Read this before completing your Annotated Bibliography assignment.
For this class, you will need to use scholarly, academic texts that have been peer-reviewed (or medically reviewed, in the case of several approved medical websites). The following guide will help you determine if your sources are scholarly and if they are peer-reviewed.
When using databases for journal articles through Macomb's library or any other library, make sure to check the button for "Peer Reviewed" sources. The location of this will vary by database, but most databases (particularly the "all subject" ones) will have this as an option. For more information on using Macomb's databases, see the Conducting Research page.
Under Find E-Resources, "Academic-All Subject," there is a link for Academic eBook Collection. These books will be academic books that you can use for this paper.
When using Google Scholar, you may find undergraduate or master's theses. Additionally, some books and news articles may occasionally pop up. While the majority of the sources in Google Scholar are academic and peer-reviewed, you should check that the source is from an academic, peer-reviewed journal. For more information on using Google Scholar, see the Conducting Research page.
This is the most complicated way to do research for this class even if it's the most comfortable since you are likely familiar with it. For every source, you will need to extensively check it against the CRAAP test, ensure that it's written by an expert in the field (that means someone with advanced credentials), peer-reviewed, recent, and well-cited (using reputable academic sources). I strongly recommend against this method. There are a select few websites like Medical News Today and Healthline where most (but not all) articles will fulfill these requirements, but the vast majority of websites will not.
For each source...
Was this found using one of the databases through Macomb (or another library) with the "peer-reviewed" sources button checked?
Yes = Your source is good to go.
No = Proceed to Question 2
Was this source found through Google Scholar and appears to be a journal article?
Yes = Check that it's published in a peer-reviewed journal by either searching for the journal name in Google and finding their peer-review policies on the journal website or using a tool such as this journal information tool from SUNY college.
If it's from a peer-reviewed journal, your source is good to use. If not, you will need to find another source.
No = Proceed to Question 3
Was this source found via a normal internet search, like Google or Bing?
Yes = Run the CRAAP test on the website and ensure that it meets the following criteria: written by an expert in the field, has been updated or published recently, is peer-reviewed (or medically reviewed, if applicable, by an expert on a trustworthy site), is free of bias, and references/cites academic/scholarly articles or studies.
If it passes ALL of the criteria, your source is good to use. If not, you will need to find another source.
If you are having trouble finding research...
Try different search terms.
Try using a different method (a different database, for example)
Contact a Macomb librarian...
through the librarian chat (during library hours), or
at the reference desk in the library (both South and Center Campus have research librarians available to help!)