Databases, Searching Strategies
& Evaluating Sources
Norris 2013
Databases VS. Websites: What’s the
Difference?
• Library databases bring together magazine and newspaper
articles, books, encyclopedias, scholarly journal articles and
other reference works to one easily searchable location.
• Anything found in a database is considered a print source,
because these documents were originally published in
print.
• As with any source, you need to evaluate the information
for any inaccuracies or bias, but the chart on the next slide
outlines some of the general differences between web sites
and databases.
Norris 2013
Databases VS. Websites: What’s the
Difference?
Databases
Websites
Information is written by professionals or
experts in the field.
Can be written or created by anyone
regardless of expertise.
Contain articles, books, and other sources
that have been published in print. This
generally means the works were edited
and/or fact-checked.
Content is not necessarily checked by an
expert.
Easy to cite in a bibliography or Works
Often don’t provide the information
Cited page and may create the citation for necessary to create a complete citation.
you.
Information is organized and tagged with
subject headings to help you find what
you need.
Often are not organized to support
student research needs.
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Database Search Tips
• Check your spelling
Not all databases will fix your spelling for you. If you don't get
any results, check that you spelled everything correctly.
• Use the correct print button
If you decide to print hard copies of your sources, make sure you use
the print button provided by the database so that everything is
formatted properly. The example to the right is from the US History
in Context database. Don't print by clicking file > print.
• Create the Works Cited page as you go
Most databases will provide the article citation near the
bottom of the page. Copy and paste this citation into a Word
document and keep a running list. You can edit this page later
to make sure everything is correct.
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What Databases do we Subscribe to?
GALE:
http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/trop76262
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What Databases do we Subscribe to?
Fact on File:
http://online.infobaselearning.com/Direct.aspx?
aid=15358&pid=WE00
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What Databases do we Subscribe to?
WorldandISchool:
http://www.worldandischool.com/landing/
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Web Searching: Sweet Search
Sweet Search is a search engine with web sites that are
hand-picked by experts to provide you with reliable results.
However, as with any website, you need to make sure you
evaluate the source and the information before using it.
http://www.sweetsearch.com/
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Searching Strategies
• When researching, it's easy to get stuck in a rut of
typing the same words into search engines and
databases over and over, hoping to find different
results.
• Knowing how to effectively search databases and
the internet will save you time and frustration.
• The following slides outline a few key strategies
you can use to find the best possible search
results in the least amount of time.
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Strategy #1: Vary Your Keywords
Consider synonyms - Some topics can be
described in multiple ways
Topic
Car
Children
Muhammad Ali
Possible
Synonyms
Vehicle
Automobile
Kids
Youth
Cassius Clay
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Strategy #1: Vary Your Keywords
Search for related or broader topics - Searching for related
topics can help you find articles you might otherwise
miss. Broader topics can provide needed background
information.
Topic
Little Rock Nine
Solar Energy
Broader and Related
Topics
Little Rock High School
School integration
Brown v. Board of
Education
Race Relations
Civil rights movement
Alternative Fuel
Renewable energy
Energy Efficiency
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Strategy #2: Use Suggested or Related Subjects
Most databases tag each article with specific subject terms that describe it. When you find
a relevant article, look for these subject terms to link you to other similar articles. The way
the database describes your topic might be different from the terms you use.
See an example below of what suggested or related subjects might look like in a database
you are using.
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Strategy #3: Phrase Searching
When you type in keywords, the computer looks for
all of those words anywhere in the
document. Sometimes this produces far too many
results, and you need to narrow it down.
By putting "quotation marks" around your search
terms, the computer will only return results with
those words right next to each other. This helps to
eliminate irrelevant results.
Examples: "indoor soccer" "global warming"
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Strategy #4: Mine the Bibliography or
Work Cited page
When you find a great article, it probably cites
some other great sources. Use a combination of
title, author, and magazine/newspaper title to
locate the articles that look most relevant to
your topic. You can also check to see if our
databases have copies of these sources.
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Web Searching: Google Tips
Think you know how to Google?
http://www.nisdtx.org/Page/47307
Here are some of the basics:
site:
Searches only sites of that type (site: .gov)
filetype:
Searches for that file type only (filetype:pdf)
~
Searches for the term used and related terms (~college also finds
"university")
" “
Searches words as a phrase instead of individually
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Web Searching: Evaluating Websites
You should always evaluate the sources you find, but this is especially
important with websites that anyone can create.
There are five main criteria for evaluating websites:
• Accuracy. There are no factual or grammatical errors and the web page is
well-organized with a list of references to other materials.
• Authority. The page lists the author's credentials. Preferred domains are
.edu, .gov, .org, but this does not equal automatic reliability.
• Objectivity. The page is free from bias. It is not trying to sell you
something or promote only one point of view.
• Currency. The page is current and updated regularly and the links (if any)
are also up-to-date.
• Coverage. The topic is covered fully.
Watch out for sites with many banner ads or those that are poorly
designed. These are usually not reliable sources of information for academic
research.
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Evaluating Sources
• Although databases contain articles from
newspapers and magazines, search results can
also include editorials, opinion pieces, or
other sources that are full of bias or
opinion. It is important to critically evaluate
ALL your sources to make your argument as
strong as possible.
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Evaluating Sources
Good sources are:
• Objective: The information is presented in an
unbiased manner, without sensational headlines
or inflammatory language. Also look at what
person or organization is producing the
information. If they have a vested interest in the
information being perceived in a certain way, it
could be skewed. For example, a ."org" website is
a preferred domain, but doesn't automatically
mean those organizations will remain unbiased.
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Evaluating Sources
Good sources are:
• Accurate: Articles from newspapers,
magazines, and academic journals are fairly
likely to have accurate information since they
are edited and/or peer reviewed. Since you
are finding multiple sources for any research
project, if the information from each is
consistent, it is also more likely to be accurate.
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Evaluating Sources
Good sources are:
• Current: Depending on the topic, current
articles are essential. New discoveries in
health, science, medicine, etc., could change
your argument. Using outdated sources could
lead to faulty reasoning.
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Evaluating Sources
Good sources are:
• Authoritative: The person writing the article
should be an expert on that subject or a
professional journalist. Look for the author's
credentials or information about the
publishing organization. This should be easy
to locate in database sources, but can
sometimes be challenging on websites.
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Evaluation Guides
This comprehensive guide from US Berkeley
covers techniques to apply and questions to ask
when evaluating a web site.
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guide
s/Internet/Evaluate.html
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Evaluation Guides
This comprehensive guide from Johns Hopkins
covers not only evaluating web site sources, but
also distinguishing information from
misinformation and evaluating social media.
http://guides.library.jhu.edu/content.php?pid=1
98142&sid=1657518
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Work Cited Page
Ballenger, Bruce. The Curious Researcher.
6th. New York City: Pearson, 2009. Print.
Tallman, Julie, and Marilyn Joyce. The
Making the Writing and Research
Connection with the I-Search Process.
2nd . New York City: NealSchuman Publishers, INC, 2006. Print.
Norris 2013