SELECTING SOURCES What they are and how to choose the best Ms. Christine HRS Library

Table of Contents  found at the beginning of a book, this resource shows chapter titles and main ideas.

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Index  found at the end of a book, this alphabetical resource lists the terms, people, or pictures found in the book and their corresponding page numbers.

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Footnote  found at the bottom of a book page, these notes explain which outside source the author used. Footnotes can also be used to expand upon information in the paragraph.

Example  5 Kelly Rothenberg, "Tattooed People as Taboo Figures in Modern Society," 1996, BME/Psyber City, 18 Jan  6 Sigmund Freud, Totem and Taboo (New York: Random, 1918) 17.  7 Marvin Harris, "The Cultural Ecology of India’s Sacred Cattle," Current Anthropology 1992, 7:51-66, qtd. in Stacy McGrath, "Ecological Anthropology," Anthropological Theories: A Guide Prepared by Students for Students 19 Oct. 2001, U. of Alabama, 18 Jan

Glossary  found at the back of a textbook, this resource is an alphabetical list of terms and definitions.

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Library Catalog Database  searchable resource at the library found on computer. Helps in finding a book, magazine, video, or other media by title, author, or subject. Often accessible online.

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People  excellent research resource when interviewed for stories, personal experience, or professional knowledge. Especially helpful to any research project, librarians are an exceptional resource.

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Field trip  trip to a particular location or museum for learning purposes.

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Magazines  Magazines can provide detailed information on a particular subject or person of interest. Magazines can be a good resource because they often offer interesting slants or perspectives on an event.

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Newspapers  Newspapers give some of the most up-to-date information available, and a majority of the information you find can be trusted as fact. Because they cover a lot of information and topics, newspapers can't go into as much detail as other print sources like magazines or books.

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CD-ROM  storage disc containing information, games, learning tools, or computer software.

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 electronic mail, an excellent communication medium found on computers via Internet access. Note: in addition to traditional notes, you can also attach lengthy documents to messages to be printed out by the recipient.

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Search engine  Internet site which quickly scans Web sites and pages for the keywords entered. Be careful to use reputable, verifiable sites when doing Internet research. You want to make sure that you can trust the site for true and accurate information. Sites made by a state or association are usually more trustworthy than sites with unknown authors.

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Dictionary  a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with their meanings and pronunciations.

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Encyclopedia  a series of reference books containing brief articles on a wide range of subjects and people. A good place to get a quick overview of a subject before pursuing more in-depth research. Take care that the information is not out-of-date, however.

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Atlas  a book of maps. An atlas can have road maps, topographical maps, population maps, and more. One atlas may have maps for all the countries in the world, while another may have maps of just the 50 states in the U.S.

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Almanac  This annual publication in calendar form gives weather forecasts, astronomical data, tide tables, and other information.

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Which source would I use for?  Definition of the word “median”?  Map of Tennessee?  Average temperature for TN?  Research on yorkshire terriers  Computer search for dogs  Who won local election for Lincoln County?  How to search in the library?  Important topic words in a single book?