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ENGL 1113 Composition 1Ⅰ

A review of grammar & basic mechanics with a focus on effective college-level personal & expository essay writing.

Session 2: Finding & Evaluating Sources

Finding Articles from the Deep Web

You will receive an introduction to the research databases we use at the university. You will need these databases to find peer-reviewed sources.

Use these exercises to find and evaluate sources.

Searching the Databases

Tips for using the research databases:

  • Try different combinations of keywords.

  • Try “quotation marks” around phrases you want to find in their entirety.

  • Watch your spelling.

  • Limit your search to peer-reviewed resources using the left sidebar in the database.

CRAAP Test

Your Mission

  1. Use the navigation bar in the header at the top of the screen to find resources.

  2. Choose one of the following topics:

    • Folklore of Ireland

    • Allegedly real incidents of ghost sightings or similar phenomena

    • The history of horror movies

    • Or you may choose sources related to the research project assigned by your instructor

  3. In your group, you will need to locate sources related to your topic:

    1. ​A physical book

    2. A peer-reviewed article

  4. Fill out the form below to evaluate each resource for its credibility.

Consider:

  • Databases are not like internet search engines. Do not type in full sentences. Instead, choose the most important keywords from your topic.

  • Try searching the subject headings or thesaurus of the database to find the officially selected words used to describe your topic.

  • Use Advanced Search or the database sidebar to limit results to full-text or by type.

  • Ask the research librarian if you are having trouble finding sources.

  • You will need to go to the physical collection to find the book you want to use. Ask the librarian for help if you can’t find it.