What the VU University Library can offer students.
What scientific information actually entails.
How scientific sources are distinguished from general sources such as Wikipedia or generative AI.
Searching in LibSearch
LibSearch is the university library's search system and provides access to scientific literature.
Scientific publications are characterised by:
Being written by scientists, intended for scientists.
Building on existing knowledge, with clear and verifiable source references.
Quality control through peer review.
Research articles have a fixed structure, so you can quickly find the information you need.
In the social sciences, (digital) books and articles are the most important forms of scientific publications
Non-scientific sources:
Policy documents, professional publications and newspaper articles can be relevant and useful sources of information
Use the CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) to critically assess online sources
Always critically assess information from Wikiwijs or obtained with generative AI tools: check facts, compare with reliable scientific sources and always state in your paper where and how you used a genAI tool