Big6 Research Skills handouts
Graphic organizer handout
Outline maker Here’s a fabulous site that will help you develop an outline for your paper.
If you have a library card to the Sacramento Public Library, you can access their databases.
NoodleQuest It’ll ask you questions to help you to figure out where to start.
NoodleTools Choose the best search for your information need.
ipl2 Websites added to the directory by librarians who have judged the websites to be helpful and authoritative. No fear that you’ll find unreliable sources when you use this helpful service!
WWW Virtual Library Another directory of websites selected for their reliability and dependability.
Tips to enhance your search on Google
Google Search Not to be confused with good-old Google, it’s a list of preselected, commonly-searched topics.
Calisphere Website of primary sources, sponsored by the University of California.
Okay, let’s face it. I know you’re going to visit Wikipedia. Just make sure you confirm what you find there in other reliable, trustworthy sites.
Mooter Clusters search results from lots of search engines, in a nice clean format.
Metacrawler Search a bunch of search engines.
Internet Public Library Search by topic to find websites super smart librarians have selected because they are great sources. Click on their logo to go to their home page and click on teens for more resources specifically selected for teens.
Tips and suggestions for evaluating websites:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Tips for Evaluating Websites
The 5 Ws of Cyberspace
A website evaluation handout
Citing sources:
Remember, you must cite all the sources you consult, to give credit to the authors for their hard work, and so you can’t possibly be accused of plagiarism. Here are some helpful tools for you to do that.
MLA formatting guide See the updated rules and examples of how to cite all sorts of resources: book, encylopedia, periodical, Internet, database, interview, pamphlet…. you name it, it’s there.
Or you can let one of the sites below do the work for you.
Easybib Bibme Citation Machine
Vist the website at CSU San Marcos on plagiarism– what it is, how to avoid it, how to cite sources.
Reference sites:
Information Please Information Please homework center
Biographies organized by occupation/accomplishment, or era, or race/ethnicity/nationality
Newspapers: