Making Decisions Based on Your Discipline

When you're trying to figure out whether a source is appropriate for your project, you should keep in mind the expectations and conventions of your discipline. The types of questions asked in a particular field will determine the types of sources consulted, and what is a useful source for one project may not be a useful source for a different project. For example, while you wouldn't consult Aristotle's outdated writings on physics if you were trying to learn about gravity, you might well consult these writings if you were writing a paper for a History of Science course.

If you have questions about the types of sources that are valued in a particular course, ask your instructor or a librarian. You should also consult departmental websites for information about research and writing, as well as the writing guides published by the Harvard Writing Project.

Several Harvard departments and programs have published their own online writing guides, which contain excellent advice about research and writing:

• GovWrites offers advice about writing and research in government courses. 
• AnthroWrites offers advice about writing and research in anthropology. 
• ScienceWrites offers advice about writing and research in the life sciences.