Oliver Wendell Holmes Library
The Research Process:
Choosing the Right Sources


With the proliferation of information available today is important to critically think about which sources you consult as you make your way through the research process. It can be confusing to know if newspaper articles, books, journal articles or the internet would satisfy your information needs. In most cases it will be necessary to consult a vartiety of sources.

Source Type
When to use
How to access
Newspapers Any subject of interest, current and local information

Print: Search the OWL Catalog, NY Times Index

Electronic: InfoTrac, Gender Watch, Ethnic NewsWatch

See OWHL periodical collection

Magazines Popular topics, current affairs

Print: Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, see Use of indexes

Electronic: InfoTrac

see OWHL periodical collection

Journals Scholarly examination of subject, specialists in field, many are peer reviewed InfoTrac, America History and Life

see OWHL periodical collection

General Collection Books

Any subject of interest, extensive treatment of topic

Contains leisure reading collection

OWL catalog
Reference Books Overview of topic, facts, statistics, terms, definitions, maps

Print: OWL catalog (reference books are located in Garver Room)

Electronic: Database list from Homepage

 

World Wide Web

Any subject, varies in quality and reliability.

Always evaluate what you access.

Use search engines

Use Web Sites by Subject for curriculum links

 

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© Phillips Academy 1999
Last Update October 2003