Course Guide ~ BIO 211L Genes, Molecules & Cells: Research Databases

Evaluating Sources for Credibility

Have a plan when conducting research:

Ask questions.

• Think of questions about your topic, and search in databases.
• After reading articles, think about what interests you.  Ask new questions, and look for more information.

Find the starting point:

• Library Catalog - Searches books, articles, audio and video files, images, government documents, and more. All Searches
• Academic Search Premier - Indexes journals across disciplines.   General Searches 
• Subject Guides - See We Suggest sections for discipline-specific databases.   Advanced Searches 
• How Do I Find... - News sources, images, statistics, primary sources, and more.   Targeted Searches 

Keep searches simple.

• Start with a keyword search
• Enter no more than two or three words connected by the word AND
• Focus your search by using subject headings

 
Refine your search.

• Repeat your search after reading some of the information gathered in the previous step
• Mine the bibliographies of articles on your topic for additional sources

 
Get help.

• Consult a library research guide
• Ask a librarian

For your debate topic or for your final presentations, individualized appointments are available.

Please bring articles you have located to the appointment.

Request an appointment