COMM 100 - Bridges - Maple Woods

Search for articles in our library databases. Some good databases for controversial topics and current events are our pro/con databases:

Other good places to start are our multidisciplinary databases, which cover a range of subject areas:

Tips:

Look at the publication (the journal, magazine, or newspaper the article appears in) and check to make sure it's appropriate for your project. Some databases include articles from children's magazines. 

Avoid book reviews. These provide information about a book, not your topic. Book reviews usually include information about the book such as title, author, and page number near the top of the review. 

Articles tend to focus on more narrow topics. While scholarly articles go through a peer review process, newspaper and magazine articles do no. Ask yourself the following questions when evaluating articles:

• Is the author identified?  Are author credentials listed?  You can often find information about the author by doing a quick web search.
• When was the article written? Is the information current?
• Does the article answer your research question?
• Look at the length of the article.  Is it long enough to provide sufficient content?
• What is the level of language:  Easy enough for a child? Generally understood by an adult? Scholarly? Technical?
• Is the information accurate? You can look at other sources to see if the author's claim is supported by experts in the field.
• Does the article contain a list of references?
• What is the purpose of the article:  To inform?  Persuade?  Entertain? 
• What type of publication is it:  Scholarly? Professional or technical? Periodical? Newspaper?