sources

Where things begin

Sources are origins or points from which something comes.

A river has a source; so does information.

In research, sources are the documents, people, or materials consulted: Cite your sources.

A journalist protects their sources—people who provide information.

To source something is to obtain it from a particular place: We source our coffee beans from Colombia.

information

references

Sources cited for verification

citationsAcknowledged source mentions
documentsFormal written records
recordsStored data or albums

data · evidence · materials · archives · bibliography · footnotes · research · primary · secondary · databases

origin

roots

Underground nutrient absorbers

beginningsInitial stages of something
genesisPoint of creation
derivationSource or origin tracing

provenance · wellspring · fountainhead · birthplace · cradle · ancestry · cause · basis · foundation · seed

journalistic

informants

People providing secret intelligence

whistleblowersThose exposing organizational misconduct
insidersThose with special access
anonymousOf unknown origin

confidential · leaks · tipsters · contacts · deep throat · off-the-record · attribution · unnamed · verified · corroboration

water

spring

Recoiling metal spiral

headwatersRiver's starting point
wellspringPrimary source of something
aquiferGroundwater-bearing geological formation

tributary · stream · river · watershed · underground · mineral · natural · artesian · groundwater · basin

power

energy

Power to do work

electricityEnergy from charged particles
renewableCapable of restoration
solarOf the star

wind · nuclear · fossil · fuel · hydroelectric · geothermal · biomass · grid · generation · sustainable

supply

suppliers

Those who furnish goods

vendorsThose who sell goods
providersThose who furnish
procurementObtaining goods externally

wholesalers · distributors · manufacturers · importers · contractors · retailers · merchants · factories · farms · mines

Categories

historyancient civilizations, past events, historian, epochs, era
biographybirth, death date, autobiography, life story, biography
information gatheringinquire, query, poll, survey, probe
back matterappendix, appendices, bibliography, endnotes, glossary
Fact-checkingfact check, verify, debunk, false claim, misinformation
journalism termsheadline, headlines, byline, bylines, lead

Opposites

causation

sourceseffects

Consequences or belongings

consequences · results · outcomes · endpoints · products

information flow

sourcesrecipients

Those who receive

receivers · destinations · audiences · consumers · readers

PHYSICAL ORIGIN (water/materials)

sourcesmouths

Oral cavities, plural

outlets · destinations · sinks · deltas · termini

Phrases

light sourceWhat gives off illumination
power sourceOrigin of energy
source materialOriginal work adapted from
energy sourcesOrigins of usable power
open sourcePublicly accessible code
dietary sourcesFoods supplying particular nutrients

Family

source, resource, resources, resourceful, sourced, sourcing, outsource, resourced, unsourced

Familiarity: Top 10,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G