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Primary vs Secondary Sources
When evaluating the quality of the information you are using, it is useful to identify if you are using a primary, secondary, or tertiary source. By doing so, you will be able recognize if the author is reporting on his/her own first hand experiences, or relying on the views of others.
Recommended Databases
- A-Z DatabasesCheck out all of our databases and select the ones most relevant to your search!
- Academic Search CompleteMany full-text articles from over 8,600 journal titles covering topics in such areas as Animal & Veterinary Science, Area Studies (country info.), Arts, Biology, Chemistry, Education, Engineering, Ethnic & Multicultural Studies, Food Science & Technology, Humanities, Law, Literature, Psychology, Religion, Science, and more. Includes some full-text back to 1887.
- Opposing Viewpoints In ContextSupport your point of view on a controversial issue with facts and statistics from primary and government documents, photos, and magazine & newspaper articles which have already argued your case.
- CQ ResearcherContains comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news. It is noted for its coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. Reports are published weekly in print and online 44 times a year by CQ Press and date back to 1991
- EBSCO eBook Academic CollectionEbooks on general reference and subject-specific disciplines including biographies, business & economics, computer science, education, engineering & technology, health & medicine, history, law, literature & criticism, psychology, sciences, social sciences, and more
Searching for Books
Search for Books
The JWU Library catalog has many excellent eBooks and print books to use as sources in your research. Use the search bar on this page or the Library Home site to search; just remember to click the "Books" tab first. Keep in mind that you can check "Print" or "eBook" options, or both.
Searching for Articles
Search for Articles
Use the search bar on this page or the Library Home site to search for scholarly articles. Check out some of our recommended databases. Remember that on the left side bar of the Advanced Search page, you can choose options such as "full-text," "peer-reviewed," and other filtering options.
Check out some of our videos to how to best use our databases in your research:
Basic Article Search | Advanced Search Mode | Using Specific Databases | Saving Sources and Citations
Google Scholar
You can also use Google Scholar to look for scholarly articles:
Searching for Websites
Searching for Web Sources
It is EXTREMELY important to evaluate websites from online search engines according to the CRAAP test:
- credibility
- relevance
- authority
- accuracy
- purpose
Anyone can publish to the Internet, so look for information on the person or organization who published it to see if they are credible. Remember that .com and .net sites are generally less reliable than sites that are .edu, .org, or .gov. However, this will vary depending on your topic. If you are uncertain if a website is from a credible source or not, you can always ask a librarian!
