English 101

For more information about finding specific types of sources, please see the following guides:

• Books & eBooks
  This page contains information about finding books on the library shelves and finding eBooks through the catalog. Included are video tutorials outlining the process for finding and downloading eBooks.
• Searching Databases & Journals
  On this page, you will information about the databases accessible through WNC, basic and advanced search options, and other ways to locate articles about a specific topic.
• Reference Sources
  This guide includes links to reference databases through WNC, as well as freely available web-based encyclopedias, dictionaries, and atlases/maps.
• Statistical Sources
  This page includes links to various statistical resources available including those focused on the United States, international statistics, and those pertaining directly to Nevada.
• News Sources
  In this guide, you will find links to newspaper databases, news wire services, mainstream national and international media outlets, and news outlets in the state of Nevada.
• Biographical Resources
  In this page, you will find databases and other resources for doing biographical research.
• Using Google Scholar
  Information in this page focuses on using Google Scholar to find articles and books that are not necessarily available through the library. Included in information about some of the main sources of articles through Google Scholar and how to obtain access to them.
• Searching the Web
  This guide contains tips and tricks to finding information on the web and how to evaluate websites for academic or other purposes.
• Finding Videos
  This page includes information about finding videos through WNC, as well as educational and massively open online courses (MOOCs), which are course videos and resources offered by major universities to the public, for free.
• Finding Images
  This guide contains resources for finding digital images that you can use in your research from public and stock sites and institutional sites like museums and libraries. 

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us at refdesk@wnc.edu and the library staff will be happy to help.

It is important to thoroughly evaluate where you are getting your information, whether that be a book, research article, website, news story, or any other source. This process allows you to understand what is behind the information being presented so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to accept or use the materials. These are the things to be looking for:

• Authority
  Who is the source of the information? What are their qualifications? What are their affiliations? 
   
• Accuracy
  Are sources given? How was it found? Can you verify statements using other sources?
   
• Purpose
  What is the stated or implicit purpose? Entertainment, commercial use, a conversational forum, advertisement, propaganda, informative, advocacy, outreach, scholarly research, education, or something else?
   
• Content
  What is being provided? Opinions, facts, subjective statements, objective statements, or perhaps a combination?
   
• Bias
  Is there a bias to the information or viewpoints being presented? If so, does it impact the accuracy of the information?
   
• Currency
  Look at how often the source is being updated; depending on the type of information, this may or may not be important.

Evaluating Information Sources

• Critically Analyzing Information Sources (Cornell University Library)
• Evaluating Information: Applying the CRAAP Test (CSU, Chico)
• Evaluate and Choose Quality Sources (Portland State University)
• Evaluating Information Found on the Internet (Johns Hopkins University)
• Wikipedia (Find out More About Wikipedia and It's Strengths and Weaknesses as a Research Tool, from the U Pittsburgh Library)
• Evaluating Sources (video from Columbia State Community College)
• Evaluating Sources for Credibility (video from North Carolina State University)

Evaluating Websites

• Evaluating Web Pages: Questions to Consider (Cornell University Library)
• Website Evaluation Guide from EasyBib
• Website Evaluation Checklist: Created by the University of Maryland, College Park, this checklist is an interactive Google Doc that allows you to evaluate websites based on appropriate criteria.
• Web Evaluation Practice (Developed by 21st Century Information Fluency)