tietolähteenä

tietolähteenä is a Finnish expression meaning “as a source” and is used to indicate that information originates from a specific source. In academic writing and journalism, it functions to attribute claims, provide evidence, and guide readers to the origin of information. The phrase often appears in sentences that discuss where a fact or argument comes from, or when authors summarize or quote external material.

A tietolähde can be categorized as primary or secondary. Primary sources present original data, documents, or firsthand accounts. Secondary sources analyze, interpret, or synthesize information from primary sources, such as review articles, textbooks, and commentaries. Other source types include official statistics, scholarly journals, books, newspapers, websites, and gray literature. The reliability of information depends on the source’s credibility, authority, accuracy, and currency. When evaluating potential tietolähteet, researchers consider the author’s qualifications, the publication venue, the date, and whether the source has undergone peer review or editorial oversight. It is prudent to corroborate important claims with multiple sources rather than relying on a single one.

Citing practices require clear identification of the source and complete bibliographic details. In Finnish academic writing, as in international practice, readers should be able to locate the original source through references and citations. For online materials, including access dates and digital identifiers such as DOI or stable URLs improves traceability. Ethical use involves proper quotation, paraphrase, and attribution to prevent plagiarism and to respect intellectual property.

In sum, tietolähteenä denotes grounding statements in recognized information sources, with careful evaluation and precise citation strengthening trust and scholarly integrity.