Ms. DoyleDistrict Librarian

Historical Fiction Research

You will write down the words and phrases in blue

You will want to use these notes while you do your research

Objectives:

1. Know how to find the library databases

2. Understand how to select the best database for your needs

3. Be able to decide which websites are most reliable and academic

Basic facts:World BookCulturegrams

More depth:ABC-CLIO HistoryGale PowerSearchJSTOR Academic Journals

1. Databases

2. Find Databases/Catalog

A. School web page

B. Library tab

Talk to the person next to you for 1 minute. You should each answer these questions:

1.Have you used a library database before? Which ones?

2.If you’ve used the databases, which ones are most useful?

If you haven’t used them, why not?

What would be an example of a question you could answer using World Book or Culturegrams?

Why would you want to find a print book on your topic?

3. Find print books – search DESTINY library catalog

Who provided the information?

Has it been edited or fact checked?

What is the purpose of the site?

Is it a trustworthy academic/scholarly source?

4. Academic Sources:

•Reputation of author/institution (Harvard? Mayo Clinic? New York Times?)

•Citations? Sources included so we know where information came from

•Peer reviewed or edited

Image Attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeeperez/2453225588/

Archives (Library of Congress, etc.) Museums Universities (but NOT students’ personal

web pages) Libraries Research centers Public television stations (BBC, PBS) Other?

Library of Congress (U.S. history)

Library of Congress (U.S. history)Look for terms like narratives, primary sources, documents, diaries,

journals, “voices of”. . .

5. Write one question you still have (or think someone else might have) about research – databases, evaluating websites, citing sources, etc.

Contact me at doylem@loswego.k12.or.us

At LOHS on Mondays (usually) and Fridays (sometimes)

Questions? Need help?