Using bibliometric data and a faceted taxonomy first published by Leeder, Markey, and Yakel, this pilot study examines student constructions of authority generated from a sample of 60 research papers by students in a freshman-level English composition course. The taxonomy classifies each source using subfacet attributes of author identity, editorial process, and publication purpose facets that, in combination, provide insight into how students navigate today's information ecosystem. The findings suggest that students use a similar array of sources regardless of their demographic background or their academic ability, and that the characteristics of these sources have important implications for information literacy instruction and collection development.