1. A FEW REMINDERS What good research looks like,
how to find reliable, academic sources
and what to do with them.

2. Where to begin…
Since you know what your final product is and some questions that you are needing to find information for -
Ponder available resources and -
Open a resource (print or electronic) -
Useful info? before you go further -
Evaluate source.

3. Reliability/Accuracy Coverage Currency*
Evaluate the authority and appropriateness of sources for your research with these criteria:
Purpose
Authority
Reliability/Accuracy
Coverage
Currency*

4. Books and eBooks Purpose and Coverage
Easy to quickly determine the purpose of the book and the depth of useful information
Authority and Reliability
A given with books
Though learning about the author/organization will add to your authority on the subject

5. Books and eBooks… Additionally, books are easy to navigate
Don’t bother with a book without an index
They are very easy to cite
Use the ISBN number in EasyBib or similar citation creators
And – though maybe you don’t care about this – referencing a book does make you sound more academically-minded
Really, this is in any discipline, but especially your literature classes

6. Subscription Databases (Skyline , KCLS…):
Purpose
purpose is usually clear by the title
Coverage
Be aware, some databases are much more in-depth than others (beginning research vs. becoming an expert)
Authority/Reliability
A given
Learn about the author/organization, it will add to your authority on the subject

7. Subscription Databases…
Additionally, databases are easy to navigate/search and are very accessible
And they very easy to cite
all have citation info in the entry
some sources like JSTOR need MLA help *

8. Online: Google Scholar (and Google Books):
Google Scholar searches a more academic subset of the Web. What Google considers scholarly may differ from what academics/teachers consider scholarly, but in general, Google Scholar will return a more relevant set of results than a regular Google Search.
Purpose, Authority, Reliability, and Coverage
Depends.
These are online resources, you need to do your investigating
Complete books need little validation work, but other sources will take more effort
But the information should be easy to locate
if it’s not, move on

9. Online: Google Scholar/Google Books)…
Additionally, Google Scholar provides the number of times the source has been cited (useful to the authority of the source).
Fairly easy to cite
For Google Books, include that you accessed the book on the web*
For other resources, cite source the link takes you to (not Google Scholar)
Be aware with Google Scholar/Google Books: many of the results require a subscription to the database where it’s housed or are partial excerpts from articles or books. This can severely hinder the usefulness/authority of your using the source.
remember, Skyline has a subscription to JSTOR, so these are assessable at school or with the password from home

10. Online: General Searches
Purpose, Authority, Reliability, and Coverage
Depends.
Obviously there are great resources out there, but you will need to do more work and check all criteria
Remember…
using non-academic sources or sources whose information cannot be validated will lessen your argument;
if the information is accurate, you will be able to find it from a reliable source.

11. General Encyclopedias/Wikipedia
do not cite for academic papers/discussions
too general, contains baseline information that is accepted as general common knowledge
Wikipedia do not cite it in a scholarly paper/discussion because…
it’s a general encyclopedia
no way to know who is editing the entries and their level of expertise
cannot be sure that the content will be there in the future
strives for neutral point of view, but difficult in a collaborative forum
analysis and facts are not differentiated

12. Citing your Sources: Paper vs. Oral
You were reminded on how to use good sources
You know how to create a correctly formatted Works Cited page
What about orally?
Reference your sources verbally so they become the foundation for your authority on the subject
With so much information out there, you need to make your ideas stand out by giving your authoritative sources credit
Use names and positions/organizations of your authors or the institutions to support your claims, facts, and ideas
Be a name dropper, but don’t be pretentious.

13. Some resources…
UC Berkley
Cornell
Georgetown
Purdue

14. Homework – Due Friday, 9/11
Find two or three appropriate sources for your interactive oral assignment.
Create an MLA formatted works cited page and cite the sources using correct MLA format.
Turn in this brief works cited page to turnitin by 10pm, Friday, 9/11.
You will get feedback/a grade on the appropriateness of your sources and the format of your page.

15. Turnitin Accounts/Assignments
Mrs. Lund
Class ID:
Password: applepie
Mrs. Matheny
4th Period
Class ID:
Password: spartans
6th Period
Class ID:
Mrs. Rollins
1st Period
Class ID:
Password: spartans
3rd Period
Class ID: