Guide to Researching Psychoactive Plants of Interest #2 - The Basics

II. The Basics

Keeping Track of Your Sources

Information is only as reliable as its source.

Imagine that I have just told you that Acacia berlandieri contains methamphetamine. Maybe you believe me because you think I'm a trustworthy guy, maybe not. It's hard to tell if that claim is reliable because I haven't cited any sources. If I make that claim and cite an Ask Dr. Shulgin article, that's a little better; most people think that Dr. Shulgin is a trustworthy guy, so that gives the claim a little more weight. But it's best if I make that claim and cite the original report from the journal Phytochemistry. That way you can check that I haven't misunderstood the paper's claims, and you can see what else they found in the plant.


There are a lot of "official" ways to format a bibliography entry (Chicago, MLA, APA, etc.). Unless you're really familiar with one of those formats, don't bog yourself down worrying about doing it "correctly." All that matters is that you record enough information that people can easily find your source. Include as many of the following as possible:


Author(s)

Year published

Title of the document

page numbers (if applicable)

For articles, write down the journal or book it was published in (for journals, also write down which volume/issue of the journal)

For books, include the name of the publishing company and the city in which it was published

For internet sources, include the address and the date that you visited the site


Just for your own records, it's often helpful to save a copy of any sources that you cite. Make a folder for the subject you are researching (either a physical one or on your hard drive) and put your copies in there so you can find them easily. It is legal (under fair use) to photocopy or scan the relevant pages from books or articles. It is especially important to save copies of any internet sources that you cite! Websites and web content disappear all the time. Either print a copy of the site or save the site to your computer.

Evaluating Reliability

Whenever reading a source, always ask yourself: How reliable is this information? Does the author have a good reputation? Do they appear to be really familiar with the subject? Do they cite their sources? Was the source written at a time in the past when our understanding of chemistry, botany, or anthropology was very different than today?

There are times when it is okay to use unreliable sources. An internet forum post by someone who claims to grow an obscure plant is worth quoting if no good information about cultivating that species has been published. A priest's account of "witchcraft" and heresy based on psychoactive plant use during the Inquisition can provide valuable information, even if you completely disagree with their worldview. Just make sure that you're always critically evaluating the reliability of any source you read.

Also Check part I and III:

I. Condensed List of Resources - All the key resources from Part III without any of my blathering

III. Finding Sources - A discussion of the research process, including links to helpful resources