Online Tools and Tricks for School Research: Home

Use the links below to find citation examples for the many different types of resources you may be using for this (or any!) Research Project:

Research and Documentation Online -- Use the drop-down menu to easily jump to the different types of resources.  They are separated into categories: Print, Online, etc.  This site gives you both the "formula" for the citation as well as real examples.

The OWL at Purdue University -- Use the links on the left side of the home page to navigate to what you're looking for.  You can see examples of papers, Works Cited pages, in-text Citations, and more!

RESEARCH DATABASES
Use the Databases below to access reliable, scholarly information for many topics and subjects. 
Databases are NOT websites, we just ACCESS them through the Web.  They are cross-referenced collections of resources, including:
*Book sections * Articles from magazines and academic journals * Newsaper articles * Podcasts * TV and radio
* Special videos * Images * Interviews * Primary sources * Speeches * Criticism * Statistics * Topic overviews *

Biography in Context provides information on thousands of people, ranging from sports stars and celebrities to historical figures.  Use this database for school projects AND for your own personal interests.  Everyone has a favorite baseball player, actor, musician, or other star!

Science in Context covers all science topics as well as most medical and health-related topics.  Use this DB for Biology, Chem, Physics, or any of the specialty science classes.

GREENR is a specialty Database, focusing on resources related to the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources.  It also inlcudes information on the Agricultural Sciences.

U.S. and World History in Context cover every era of human history, from ancient times to the present.  These Databases can be searched independently OR together, for a broader search.  These tools can be used for courses BEYOND your history class--to research time periods related to the story you're reading in English, to learn about the food cultures of early America, etc.  Browse both broad topics AND search for specific keyword strings.
  Think outside the box!

Literature Resource Center provides access to information on Authors and their works, including Literary Criticism, Work Overviews, Biographies, and more.  Your best resource for anything Literature-related.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context is your best bet for research on controversial topics such as:
* Abortion * Capital Punishment * Alternative Energy * Legal Marijuana * The Role of Government * Global Warming * School Prayer * Censorship * Violence in the Media * and much more.

Google Scholar searches through only scholarly literature, including dissertations, papers, case studies, statistics, books, and academic journals.  It covers a wide variety of topics.  Although you can be guaranteed that the results are of a scholarly nature, you may only initially be permitted to see the citations for the actual search.  To access the full content, you may be asked to subscribe to or even purchase individual items.  In addition, some links and citations may only be available through online subscription databases that we may not have access to.  However, it's always handy to find what's out there--and there's a strong possibility that we can find the actual document or source through Interlibrary Loan or through library partnerships.

This video gives a fantastic, brief overview of what to look for in a relaible, reputable website for scholarly research.

Check out these tips and tricks for using Google.  It's more than just a simple keyword search!