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Guide for step 6

Source evaluation

Source evaluation In , you review, evaluate, and select the sources you actually want to use.

Your choices shape the later Final proposal, Chapter structure, Content review and Full text & Export.

Important
This step matters because your selection later controls the argument, reference list and full text: sources you exclude here should not later be treated as a basis for your paper.
1.

Why Source evaluation matters

Source evaluation At this point, StudyTexter has usually found literature, included your uploads and imported entries from your reference list. The important task is to decide which sources should actually influence the paper. Proposal draft Final proposal

In short
Source evaluation is your quality filter: confirm relevant sources, exclude weak hits, mark Must-use sources and complete missing bibliographic details before StudyTexter plans and writes with those sources.
2.

Select sources

Here you select from researched literature, uploads and reference-list entries the sources that should be allowed into the next steps. The two most important controls are Yes/No and Must use.

Use this source?

This source may be reused, but only if it fits the research question, chapter and concrete argument. A source marked Yes can still be dropped later, for example if it is too general, overlaps with other sources or is not relevant enough for the text. No excludes the source from the later workflow.

Must-use source

This source should appear in the paper whenever possible. Use Must use only for genuinely central sources, such as university requirements, foundational theories or especially important studies. For important but not mandatory sources, Yes is usually enough.

How to decide

Start with the strongest and most relevant sources. A source should fit your topic, be academically usable and contribute something concrete to the argument. Do not keep a source only because it looks impressive.

  • For a bachelor thesis, a focused set of central studies, standard works and current articles is usually better than a very large list.
  • For a master thesis, select more specialized literature and mark only the truly central texts as Must use.
  • For empirical work, prioritize sources that support your method, variables, definitions and interpretation.

Term paper

often about 8-15 good sources

Bachelor thesis

often about 20-35 good sources

Master thesis

often about 35-60 good sources

These numbers are only orientation. Your university's requirements, topic, field and paper type matter more than a fixed number.

Quick quality check

  • Does the source directly match the research question?
  • Is it academic and citable?
  • Are author, year and title plausible?
  • Are DOI, URL, journal, publisher or publication type traceable?
  • Is the source current enough for your topic?
  • Is the full text available or easy to access?
Mini example for your selectionv
Yes

Current overview study directly related to the research question

Fits the topic, is academically citable and provides central concepts or arguments.

Must use

Core source required by the university

Must be considered because of a requirement, central theory or especially relevant study.

No

Older marginal hit with loose topic connection

Only loosely related, weakly supported or without a clear contribution to your argument.

Additional literature suggestions
These sources are freely accessible. You can open and download them yourself, then upload them here. Obtain these sources through your university library or another legitimate access route, then upload them here.
If the selection is too small or too large
If you keep too few sources, later steps may lack evidence. If you keep too many weak hits, the paper can become unfocused. Exclude marginal sources and keep strong sources that can carry your argument.
Save after larger table rounds
After changing many rows in the table, save before moving on. This makes sure your source decisions are available for the later steps.
How to handle uncertain sources
If you are unsure, check the title, abstract, year and source details. Keep the source only when it clearly helps the paper; otherwise set it to No or replace it with a better source.
3.

Use the table efficiently

The table is not just a list. Use it as your working view for relevance, source status, notes, uploads and bibliographic details.

Overview and reserve

Use the table to see which sources are already selected and which sources remain available as reserve material.

Columns, search and focus

Use columns and filters to find conflicts, missing details and sources that still need a decision.

Sorting and notes

Sort the table and add notes when a source is important for a specific chapter, page range or argument.

When Additional literature suggestions are usefulv

Use Additional literature suggestions when the current selection feels too thin, important perspectives are missing or you notice after checking that many suggested sources do not match your topic.

Additional literature suggestions

Some suggestions are freely accessible; others must be obtained through your university library or another legitimate access route. Open, download and upload important sources if StudyTexter should work with them.

  • Open promising suggestions before marking them as central.
  • Upload the full text if it is important for your paper.
  • Save after larger table rounds before continuing.
Small controls that are often enough
  • Open unclear sources instead of deciding by title only.
  • Move rarely used columns out of view or hide them.
  • Check central sources first and then work through marginal hits.
  • Save after larger table rounds before continuing.
4.

If you uploaded a reference list

If you uploaded a reference list in File upload, this section can show sources from your reference list. If you did not upload one, you can skip this part.

In the uploaded reference-list view, you see which entries StudyTexter could match and which entries still need checking.

Only set a reference-list source to Yes when it really belongs in the paper or is required by your supervisor.

Your uploaded reference list

Here you see which entries have already been recognized as sources and which have not.

All (10)Source found (5)Source not found (5)
You need to upload unfound sources manually. If the source link is not enough, your university library or your own scan can help.
Source foundOK
Access failedGo to source
Check sources from your reference list
A reference list is not a guarantee that every source can be found automatically. If an important source is missing, upload the full text manually and then review the source details.
5.

If you uploaded your own sources

Own uploaded sources can appear in the table as uploads. They still need the same relevance decision as researched sources.

Own uploads are not automatically fully checked

A file can be uploaded correctly and still need a decision about whether it should be used in the paper.

Decide like for every other source

Set the upload to Yes if it should appear in the paper. If it was only background material, it can remain excluded.

6.

Complete uploaded source details

If a note such as an uploaded source needs attention appears, open the Uploaded source check.

Complete or correct missing source details before you rely on the upload as a cited source.

Upload check

missing details

Sample title of your source

Year missing

Uploaded source check

1 uploaded source needs attention: Missing required bibliographic details

Complete details · Edit source details

Complete details
Year, title, author, publication type and publisher are especially important because they shape citations and the reference list. Edit bibliographic details such as title, author, year and publisher. These are used for citations and the reference list.
7.

Solve typical source issues

Not every source is immediately usable in a clean way. Check suspicious hits briefly before they weaken your argument or reference list later.

Duplicates or almost identical hits

If the same source appears several times, keep the most complete version with the best source details and set the other entries to No.

Wrong title or missing year

Add or correct the details through the Uploaded source check before marking the source as important. Year, title and authors are especially important for citations.

Full text not accessible

Search for the PDF full text through your library, DOI, publisher or your own documents. If only a link exists but no full text is available, the source is usually not suitable as a central basis.

Source from reference list not found

Check spelling, year and authors. If StudyTexter cannot find it automatically, upload the full text manually and then review the source details.

8.

Export and continue

Before you continue, save your source selection. You can also export an overview or bibliographic formats if you want to keep the source state outside StudyTexter.

Export overview

Use the overview export to document which sources were selected, excluded or still need attention.

Upload missing sources

If important sources are still missing, upload them now before continuing to the next step.

Export and continue
Your selection in Source evaluation affects the Final proposal, Chapter structure, Content review and the later Full text & Export. Only cleanly selected and completed sources can later be cited reliably and appear correctly in the reference list.
Quick quality check
  • All important sources are set to Yes.
  • Only truly mandatory core sources are marked as Must use.
  • Unfound reference-list sources have been checked.
  • Missing metadata has been added through Complete details.
  • Notes or metadata changes in dialogs have been confirmed by saving.