Critical Thinking Skills - How to Critically Analyze Information Sources

 

Authority * Is the article signed? * Who is the author? * What are the author's credentials? * With which institution(s) are they affiliated? * Is the publication scholarly or popular? Are there footnotes?A bibliography?	Objectivity * Who is the audience? * What is the purpose of this site? * Does the author state the goals for this web page? * Does the site inform, educate, persuade or act as a soapbox? * If the author is affiliated with an institution, does this affiliation bias the information presented?
Accuracy * Is the web site well organized? * Has the author used good grammar? Are there spelling errors? * Are the graphics appropriate for the content? * Is the information complete and accurate?	Currency *When was the web site created? If it has been updated, is there a revision date? * Do the links work? * Is the page maintained regularly?

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Catalog - Use this to find books, journals, videos or other type of media the Library owns.  You can search by keyword, author (last name first), title, boolean or subject heading. Remember to use subject headings (located under Detailed Record) to find more relevant resources on a topic.

Core Print Resources
Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women HQ1115.R69 2000 v.1-4 REF
Encyclopedia of Women and Gender HQ1115.E52 2001b REF
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Women's Issues Worldwide v. 1-6 HQ1154G742003 REF

Databases - These are electronic indexes that you can search to locate journal articles, books, book chapters, dissertations and conference or proceeding papers. Some databases provide full text access; others only provide you with the citation. The Library owns over 300 databases. Some are very subject specific (e.g. Sociological Abstracts, America: History and Life); others are interdisciplinary (e.g. Expanded Academic, Wilson Select). To access any of the databases from off campus, you will be prompted for a user name and password. Your user name is your ten digit ID # (make sure that you use all ten digits) and your password is your last name in lower-case letters.  For additional assistance with this, please go to the instructions for remote access to databases.

Recommended Databases

Expanded Academic - Full text articles and images from scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers. Spans all academic disciplines from arts and humanities to social sciences, science, and technology.

Ethnic Newswatch - Full text articles from newspapers and periodicals published by the ethnic and minority press in America.

Alt-Press Watch - Full text database of selected newspapers, magazines, and journals of the alternative and independent press.

GenderWatch - Full text publications that focus on the impact of gender across a broad spectrum of subject areas.

Contemporary Women's Issues -Full text articles on a broad range of women's issues, extracted from over 600 sources world wide, including more than 100 periodicals. Coverage starts with 1992.

Women's Studies International - Includes materials ranging from core writings to ground-breaking feminist scholarship in the areas of sociology, history, political science & economy, public policy, international relations, gender studies, arts & humanities, business and education.

GEOBASE - Interdisciplinary database covering physical and human geography, geology, ecology, and Third World studies.

Anthropology databases - Databases covering the field of Anthropology inlcuding: Anthropological Index, Anthropological Literature, and ANTHROSource.

International Index to Black Periodicals - IIBP Full Text includes content from over 150 international scholarly and popular periodicals in Black studies. It covers a wide array of humanities and social science disciplines including art, cultural criticism, economics, education, health, history, language and literature, law, philosophy, politics, religion, and sociology among others.

PAIS International - Provides indexing and abstracting of articles, books, conference proceedings, government documents, book chapters, and statistical directories about public affairs.

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts - Citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international serials literature in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration / policy.

Locating Journal Articles
1.Go to the Database Main Menu to locate a relevant database.  You can choose a database by using the general subject categories of Social Sciences, Humanities, Science & Technology, Newspapers, etc. or you can choose an interdisciplinary database.  Remember, some of the databases offer full text of the articles online, but others you will need to locate the journal article either through one of the e-journal packages or in print. 

2. If the database is not full text, write down the full citation of the article that you want.  Full citations include:  author’s name, journal name, title of article, dates, volume & issue # (if available) and page numbers.

Example: Morris-Roberts, Kathryn. 2001. Intervening in Friendship Exclusion? The Politics of Doing Feminist Research with Teenage Girls: Ethics: Place and Environment 4.2 :147-153.

3. With this information go to the full text journal locator (you can access this through the E-Journals link on the Library web page) to see if we have the article available full text through another database. If we do, use an advanced search in the database to locate the article.

4. If the article is not available full text online, go to the Summit online catalog, to find a call # for the journal that you are looking for. Using the call # and the article citation, go to the relevant floor and locate it. However, current issues (from the last year) are kept on the 2nd floor in the Current Periodicals area.

5. If the Library does not own the journal that you need, you can request it through interlibrary loan. This is a free service that you can use as often as you like. Generally, you can borrow a book for 4-6 weeks and a journal article is photocopied and yours to keep. Please note: It can take 7-14 days to receive materials through interlibrary loan.

Statistical Information

Library Sources

Statistical Information from the Library's Web site
Library's Databases on Statistics
Library's Numeric Data Resources

Web Resources

The Status of Women in the States
The World's Women 2000
Women Watch
Statistical Record of Women Worldwide HQ1150 .S73 1995 REF.
WISTAT: Women's Indicators and Statistics  ST/ESA/STAT/SER.K/10   Govt Info. - 3rd floor
Office on Violence Against Women
World Bank - GenderStats
Gender Statistics for UNDP

Searching the Web

Evaluating Internet Sources
Here are some criteria you should consider when reviewing any website:

Recommended web sites
WomenWatch
Oxfam
UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund
Developments Alternatives with Women in a New Era
Sisterhood is Global Institute

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Citation Style Guides:
Reference Shelf