The document provides guidance on conducting library research, advising students to use reference sources to find authoritative information on their topic and cautioning against solely relying on Wikipedia. It recommends searching the library catalog and subscription databases to locate relevant books and scholarly journal articles, and also searching newspaper archives to find how a topic was understood by the general public historically. Students are directed to reference assistants for help utilizing these research tools and finding quality sources.

1. Body, Mind & Health:
Library Research Strategies

4. Wikipedia?
• Is it an article in good standing?
• Who authored the article?
• Can you cite it as a source? What if the content changes?
(What does that do to the quality of your citation)?

5. Use with caution (or use something better)
• Wikipedia can sometimes be a good place to start, but you
should follow the references to the actual, cite-able sources
of information.
• Research libraries have better, more authoritative sources!

6. Use
Reference Sources
to find your way!

7. Excerpt from an entry on
Epilepsy from The
Cambridge World History
of Human Disease

8. Finding Books – Open the Catalog

9. Different ways to search!

14. Finding Scholarly Journal Articles
Subscription Databases:
Access via Cornell Library
Government Database:
Freely available on the web

18. Finding articles in the popular press
• For a great picture of how a disease or condition was
understood by the general public
• Both Current and Historical
• Too much fun!

19. Boston Daily Globe Sep. 27, 1894
Dr. Greene’s Nervura Blood and Nerve Remedy

20. Summary
• Use Reference Sources for background and clues about
terms, sources, and more
• Search the Library Catalog by title, keyword, Advanced
Keyword or Subject Browse
• Search Databases for scholarly articles and articles from the
popular press (magazines and newspapers)

22. Reference Assistants