Using the Library
Have questions about the physical layout of the library, where to find silent or quiet study spaces, or what equipment is available to you in the library?
Check out our guide to using the library.
You can also ask us questions in person, via email, over chat whenever the library is in person, and by scheduling a research appointment on this page.
Basic Energy Facts
Recommended Readings:
From the lab instructions, you'll find the following articles, images, and resources referenced:
- Inman, M. (2013). The True Cost Of Fossil Fuels. Scientific American, 308(4), 58–61.This 4 page article gives a wonderful visual introduction to your topic.
- Hall, C. A. S. (2011). Synthesis to Special Issue on New Studies in EROI (Energy Return on Investment). Sustainability, 3(12), 2496–2499. https://doi.org/10.3390/su3122496Pay special attention to the main considerations listed on the second half of the first page.
- Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy. (2022). Renewable Energy Resource Assessment Information for the United States.The chart for renewable energy resources can be found on page 8.
- U.S. Energy Facts ExplainedFind the graphs for US energy consumption and other context here.
- EPA Power ProfilerThis is the EPA website discussing how clean the energy you use is. (Used in Part 2 of the assignment)
Researching Types of Energy
Trying to find good places to look for information on your project? Take a look at the links below. Make sure that any information you use is from a credible authoritative website (see the box below for more information on how to do this):
- University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems: EnergyThe University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems has developed since 2001 a growing set of factsheets that cover topics including energy, water, food, waste, buildings, materials, and transportation systems. Check to see how the University of Michigan discusses your energy source.
- Gale eBooksSearch for your energy source and environment to see what you can discover about your energy source.
- Energy.govSearch here (or any .gov site) to find information about the benefits and drawbacks of various forms of energy.
- U.S. Energy Information AdministrationCheck out Learn About Energy to find simple and authoritative info about the different sources of energy.
Evaluate Websites
While you're doing Google searches to either narrow your topic or in order to dig up more information on certain subject, you want to be careful to decide if the information you find is trustworthy.
When it comes to science, nearly everyone has opinions: should we be labeling genetically modified food for consumer's awareness? What will fracking do for our economy or our groundwater supply? Your job is to evaluate the information you can find through Google and Bing to find the good websites--those written by authors you can trust, with good and up-to-date information.
Authorship: Who created this website? What is their background on the topic? Are they trustworthy?
Bias: Why was the website created? What point of view does the author have? Does that limit the facts they present or how the facts are presented?
Date: How old is the information that is presented? Is it still accurate?
Questions? Check out the COD Library's guide to evaluating information.
Cite
Want some more concrete help with citations? Try the following:
- Google Scholar can create citations for articles. Click the quotation marks below the article information after doing a search.
- COD Library's guide to APA citations
- Purdue OWL's guide to APA citations and paper format
Want software to create citations for you? Check out the database below:
- NoodleTools
NoodleTools allows you to find, organize and store your research citations all in one place. Create complete Works Cited and Bibliographies with the click of a mouse, and keep notes and ideas related to your work all in one place. Available in browser and mobile app.
Create an account with your COD email to access this resource.
