What to look for: All Resources

Non-fiction material is based in fact (usually supported with research, evidence, and/or observation), rather than creative. Generally speaking, a non-fiction source is preferred in a research paper. Examples of non-fiction types of literature/media would be news, biography, history, art, religion, cooking, and more.

Fiction material is created from imagination, and will usually consist of characters that aren't real people, character development, a plot/story, conflict, and resolution. Typically, it is not advisable to use a fictional source in a research paper, unless it is used to illustrate a point, to explain a source of inspiration, or your paper is in some way about a particular fictional source(s). Examples of fictional literature/media would be mysteries, romances, fantasy, scifi, most graphic novels, plays, and more.

It is possible, especially in literature or humanities-type studies, that the examination of one or more fictional resources (or aspects/elements within them) is the topic of a paper. In these situations, it is acceptable to use appropriate and relevant fiction as sources with proper citation. Ideally, your conclusions or arguments would be supported with non-fictional sources as well.

In the Nicolet College Library, call numbers beginning with P are fiction, except for language studies, literary criticism and author biographies. A call number beginning with anything other than P is non-fiction.

Some non-fiction topics are not generally considered valid by the scientific community at this point in time. These topics may be interesting for personal study, but are likely not appropriate for your research project. Examples include:

• Paranormal topics such as ghosts, aliens, cryptozoology, reincarnation, past lives, magic, etc.
• "Alternate reality" subjects like the Mandela effect, we're living in a simulation, travel to/from/between parallel universes, time travel, etc.  
• "Alternative science" subjects such as anti-vaxxing, homeopathic medicine, climate change denial, flat earth, dinosaurs didn’t really exist, etc.
• Extra-human powers such as psychic abilities, telepathy, telekinesis, astral projection, remote viewing, etc. 
• Conspiracy theories 
• Religion, spirituality, or demonology

If you were considering an above topic or something similar, talk to your instructor first before going any further in the research process.

Consider all of the following criteria (CRAP):

• Currency: Newer sources are generally preferable, unless you are looking for historical information or perspectives: Within 3-5 years for scientific/technical areas; last 10 years for literature/humanities type areas. Determine if there have been recent developments since its publication. See “websites” tab for website specific indicators. Be very skeptical of a source with no publication date.
• Reliability: Examine resources for evidence of thorough research and/or demonstrated expertise. Do a surface evaluation of cited sources for apparent credibility. Be extremely skeptical of any source with no cited sources.

Determine the publisher and its reputation in academics. Corporate publishers will have a vetting process prior to publication that gives some assurance of scholarly credibility, but self-published sources typically lack that process. For websites, see the “websites” tab for a table of extensions and the associated level of reliability.

• Authorship: Author/authorship refers to the creator of written or media sources. Authors can be individuals or organizations.

Determine the author’s credentials, if they have demonstrated expertise, their reputation in the field, and/or their affiliation with a reputable research institution such as a university or hospital, or government agency. For websites, look for an "about us" page, contact information, and an indication of the mission of the organization. Be extremely skeptical of any source if you can’t determine the author.

• Purpose: Determine if the resource was created to provide impartial information, or if was it created to inflame emotions or sell a product. Be extremely skeptical of any resource created for any purpose other than to inform.

Examine the word choices and imagery used in the source. Indicators of informational sources include:

• Appeals to logic and reason with more objective and neutral word choices and imagery. 
• Highlights facts over discussions of opinions or beliefs. 
• Captions tend to objectively describe the circumstances in the image. 
• Discusses even upsetting subjects (such as animal cruelty) matter-of-factly and objectively.