Information Literacy for English 106
and Philosophy 106

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The following is a list of selected resources available in the library and on the Internet.

Finding Background Information, Facts, and Statistics Internet Resources: Evaluation, Subject Directories, and Helpful Sites
Finding Books Writing and Citing Sources
Finding and Using Articles Information Literacy Tools

If you are accessing this page from off campus, the links to most library databases will not work. To use these resources, go to the Library Web Page, where you can connect to Articles and Databases, Reference Sources, and Electronic Journals and Newspapers after providing your Elmhurst College login and password. If you don't know your E.C. login or password, you'll want to see Computer Services, Room 107 CSTC.

Finding Background Information, Facts, and Statistics

Writing a paper can be a daunting prospect. Sometimes you may not know where to start. It is often useful to gather background information on your topic. For example, if you're writing about gun control, you might want to find information on the Second Amendment, get more insight into gun control advocacy, or learn the history of the NRA. Statistics on the number of gun owners in the United States can also be helpful. The sources below can help you get started.

Background Information

Facts and Statistics

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Finding Books

It is easy to forget that the library has books that may be pertinent to your topic; after all, many people think that most information can be found on-line. Yet it is important to remember that the library has both reference and circulating books that can help you write your paper. Certain books may be considered "classics" in their particular areas of expertise; even though they may be older than the latest article, these classics can provide a good foundation for your paper.

  • Keyword searching offers a good way to start looking for books in Illinet Online. Use the main words describing your topic. For example, to find books on the effects on self-esteem on girls who participate in sports, try the keywords:
              sports self-esteem girls
  • A more precise way of searching is to use controlled vocabulary. Illinet Online's controlled vocabulary is known as Library of Congress Subject Headings (or LC subject headings). Unlike keywords, you can't simply make these up; you have to find out what the exact terms are and enter them in Illinet as a subject search. Ask a librarian if you'd like to learn more about subject searching. Here are some examples of LC subject headings:
      •  
      Acquaintance rape
      Greenhouse effect, Atmospheric
      Popular culture--United States
      Doping in sports
      Lee, Bruce, 1940-1973
      India -- Religion

  • Ordering books from other libraries ~ Illinet Online allows you to request books held by 44 academic libraries in Illinois. 

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Finding and Using Articles

In addition to books, articles can be useful to support or refute arguments in your paper. Shorter and more up-to-date than books, articles can provide a variety of viewpoints, ranging from the scholarly to the popular. It is important that you know how to evaluate articles; while an article from Time magazine may be useful for your paper on Hong Kong action films, it may not be appropriate for a paper on anorexia.

Subscription Databases (Elmhurst College users only)

Looking for an article? Instead of browsing through fifty years of Psychology Today hoping that you'll find one article that suits, try using some of the below databases to help you find articles. Some databases will give you the full text of the article, which you can then go ahead and print, while others will require you to find the article in another location.

Remember that these databases should not be confused with "the Internet," although they are accessed via the web. If you do a search for a topic on the Internet, you're most likely not finding full-text articles; rather, you're finding web pages of individuals or organizations, which may or may not be of any use to you. The databases, on the other hand, are especially designed to facilitate research, giving you access to articles you might not be able to find otherwise.

How do I find out if the Elmhurst College Library has the periodical I need?

How can I order a photocopy of an article I can't find at Elmhurst College?

How do I know whether an article is useful to me? Learn about critically analyzing information sources.

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Internet Resources

Ah, the Internet. Anyone whose used a search engine recently realizes that there is a lot of stuff out there; while some web pages are useful and accurate, others can be silly, malicious, erroneous, or just plain hard to use. How can you weed out the bad sites? There are several tools you can use, some of which are below.

Evaluating Internet Resources

The below sites can help you become Internet-savvy. Learn what to look for in a web site, and find out what the red flags are.

  • Dissing the King ~ a cautionary tale detailing how websites are not always what they seem

  • Good website vs. Bad website ~ two webpages on the same topic demonstrate the difference between an accurate and useful website, and a site that is less authoritative

Subject Directories

A lot of people have been working to make the Internet a little more manageable to navigate. Librarians as well as professionals and other scholars have put together extensive listings of web sites that have been evaluated for their effectiveness and content. These listings, called subject directories, are organized by topic, and can also be searched.

Other Helpful Web Sites

The below sites can help you refine your topic, find useful polls, and learn what the hot-button issues are.

Selected Search Engines

When you feel comfortable evaluating web sites on your own, you can use any of the numerous search engines to find sites on your topic. Here are some popular engines.

Despite what some would have you believe, not everything is available for free on the Internet. Don't rely on the web as your only source of information. Choose web sites carefully using the resources below, and use them to support your articles and books, not to replace them.

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Writing and Citing Sources

Writing/Research/Topic Development Assistance

Are you finding your paper is going a different way than you had originally intended? Does the thought of compiling a bibliography give you the willies? Are you just plain frustrated? The below resources can give you some assistance. If you would like someone to look over a draft of your paper, the Writing Center is available.

Citing Your Sources

It is crucial that you properly cite all the sources you use for a paper, be they articles, books, web sites, or e-mail messages. Why is it so important? Because if you don't properly credit a source, you are engaging in plagiarism. Whether you cut and paste text from an on-line article to your paper, or simply neglect to use quotation marks when warranted, plagiarism in all its forms is strongly discouraged. Write your paper with a clear conscience, and use any of the below sources to help you cite your sources.

Always remember, if you're confused about MLA style, footnotes, or formatting, feel free to ask your instructor, the Writing Center, or the library for assistance.

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More Information Literacy Tools

What are all those terms that the librarians use, and what do they mean? How can the web teach me about using the library? What is "Information Literacy," anyway? The below web sites can help answer these questions. While the last link is more useful to librarians and instructors, you might be interested in some of the theory that is behind the scenes of information literacy.

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Revised 25 June, 2001 by Ayanna Gaines, Assistant Reference Librarian
A.C. Buehler Library, Elmhurst College