Start: Reference Works
- Gale eBooksGVRL has a number of full text scientific encyclopedia entries. Check background knowledge here, as well as confusing concepts from websites or articles.
- CQ Researcher
CQ Researcher contains in-depth articles on selected current and controversial issues. Topics range from social and teen issues to environment, health, education, and science and technology. This database is great for speech assignments, research papers, and debate preparation.
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?
As you think through these questions, you'll want to use the CRAAPO rubric to complete your assignments.
Level 2 Sources
- Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new windowASC includes a number of popular resources as well as scholarly. Be sure to select "Magazines and Newspapers" under the Source Types list on the left.
- GoogleYou can also use Google to find Level 2 sources, but be prepared to argue why they are considered to be Level 2.
Scholarly Articles
When you're looking for scholarly articles, you'll want to use library databases. Remember, you'll be looking for articles with this structure:
- Introduction
- Materials and Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion.
You may discover that one of your sections is mashed with another, or the Conclusion may be missing, but if you don't see this overall structure in your article, you are likely not using a scholarly research article.
Find your articles in the databases below:
- Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new windowBe sure to select "Peer Reviewed" or "Academic Journals" when searching.
- Science DirectScience Direct is a full-text scholarly article archive. Make sure that your three articles for your project are NOT review articles.
Cite Your Work: APA Style
Of course, as you get ideas and data from your sources, you want to be able to cite them. Keep in mind that you want to cite not only quotations, but also ideas that you get from your research.
Not sure if you are paraphrasing, plagiarizing, or patchwriting? Check out Academic Integrity by Ulrike Kestler, which has a section on all three.
Need some help putting together citations? Check out the helpful links below:
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.
