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.
Contains an online library of current event topics; includes viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to web sites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles. Provided by Gale.
Provides information on a wide array of subjects; includes updated reference content with full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites.
Explore in-depth and objective articles exploring controversial issues and topics.
Get started with overview and background articles in every subject. Show me how
Provides topical articles, about 15 - 20 pages long, on social issues; articles include an overview, background information, the current situation, an outlook on possible developments, a special focus, chronology of related events, and pro/con section, and more.
This citation management tool can help students generate precise citations and create properly-formatted bibliographies in MLA and APA styles. Students can create an unlimited number of projects to keep different research assignments separate and organized. Provided by NoodleTools. PDF Guide
Ultimately, it's your responsibility to evaluate the quality of any information before using it it a paper, presentation, or another project.
The steps of the SIFT model* 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 using or sharing a source (website, article, book, etc.), do a quick evaluation of it
to ensure it's legitimate and reliable.
Next steps
Take a few minutes to quickly examine a source's author/publisher before using it to help
you avoid inaccurate or misleading information. Google and Wikipedia can be great tools for
this step.
Next steps
Most topics are usually well-covered by multiple sources, which means you don't have to rely
on the first source that you find. A better quality source is likely available to confirm
any claims in any questionable sources you may have encountered.
Next steps
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.
Next steps
*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.
This short video explains and demonstrates how to use lateral reading to evaluate online sources for quality and accuracy.
Learn about lateral reading techniques to help sharpen your website evaluation skills.
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