1. Conducting Credible Research Key concept: credible

2. Preliminary Steps (prewriting) No Yes Determine topic Conduct preliminary research Obtain credible research Choose a new topic Narrow focus Complete research Write paper

3. Getting Started Sources of information Dacus Library Books—may use just one chapter Reference texts Encyclopedias (limited use) Dictionaries (limited use) Databases Internet

4. Library Databases http://www2.winthrop.edu/dacus/ Search by Subject Database name Scholarly publications Non-scholarly publications Professional publications

5. Publication Types Scholarly publications Faculty/researcher authors University published No advertisements or sponsors Subscription only Professional publications Newsletters Journals Published for members Field specific Non-scholarly publications News stand magazines Newspapers

6. Using the Internet Advantages: Convenient Easy to use Vast amount of information Disadvantages: Vast amount of information Not all websites are credible Links may not be up-to-date with latest material No publication date available

7. Internet Available Resources DOAJ (www.doaj.org)www.doaj.org Open Secrets (www.opensecrets.org)www.opensecrets.org Ebook Political and economic analyses Transparency International (www.transparency.org)www.transparency.org Ranks countries worldwide by corruption level CQ Researcher (http://library.cqpress.com)http://library.cqpress.com Analyses of issues in the news

8. Evaluating Open Internet Sources Analyze website About or About us Contributors Advertisements Links to other websites Analyze articles or pages Author credentials References

9. Websites to Evaluate http://www.nofluoride.com http://medlineplus.gov http://healthtips360.com www.ageofautism.com/2010/01/vaccine s-dont-cause-autism-pediatricians- do.html www.ageofautism.com/2010/01/vaccine s-dont-cause-autism-pediatricians- do.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl es/PMC3136032/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl es/PMC3136032/

10. Final Words No information about a site provided: be wary. Watch for omissions; what is not there can speak volumes Picture of man in white lab coat with stethoscope around neck but no title evident Excerpts from a larger document that could be taken out of context Check dates for currency