The document provides guidance to students on how to effectively conduct research using online databases available through the school library. It instructs students on evaluating sources, searching keyword and subject terms, limiting searches, using advanced search features, and identifying peer-reviewed sources. Students are prompted to apply these skills by practicing searches on topics in their journals.

1. Ms. Doyle, District Librarian

2. Please get ready to write in your
journal.
Entries will be marked in purple

4. •Evaluate
information -- don’t
believe everything
you read
•Who publishes the
site? .gov, .edu,
.com? Who wrote it
and what makes
them an expert?
•Compare multiple
sources
•Always cite your
sources (OSLIS
Citation Maker,
Easybib.com, etc.)
Image Attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeeperez/2453225588/

6. When should you use
Wikipedia?
Talk to someone next to you
to decide:
•To get a quick overview of
your research topic?
•As the main source of
information for your research
paper?
•When reading about a pop
culture topic of personal
interest?
•When making an important
decision about your health?
•To see what sources the
article’s author’s used?
Image Attribution:
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/in_popular_culture.png

7. Take about 2 minutes to write in your journal, responding to
these questions:
#1. What websites do you consider reliable? List at least 2 in
your journal.
#2. What websites do you think might be unreliable? List at
least 2 in your journal.
#3. How do you tell the difference? Write at least 2 sentences
in your journal.
Share your thoughts with the class!

8. Journal Entry #4: Finding a book
A. Start on your school home page
B. Click “Library” to find District Library
Catalog -- WebCat

9. Image Attribution: http://img.fotocommunity.com/Pets-Farm-Animals/Cats/Cat-
a19319142.jpg

10.  You Google a topic and none of your results make sense –
you look up the Korean War and get Korean food and World
War II and sites that seem completely random
 You get 3 million results but you don’t want to go through
them one by one
 You need academic sources but all you find are commercial
websites
 You get frustrated and just go to Wikipedia

11. Newspapers, magazines,
scholarly journals, images,
reference books, primary
sources and more
School pays for access – has
information you just can’t get
free on the web
Edited/fact checked (peer
reviewed)
Passwords are on bookmark
from library with home-access
passwords (or find on Library
Home Page)
Image attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/galant/3268338756/sizes/l/in/photostream/

12. 5. How to Find the Databases
A. Go to your school’s website
B. Find Library in the menu, then choose
Online Research Tools or Library Home Page

14. On your
bookmark, find
and circle Gale
PowerSearch.
Web address:
secondary.oslis
.org

16. Limit on left
side.
For
example,
Books to
get
reference
book
articles

18. 6. Use
Advanced
Search
and
combine
two
subjects
with AND

19. 7. Think about your research topic.
Brainstorm at least 6 keywords you
could use in your search. Write the
keywords in your journal.

20. Keyword Searches
In keyword searching, you use any words that
come to mind. The computer finds them
anywhere in the article.

21. Subject Searches
In subject searching, you use the
exact words that catalogers
use.

22. Keyword Subject
Any you can think of Exact words
Words used catalogers use
Basque Basques and
Search sheepherders shepherds
Many – but most A few – but all are
Results don’t match your good matches
topic

24. 8. Advanced Search
Use the Advanced
Search to decide
EXACTLY what
you want.
Use one of your
subject headings,
the term AND ,
and then your
other subject
heading

25. 9. Peer-Reviewed Sources
 Why limit to edited and peer-reviewed sources?
Peer Review: “. . .[S]cholars in the author's field or
specialty critically assess a draft of the article. Peer-
reviewed journals (also called refereed journals) are
scholarly journals that only publish articles that have
passed through this review process.”
-- Cal Poly Library Services Research Guide

26.  Thumbs up or down:
People Magazine
Journal of the American Medical Association
Sports Illustrated
European History Quarterly

27. 10. Use Database Tools
A. Notice that you can make citations for database articles
for your Works Cited list
B. Email to yourself

28. 11. Write down one question
you still have about research
and/or Gale PowerSearch
 Share with the class?

29. A. secondary.oslis.org
B. Gale PowerSearch
C. Go to Advanced Search
D. Do a subject search for “Basques” AND
“Shepherds”
E. In the reference book article on Basques, find
the four things a Basque sheepherder
required to do his job.

30. Image attribution: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/2086641_23234fb0f8.jpg

31.  Email me at doylem@loswego.k12.or.us for
help
 Or come by the library on Monday (LOHS) or
Tuesday (Lakeridge) – usually!