This document provides guidance on using library resources for writing assignments. It explains that peer-reviewed scholarly sources are considered more reliable than general sources because they are written by experts, use standardized formats, and undergo peer review. It highlights that most scholarly resources require subscription access rather than being openly available online. The document also provides tips on evaluating source quality and finding specific articles through research guides, databases, and the library's discovery tool.

1. Resources Evaluation
forYour
WritingAssignment
Cheng Cheng

2. Welcom to the
Library!
Cheng Cheng, Science Reference
Librarian
Librarians are available to answer
your questions by phone, email, chat
or text message
Please feel free to ask!

3. AQuestion:
Why shall we use the library (especially when Google is available)?
True or False:All information for studies and research can be
found online.
Answer:YES………
…….and NO.

4. AQuestion:
YES: Most scholarly resources (Journals, reference
resources…..etc.) have digitized copies online.
NO: Most of them are not open to public.
Scholarly resources= Expensive.
• Annual subscription fee could be 5-digit
Some resources exclusive to academic libraries

5. What kinds of
resources?
“In order to support your argument, you will use 3-5 sources in
your paper.At least two of these sources must be peer-
reviewed………”
Why they have to be “scholarly” or “peer-reviewed”?
Answer: Reliability

6. Scholarly
Journal
Vs.
Magazine
Who are the authors and publishers?
• Scholarly Journal:
• Authors: Professionals, such as professors
• Publishers: Academic associations or university press
• Magazine: Largely varied
How are these articles written?
• Scholarly Journal: Standardized format for conciseness and preciseness,
include reference
• Magazine: Usually no specific format and reference
Who are audiences (professional, or general)?
• Scholarly Journal: Professional
• Magazine: Could be both
How do they looks like?

7. Evaluate the
Quality of
Resources
Purpose
• The purpose of the resource
Documentation
• Does author provide proper
evidence to support the
theory or argument?
Timeliness
• Important to many subjects
Authority
• Does author have proper
knowledge of the subject
area?
Suitability (Scope and
Audience)
• Scope:General or Specific?
• Audience:Who are the
intended audiences?
 Research
• Primary or Secondary
resources?

8. Information
Cycle
The Day of Event
• Internet,TV, Radio
Day and Days after Event
• Newspaper
Week andWeeks after Event
• Popular magazine, news magazine and trade magazine
Half to a year after Event
• Scholarly Journals
A year to years after Event
• Books, Government reports and reference materials

9. Access to an
article
Research Guides
• Created by subject librarians at subject and course level
• Provide a group of selected resources for particular course or subject
• Include everything you will need for studies
Browse Databases by Subjects orTitles
• Browse databases to locate a database for a specific subject
• General databases, such as Academic Search Completed
Locate articles through OneSearch
• Integrated discovery tool, which will search through everything we
have

10. Bibliographic
Citation
Most scholarly databases today have some kinds of citation aids
RefWorks
• Professional Citation & Bibliographic Management Software;
Purdue OWL (OnlineWriting Lab)