COMM 100 - Bridges - Maple Woods

Tips

• When using the catalog, search with keywords rather than full sentences. If you can't find an entire book about your topic, look for books about larger subjects that it belongs to. (Ex: online privacy versus privacy on Facebook)
• Our print and ebook collections include books for younger readers. Make sure any books you select are appropriate for college level research.
• Try searching your topic AND "opposing viewpoints".

In the catalog, books with a blue icon are print books, while a purple icon means the book is an e-book. You can access e-books from anywhere with an Internet connection by clicking on the MCC Online Access button and logging in with your student number and password.

Books can be a great source of information, and can be especially useful for research into historical topics or for in-depth coverage of subjects. You can quickly evaluate books by asking these questions:

• Look at the length of the book.  Is it comprehensive? 
• When was the book published? Is the information current?
• Are author credentials provided? For example, is the author a professor, a journalist, or an expert in the field? A quick web search can help you find more information about the author as well. 
• Is the publisher a university press?  A large well-known company?  A special interest group?
• What audience is the book intended for? Easy enough for a child? Generally understood by an adult? Scholarly? Technical?
• Is there a list of references/bibliography? 
• What is the purpose of the book:  To inform?  Persuade?  Entertain?
• Does the book exhibit obvious bias?