y:1 Tools   Tags: first year students, government, history, international relations, y:1  

Mary Helen Cochran Library

Call: 434-381-6138
Fax:  434-381-6173
Text A Librarian:  Dial 66746 and start your question with the word Daisy

134 Chapel Road
PO Box 1200
Sweet Briar, VA 24595

Learn the shortcuts to doing rapid and powerful research. You can print, or download, your Library Power Tools handout here.

Begin your research either at LION or on Library databases. Do not use Google, MSNsearch, AOLsearch etc. Search using Boolean logic.

Boolean Logic offers a powerful way of searching academic databases and the Internet. Boolean logic operators AND and NOT will always narrow your search, and allow you to be more specific. They decrease the number of search results.

If you do not know how to do a Boolean search, click here.

Evaluating the information you find as you conduct your research is an important skill. Not all research is created the same. Some books, articles and websites are reliable and worth using as sources for your research. Other books, articles and websites may be inaccurate at best, or filled with propaganda at worst. In order to know the difference, you need to acquire skills to determine which books articles and websites you should cite as accurate and reliable information. In addition, you will need to know if the material you are reading for your assignment is primary or secondary research.

Overview for Evaluating Research

How to determine if the material is a Primary or Secondary source

Evaluating Books

Evaluating Articles

Evaluating Websites

RefWorks is an online research management, writing and collaboration tool -- is designed to help researchers easily gather, manage, store and share all types of information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies.

If you need to manage information for any reason -- whether it be for writing, research or collaboration -- RefWorks is the perfect tool. Use the tutorials and information resources on this site to work smarter with RefWorks!

Take a look at the RefWorks Overview handout. To schedule a RefWorks training session, please call or write Liz Kent at x6315 (lkent at sbc dot edu).

Sweet Briar College Library recognizes and affirms the rights of copyright owners. Please review the Copyright Policies of Sweet Briar College Libraries here.