the topic (Durey et al., 2016). From this article, I have been able to understand the need and
importance of community engagement and its effectiveness. In my professional practice, this
article will help me greatly because I would know the ways to improve the health and wellbeing
of the Aboriginal community by engaging in effective community engagement. The Quora
article although provides important information about the Aboriginal health, it would not help
me to learn about the studies or works that are being done to address the topic or issue.

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LOCATING AND USING CREDIBLE SOURCES IN ACADEMIC WRITING
References:
Atenas, J., Havemann, L. and Priego, E., 2014. Opening teaching landscapes: The importance of
quality assurance in the delivery of open educational resources. Open Praxis, 6(1), pp.29-43.
Durey, A., McEvoy, S., Swift-Otero, V., Taylor, K., Katzenellenbogen, J. and Bessarab, D.,
2016. Improving healthcare for Aboriginal Australians through effective engagement between
community and health services. BMC health services research, 16(1), p.224.
Quora.com (2019). What health issues do indigenous people face?. [online] Quora.com.
Available at: https://www.quora.com/What-health-issues-do-indigenous-people-face [Accessed
12 Apr. 2019].
Uis.unesco.org (2019). Tertiary education (ISCED levels 5 to 8) | UNESCO UIS. [online]
Uis.unesco.org. Available at: http://uis.unesco.org/node/334812 [Accessed 12 Apr. 2019].