1. ENG 101
Library Research

2. Sources of Information

3. Websites VS. Databases
A website is a page on the Internet. Anyone can make a website
(entertainment, educational, ???)
 Misinformation!
A database is a collection of material
that is searchable in some format.
Experts or professionals pick and maintain the information that goes
into the database.
Usually, the library has to pay to have access to the information.
Items in a database are considered legit sources of information.

4. BEWARE!!!

5. Evaluating Sources
 Authority
 Objectivity
 Currency
 Coverage
 Accuracy

6. Authority
 Who wrote the information?
 If no author, is publisher or webpage provider reputable?
Can you determine the sponsor from the URL?
 What are the author’s qualifications?
 An article written by an M.D. from a reliable medical
research facility vs. someone whose credentials are
unknown
 Is the source of the information reputable?
 How did you find the information?

7. Objectivity
 Is the information biased?
 What is the purpose of the information? To
inform? Persuade? Explain? Advertise?

8. Currency
 Is the information old/outdated?
 Is the publication date indicated?
 If links are provided, do they work?

9. Coverage
 Is there enough information?
 Is the coverage in-depth?
 Does it cover the topic(s) you need? Does
it provide the main points or concepts you
need?

10. Accuracy
 Are there any spelling/grammar mistakes?
 Where did the information come from?
 Is the information reliable?
 Are Sources cited?

11. Magazines VS. Journals
 Eventhough popular magazines can provide
some useful information, they are sometimes
unsatisfactory for research topics on serious topics.
 For example: You need an article on anorexia
Women’s Day might contain an interesting article,
but it will not be as in-depth or authoritative as an
article in a scholarly publication such as The
International Journal of Eating Disorders

12. MLA Citation Style – 7th Edition

13. What is MLA?
Modern Language Association
Amethod of citing references in
research papers
Parenthetical citations in text
Works Cited page
The Ultimate Source: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers

14. What are the benefits?
 Gives you credibility as a writer!
 Proof
that you have researched your topic
thoroughly!
 Protects you from plagiarism!
 Further research!

15. When do I cite?
 Therule of thumb to avoid plagiarism is to provide
a citation for any idea that is not your own.
 Direct quotation
 Paraphrasing
 Summary of another’s idea or research
 Specific reference to an obscure fact, phrase, or figure

16. In-Text Citations
 In the body of your paper you acknowledge the
sources you used with a brief (parenthetical
citation) that refers to an alphabetical Works Cited
list at the end of the paper.
. . . . (Clynes 27).

17. Basic Works Cited Entry
Author’s last name, first name. Title of the Book. Location:
Publisher, Year. Medium of Publication.
Avery, Elizabeth F. Assessing student learning outcomes for
information literacy instruction in academic institutions.
Chicago: Association of College and Research
Libraries, 2003. Print.
Citing and Writing Guides
Purdue Owl

18. Don’t Forget!
 Titles are italicized rather than underlined
 Include a medium of publication (Print, Web,
Film, DVD, etc.)
 ForWeb publications include a URL only if your
professor requires it or if you think a reader would
need it order to find citation

19. Work Cited Page for Database
(MLA 7th Edition)
Stewart, Melissa. "Dolphin: Flipper or Killer?" Science
World. 18 Oct. 1999: 2-4. Science Resource
Center. Web. 16 Apr. 2009.
Author’s last, First name. “Title of Article.” Database
Name. Date of Article. Format. Date
Accessed.

20. MLA Overview
 Alphabetize all citations in Works Cited by author’s
last name. If no author is identified, alphabetize by
first word of title, ignoring the initial article (e.g. A,
An, The)
 Citations
should be double-spaced in Times New
Roman, size 12 font.

21. CQ Researcher
(Library Database)

22. CQ Researcher
Login: Goodwin10
Password: CQEL

23. Don’t Forget……
Ask a librarian!!
We are nice, friendly, and have
a master’s degree!