ESL 151 - READING AND COMPOSITION V - McGrath

Library Databases and OneSearch

Example: OneSearch, JSTOR, Proquest

The Open Web and Google

Example: Google browser, Yahoo search

When to Use

• Best for school research.
• Best for credible information, quickly.
• Best for full-text scholarly articles

Example: Do Angry Birds Make for Angry Children?

• Best for shopping and entertainment.
• Best for finding statistics and data.
• Good place to find background information.

Example: Virtual Violence: How Does it Affect Children?

Clarity and Purpose

• Written to inform or explain
• May be hard to read and understand
• Well written with no spelling or grammatical errors
• Written for expert and academic audiences

• Written primarily to entertain or inspire purchases
• Easier to read depending on topic
• May have misspellings or grammar mistakes

Accuracy

• Statements and claims are backed by citations and other sources
• Claims are similar to or build on information from other reports, articles, or sources
• Methods and process for conducting research is clearly stated

• May not link to supporting sources or explain where evidence started
• Claims may be very different from one website to another
• Process for finding sources or research is not stated or mentioned

Credibility and Trustworthiness

• Articles and books are written by scholars, journalists, or experts in a professional field.
• All the material is evaluated for accuracy and credibility by subject experts.
• Content is reviewed and updated regularly.

• Anyone can publish opinions and ideas on the internet.
• Much of the information found for free is NOT evaluated for accuracy and reliability.
• You must evaluate the resources yourself.

Access

• Depending on search, a few or thousands of options sorted by relevance
• Library databases require subscriptions paid for by the school.
• Access is usually automatic at school, but may require a login from home.

• Depending on search, millions of possible sources sorted by ads, personal preference, and relevance
• Information is usually free.
• Some publishers share a link, but then require the payment of a fee for access to all of the content.

Permanence

• Published content from journals, magazines, newspapers, and books does not change.
• Most materials remain in the databases for a long time and can be easily retrieved again. 

•  Web site content can often change.
• Web pages and sites may disappear, leaving no way to retrieve the same content later.