Senior english Research
Research Requirements: 4 authoritative sources. Use the tools below to help you evaluate and locate.
Search Tips:
Remember, the terms you enter into the search box determine the results you receive. You have the power to manipulate the results. Here are ways to get more relevant results. Try a combination of terms and use a trial and error strategy.
FIRST: Create a list of keywords and their synonyms
AND: between keywords to get fewer results
OR: between synonyms (similar meaning) to get more results
NOT (-): before a word to eliminate it from the search (be careful with this one)
Quotes: Place "quotes" around two or more words to combine them into one term. They will be searched as one item, in that exact order. Best with proper nouns or phrases that are always written as such. Only use quotes when terms are typically written in that order.
Site search: after your search string, use site: to search a particular domain or website. Example below.
You might use this Media Bias Infographic to help you decide which sites to search.
Usernames and Passwords for the resources below.
Books:
Ballard Library Catalog – search for books in Ballard Libraries
WorldCat Online – search for books in many libraries. Avoid fiction and titles for juvenile audiences. Request titles via Mrs. Dovre.
Google Scholar – look for the [Book] label before the title
Videos:
Articles or Websites:
Published magazine or journal articles, newspaper articles, reviews, speeches, etc. Below are my favorites:
Google Scholar — searches Google for scholarly articles. See Mrs. Dovre to access.
SIRS Issue Researcher: Contemporary Issues
Points of View: Contemporary Issues
Tip: Use the limiters in the side navigation to narrow results. You might try: full-text, peer-reviewed, source type: articles
Interlibrary Loan
If you would like to borrow a book that is not available in our library, Mrs. Dovre can request it from other libraries. Please visit Mrs. Dovre or send an email with the title and author. Plan for up to 1 week for processing and delivery.
If you come across a summary of an article, but it is not full-text, Mrs. Dovre may be able to find it for you. Send the citation or link to article via email to Mrs. Dovre.