INFORMATION RESOURCES SUMMARY
This is an overview of the types of resources you will be using for an assignment
that requires looking up information—a term paper, a research project, a speech, or
another project.
- Background
and subject encyclopedias
are good for becoming familiar with terms and getting an overview of the subject.
Many also have bibliographies listing other resources. Starting with these can be
a timesaver, even if you don’t use them as sources in your paper. Find them in the
first-floor Reference area.
- Other Reference resources—Visit the Reference area to find the basic information tools for your subject area.
- Almanacs, dictionaries, and general encyclopedias. Print versions
are in the Reference area and some also have copies available to check out.
For online versions, see Quick Reference. For additional "Ready Reference" sources, try
Librarians' Internet Index.
- Online Subject Guides listing a variety of related information sources, linked to the library web page.
- Some basics about organizing for a research assignment are given in
Developing and Thinking About a Search Strategy
Books and e-books
Yes, books are still important! Books are often the “backbone” of the resource list, providing the most complete information and putting a topic into context.
Government Documents
- For government documents available online, including recent resources, see the
Government Documents Subject Guide.
- Print government documents held by the library are upstairs, to the left, and more are in storage.
- Many are listed on the library catalog.
- Federal and Wisconsin documents each have their own numbering systems; see Interpreting Call Numbers. You may want to ask for help at Reference.
- If your topic may require many government sources, make an appointment for help finding relevant documents.
Journal Articles
Journal articles are often the best sources for
detailed information, research results, and recent information. Finding journal articles is a two-stage
process:
- Find citations for articles, using online and/or print indexes. See the Databases and Indexes list.
- Get the articles, using the Journals Owned listings to check sources
for each journal title. The journal may be available in full text in the same
database or another database, or available in the library in print or microfilm.
If the journal is not listed or the dates you need are not available in full text, request the article through Interlibrary Loan.
See Universal Borrowing and Interlibrary Loan for more detail.
See Finding Journal Articles for details. Also see Scholarly Journals and Popular Press for a comparison of the types of articles.
News Sources
For some topics, newspaper articles and other news
sources written at the time of an event can be useful.
- In the
Databases by Subject list, click on Newspapers. There are several sources for online access to articles.
- In Newspapers Index from Proquest, you can select regional newspapers by choosing Multiple Databases in the databases box, then scrolling down to select
Star Tribune and/or Wisconsin Newsstand. (Click
on "Clear all databases" at the top so you can select only the ones you
want.)
- In LexisNexis Academic Universe—News searches can be limited to specific publications or types of sources in the Guided News Search. Note that the search will not function without selecting categories in the first two boxes. Quick News Search will search for words or phrases without narrowing down types of sources.
- The New York Times Historical Newspapers online source includes articles starting in 1851
up to a few years ago. Using the Page Map function, it is possible to see the article in context, including ads, and then to move to other pages of the same newspaper.
New York Times from 1857 is also available on microfilm,
with index in print. Recent New York Times Articles are available
in the Proquest
Newspapers index.
- Three months of the Duluth News Tribune are available in the
McClatchy-Tribune Collection of recent newspapers online. Use the
"Publications" button near the top to choose newspapers by title.
- Recent newspapers in print are in the first-floor reading area.
- Local newspapers from past years are available through the public library.
-
Ask library staff for help to see past years of the UWS newspapers, the
Promethean and the earlier Peptomist.
Web Sites
- Some suggested links are found in the Subject Guides in the library web page drop-down menu.
- Two good entry points for finding quality web sites: Internet Public Library and
Librarians' Internet Index
- Use Google and other search engines. (Yahoo, Ask, InfoMine, Vivisimo, or others. See Web Search Engines in Quick Reference for links.) Try variations of your search terms.
- Use links from one site to another.
- Look for sites from organizations (.org), educational institutions (.edu), or government agencies (.gov).
Use Associations
Unlimited in the databases list to find the web sites of organizations
related to your subject.
- Evaluate what you find! There is a lot of garbage on the web as well as a lot of good information. Who is responsible for the web site? What is the point of view? Are they trying to sell you something? When was the site updated? What information is given to establish the credentials of the author or the organization?
See Assessing the Quality of Information on the Internet in the Information Literacy online Subject Guide.
Full-text journal articles, E-books, and online government documents are not “web sites”.
These are examples of the “deep web,” materials available through online linking but not posted directly as World Wide Web pages. Many were originally published in print and made available in an electronic format.
Media Materials
Videos, DVD’s, CD’s, and audiocassettes are listed in the library catalog.
Maps
In the atlas shelves and map drawers on the first floor.
See the Geography and Maps Subject Guide on the library web site for a list of related books and Internet sources.
Reserve Materials
Resources may be selected by your instructor for use with a particular class.
Scanned documents and computer files are available online. Books, videos, or other materials are available for short-term checkout from the Public Services desk.
Look up your course in the
Reserves listings on the library web page.
Other sources?
Information sources come in many forms. Sometimes the best source is another person or a call to an organization. You may think of something else not included here.
Evaluate!
- Choose quality material—look at author credentials, point of view, and relevance. Look for authors cited by others in the field.
- Check the dates—past perspective is good for some topics, and others need current material.
- Identify the materials that are core to your project and the secondary materials that add highlights or supporting information.
- Additional Information:
Critically Analyzing Information Sources from Cornell University Library,
Ithaca, NY, Reference Department Instruction, Research, and Information
Services.
The above information is also available on handouts in the library.
Last updated on November 8, 2007.
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The Jim Dan Hill Library
is a Government Depository Library
Belknap & Catlin, Box 2000, Superior, WI 54880
(715) 394-8343 |