ENGL 1102 - Abbott (Online) - Spring 2025

Purpose

This guide will walk you through two assignments for your course. The first will cover how to evaluate web-based sources. The second will cover how to use Galileo tools and the book catalog in order to locate sources for your research paper.

Skills

The skills you will practice are:

1. Using website source evaluation strategies.
2. Refining and narrowing searches using built-in database limiters.
3. Identifying appropriate library databases for specific research needs.
4. Searching the library catalog in order to locate an appropriate resource.

Knowledge

The skills necessary to locate and evaluate sources are transferable to other research you will do in the future, in a library or work setting, or when using a general web browser like Google.

Tasks

PART 1: Website Evaluation

The first module is all about source evaluation, a key part of what you'll be doing when you look for information on the open web.

• Watch the 5Ws video.
• Review the More About 5Ws page to understand the questions to ask when encountering internet sources. 
• Apply those questions when searching online for your internet sources.

PART 2: Research Paper Module

Your librarian will be visiting class to discuss the information in this module. Review it ahead of time so you can be prepared!

• Watch the very helpful "Research is Like Shopping" video.
• If you need a refresher on keyword searching take a look at the Search Strategies page.
• Review the Galileo: Articles page on how to use Galileo to find articles. 
• The Galileo: Advanced Searching page takes you through using the advanced search features as well as using Boolean operators.
• On the Galileo: Subject Databases page, read up on subject databases. 
• Finally, take a look at how to use GIL-Find, our book catalog, to find books. 

Criteria

The work you do based on the content of this library guide and information literacy instruction will be evaluated as part of your research project. Locating excellent sources will help you write an excellent paper!