Use the research databases listed here to find articles and other information from sources like newspapers, magazines, and reference materials. See the in-class learning objectives.
Credo contains an excellent collection of topic overviews that can be very helpful in the early stages of a research project. It's also a top-notch reference collection for fact-checking. Watch our Credo video!
Contains a collection of current event topics; includes topic overviews, viewpoint articles, statistics, primary documents, links to web sites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles. Provided by Gale.
A great source for researching current issues. Includes background info and more in-depth articles. See the List of Topics
Explore in-depth and objective articles exploring controversial issues and topics.
Ultimately, it's your responsibility 1, 2, 3 to evaluate the quality of any information before using it it a paper, presentation, or another project.
The steps of the SIFT model 4 described below can be used to help researchers identify key elements to be on the lookout for when assessing a source. Check out the explanations and questions for each section and start using them to evaluate sources such as books, articles, and websites.
Before reading or engaging with a source (website, article, book, etc.) from an author or site that is unknown to you do a quick evaluation of it to ensure it's legitimate and reliable.
A quick search in a library database or search engine can lead you to higher quality sources to confirm claims made in unknown or untrusted sites.
Information can be distorted or misinterpreted when it is shared outside of its original context. If you encounter quotes, statistics, or other information that is attributed to another source, finding the original source of that information will allow you to verify its accuracy.
Notes:
1. Google kills the fact-checking snippet
2. Meta ending third-party fact-checking partnership with US partners, including PolitiFact
3. YouTube to allow creators banned for Covid-19, election misinformation to apply for reinstatement
4. Adapted from Caulfield, Mike. " SIFT (The Four Moves)." Hapgood, 19 June 2019. CC-BY. Also see this online mini-course on SIFT by the same author for additional detail and examples.
An online "works cited" and "reference list" tool for both MLA and APA citation styles. This tool walks students through the process of documenting elements of a citation and allows students to generate MLA and APA bibliographies. Students can create folders and store citations for multiple projects. Provided by NoodleTools. PDF Guide Watch our Noodletools tips on YouTube
The official MLA Style site from the Modern Language Association. Take a look at "Works Cited: A Quick Guide".
View several sample papers on the MLA site to examine layout, formatting, and use of in-text citations.
