Online Databases

• To access the databases:
1. Go to the library's Web site (www.oc.edu/library/)
2. Select: Find Articles
3. Select: Subject area OR database title (e.g., Religion or Academic Search)
 
• Some good general databases are:
1. Academic Search (some full text)
2. ArticleFirst (no full text)
3. CQ Researcher (all full text)
4. MasterFile Premier (some full text)
5. Pro & Con (all full text)
6. SIRS (all full text)
7. NewsBank and Newspaper Source


• How to get full text articles
1. Email
2. Acrobat Reader
3. printing

• To see if journal or magazine is available online, check the E-Journals List, which is linked from the library's home page (www.oc.edu/library).



• If the journal or magazine is not available online, use the OC Catalog to determine:



1. Is the journal held by OC?
   
   
2. Is the journal on paper, fiche, or film?
   
   
3. Does the library have the year that you need?

Statistical Sources (Provide statistics about a variety of topics.) - All books listed in this section are in the Reference area of the library.

• The World Almanac and Book of Facts (Ref AY 67 N5 W7)
• Statistical Abstract of the United States (Ref HA 202 U6X)
• Another great source of statistics is the Web site www.infoplease.com

Biographical Sources - All books listed in this section are in the Reference area of the library.

• Biography Index, 1946- (1st floor index table) - A guide to biographical material appearing in periodicals and current books that includes obituaries, collections of letters, diaries, etc.
• Current Biography (Ref CT 100 C8)
• Historical Biographical Dictionaries Master Index (Ref CT 215 H57x)
• Who's Who (Ref DA 28 W6)
• Who's Who in America (Ref E 663 W56)
• Various biography Web sites listed on the Library's Web site - Click on Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, etc. under Find Web Sites. These Web sites generally provide 1-3 paragraphs about the individual.

U.S. Government Publications - All books listed in this section are in the Reference area of the library.

• CQ Researcher (1st floor index table)
• Congressional Digest Index (1st floor index table - lists the subjects covered in the Congressional Digest)
• Congressional Digest (3rd floor periodicals; also accessible through the Pro & Con database)
• International Debates (3rd floor periodicals; also accessible through the Pro & Con database)
• Supreme Court Debates (3rd floor periodicals; also accessible through the Pro & Con database)

Quotations & Anecdotes - All books listed in this section are in the Reference area of the library

• Familiar Quotations (Ref PN 6081 B27)
• The Quotable Woman (Ref PN 6081.5 Q63)
• Speakers Sourcebook (Ref PN 6081 D58)
• Stories Behind Words (Ref PE 1574 L46 1986)
• Bartleby.com (www.bartleby.com/100/)
  • Go to the library's Web site (www.oc.edu/library)
  • Select: Quick Answers under Find Web Sites
  • Select: Bartlett Familiar Quotations

• Consult the appropriate subject listing (Chemistry, Psychology, History, etc.) listed in the Find Web Sites section of the Library's Web site.



• Do a search in WorldCat that is limited to "Internet Resources"



• Use the following sites to search for scholarly information on the Web
  1. Infomine
  2. Google Scholar
  3. Directory of Open Access Journals (a list of free online scientific & scholarly journals)
  
  
• Search the Web for sites that provide information on your topic, but remember that many Web sites are not reliable and may provide false or misleading information. Some good search engines are:
1. Google (a search engine that emphasizes academic sites)
2. Altavista
3. Alltheweb
4. Yahoo!


• More search engines are listed on the Library's Web site - click on Find Web Sites, then on Internet Search Services and Tools.

1. What is the purpose? Is it to inform, persuade, present opinions, report research, or sell a product?
   
   
2. Can you tell what the purpose is? (The purpose should be clear from the title or introductory screens.)
   
   
3. Does the source fulfill the purpose?
   
   
4. Are any biases evident?

1. What are the author's qualifications? (Many Internet sources do not give the identity or credentials of the author or producer. Sources that do not give this information have questionable reliability. Wikipedia, for example, does not provide information about the authors of its articles.)
   
   
2. Can you contact the author?
   
   
3. Can the information be verified elsewhere?
   
   
4. Is the site maintained by a well-known association or governmental agency?
   
   
5. What is the domain? (Many Internet sources are not reviewed before being posted; however, government, educational, and organizational sites often have some sort of review process. If no review process is stated or evident, you may assume there is none.)
   • .GOV = government
   • .COM = business
   • .ORG = organization
   • .EDU = educational affiliation
   
   
6. How permanent does the site appear? Has it existed long?
   
   
7. How many other sites reference this site?

1. When was the information published?
   
   
2. How current is the information?
   
   
3. Is the date of publication important to the subject matter? (In fields such as medicine, science, business, and technology, currency of information is important. In fields such as history and literature, older materials may be just as valuable as newer ones.)

1. Does the author refer to other works?
   
   
2. Does the source have a bibliography?

1. Does the source have a clear, easy to read format?
   
   
2. How easy is the source to use?
   
   
3. Are there any special features, such as a bibliography, tables or charts?

Above all, "...trust no one." (William A. Katz)

• After preparing your speech, you must make a bibliography of the books, journal articles, and other sources used in your speech using the appropriate citation style (APA, MLA, etc.).
  
  
• To cite a book, you need to have:
  1. Author
  2. Title
  3. Publisher
  4. Place of publication
  5. Year of publication
  
  
• To cite an article, you need to have:
  1. Author
  2. Title of Article
  3. Title of Journal
  4. Date of publication
  5. Volume number
  6. Issue number
  7. Page numbers
  
  
• Somes books and Web sites about the APA and MLA Styles are:



Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (BF76.7 P83 2001 - one copy on reserve, one in reference)

The authoritative style manual for anyone writing in the field of psychology. Chapters discuss the content and organization of a manuscript, writing style, the American Psychological Association style, proofreading, and examples of citing references.




Electronic Reference Formats Recommended by the American Psychological Association

Web site provided by the American Psychological Association that offers information on citing electronic sources.




MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (LB 2369 G53 1999 - one copy on reserve, one copy in reference)

This handbook is intended as an aid for university students, especially beginning researchers. It includes information on selecting and researching a topic; note taking; and writing footnotes and bibliographies. Sample research pages are presented.



MLA Guidelines for Documenting Sources from the World Wide Web

This online guide provides guidelines and examples on how to document various types of sources from the Web.





• If you need more information, Citing Your Sources gives a list of handbooks, style manuals, and Web sites that will help you cite your sources.

Please send comments or suggestions to library@oc.edu