Sources support your writing
A source can help you explain a point, support an argument, give context or show evidence behind your thinking.
Video 3 of 16 · Foundations of Referencing
What is a source?
Know what your evidence is built on.
A source is anything you use to help develop, support or inform your academic work. It might provide evidence, ideas, information or context.
Evidence and ideas
Many source types
Relevant, credible, suitable
Watch
Sources, explained simply
Use this video to understand what counts as a source and why sources matter in academic writing.
Watch the video first, then use the sections below to check the main ideas.
In this lesson
Learn the essentials
Good academic work does not just make claims. It shows where the supporting information has come from.
Sources come in different forms
Academic writing may draw on journal articles, books, chapters, webpages, reports, policies, guidance or data.
Sources need checking
Not every source is equally useful. The source should fit the task and come from somewhere appropriate.
The simple test
What makes a source useful?
Before using a source, pause and ask whether it does the job you need it to do.
🎯
Relevant
Does it fit your topic, question or assignment brief?
✅
Credible
Does it come from somewhere you can reasonably trust?
📚
Suitable
Is it appropriate for the level, purpose and context of the task?
🔎
Traceable
Can your reader identify and find the source if they need to check it?
Examples
What can count as a source?
Different assignments may need different types of sources. The important thing is to understand what each source is doing in your work.
Journal article → research evidence or academic discussion
Book or chapter → background, theory or detailed explanation
Policy or guideline → professional, legal or organisational context
Webpage or report → current information, public data or institutional information
Quick checks
Three questions to ask
What is this source?
Identify whether it is an article, book, chapter, webpage, report, policy, guideline or another type of material.
Why am I using it?
Be clear about whether it provides evidence, explanation, context, data or professional guidance.
Can my reader check it?
Your reference should give enough information for someone else to identify and trace the source.
Read
Transcript
Open the transcript if you prefer to read the explanation or revisit a specific part of the video.
Read the transcript
A source is anything you use to help develop, support, or inform your academic work.
It might be a journal article, a book, a book chapter, a webpage, a report, a policy, a guideline, or a piece of data.
Sources provide the evidence, ideas, information, or context behind your writing.
Some sources are academic, such as peer-reviewed journal articles.
Others may be professional, organisational, or public sources, such as government reports or clinical guidelines.
The important thing is to ask whether the source is relevant, credible, and suitable for the task.
Relevant means it fits your topic. Credible means it comes from somewhere you can trust. Suitable means it is appropriate for your assignment.
A good source helps your writing become more informed, more balanced, and more trustworthy.
Using Ref-Check
How this connects to Ref-Check
Ref-Check helps users check whether the sources in their reference list can be identified and traced. This video explains what a source is before students begin checking how sources are used and referenced.
Build a clear source trail
When a source is relevant, credible, suitable and traceable, your reader can better understand and check the evidence behind your work.