Looking for a specific article or journal?
Search by title to discover if the periodical you seek is one of the titles available online or from the library.
- A to Z Journal TrackerA list of digital periodicals (journals and/or magazines) available through University Libraries
Contact/Library Info Links
Library Information
Contact Us
Tips for Evaluating Information
What do I look for to evaluate a source (for example, a website) found outside of the library's resources?
Currency
How recent was the information published? Is the information outdated for the topic you are studying?
Authorship
Who is the author? What is his or her experience with this discipline or topic? Is he or she qualified to speak on this area of research?
Sponsorship
Everyone is biased, and sometimes authors of information do this intentionally to persuade you. SourceWatch is a tool that can help you evaluate sources and recognize when an item is "sponsored" by an individual or organization that is attempting to persuade readers, rather than inform.
Purpose/Audience
This can tie in with authorship and sponsorship. Ask yourself, what is the intent of this source? How will this affect my research?
Accuracy
Is the information found on this source (and, perhaps, the sources it cites within) accurate? If an author lists the wrong dates for World War I, you may want to question the accuracy of the rest of the source's information.
Source:
Hacker, Diana, and Barbara Fister. (2009). "Tips for Evaluating Sources." Bedford/St. Martin's.com. Bedford St. Martin's, n.d. Web. 19 Aug. 2011. Retrieved from http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/tips.html.
Quaratiello, Arlene, and Jane Devine. The College Student's Research Companion: Finding, Evaluating, and Citing the Resources You Need to Succeed. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2011.
Searching Tips & Tricks
- EBSCO Searching Tips User Guide
support.ebsco.com - Tips for Keyword SearchingMost information searches start with keywords. Keywords allow you to search with natural language, describing a topic in words that you would actually use.
- Boolean ConnectionsBoolean connections can affect how your search terms or keyword results are returned.
- Wildcards & Truncationadditional search options
Citation Resources
- How To Use Zotero (A Complete Beginner's Guide)
This link opens in a new window
YouTube video posted by Top Tip Bio - About ZoteroDrake Memorial Library, SUNY Brockport
- Georgia State University Research Guide: About ZoteroZotero is free, easy to use software that helps you save, manage, and cite research sources. Georgia State University has complied this guide to help users learn how to install and use the software. They have additional guide for Mendeley and EndNote linked on the bottom left of the guide.
- Zotero
An open access citation management tool - Retracted item notifications with Retraction Watch integration"Zotero can now help you avoid relying on retracted publications in your research by automatically checking your database and documents for works that have been retracted." Zotero provides this service in partnership with Retraction Watch.
- Zotero — Easing Citation ManagementAn introduction and basic overview of Zotero , a LibGuide by Ryan Vasut, Associate Librarian, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- ZoteroA Brandeis University (Boston, MA) library research guide. Some resources are restricted to Brandeis University students, faculty and staff.
- How to use Zotero: A Step by Step Tutorial
- This link opens in a new window
YouTube video, posted by Research Beast, livestreamed on 1/4/2021 - Mendeley Reference Manager"Mendeley is a free reference manager and academic social network that can help you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research:"--Elsevier. "Readers of ACS content can now add articles to their Mendeley library directly from the journal article page, just as you couild with ACS ChemWorx Reference Manager. Signing up for a Mendeley account is free and only takes a few seconds. Additional ACS ChemWorx functionality, including tracking publication and reviewing activity, can be found on the ACS Publishing Center." -- ACS
- How To Use Mendeley Reference Manager (Complete Beginner's Guide)
- This link opens in a new window
YouTube video posted by Top Tip Bio - Introduction to Mendeley Reference Manager
- This link opens in a new window
UWC Library YouTube video posted 3/30/2022 - Georgia State University Research Guide: About MendeleyMendeley's basic software package is free and supported on IE, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. Web storage space limit is 2GB.
- EndNote BasicA free, limited online version of EndNote. If you need more robust capabilities, there is a subscription product that you may want to purchase.
- TypeCiteA citation generator specializing in APA, MLA and Harvard formats
- Citation MachineCitation Machine is a Chegg service, a commercial site, with some free functionality
The ACS Style GuideCall Number: E-book (through ACS Database) ; print resource call number SBU BOL Permanent Reserve 808.06654 Ac78, 2006ISBN: 9780841239999Available as an E-book, and as a print reference book.
Writing a Science PhD by Call Number: E-bookISBN: 9781352006308Publication Date: 2019-05-06This practical guide will help scientific researchers navigate the core stages of their PhD writing journey, from refining their research question to structuring, editing and proofreading their thesis. The authors, both of whom have first-hand experience of working with PhD researchers, set out what's expected from PhD writing, help readers to establish good practice, and provide tips on how to overcome common roadblocks during the writing process.
- A brief guide to writing in chemistryAn Univ. of Minnesota resource
- Chemistry Writing GuideA Swarthmore College resource
- Mendeley Reference Manager"Mendeley is a free reference manager and academic social network that can help you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research:"--Elsevier. "Readers of ACS content can now add articles to their Mendeley library directly from the journal article page, just as you couild with ACS ChemWorx Reference Manager. Signing up for a Mendeley account is free and only takes a few seconds. Additional ACS ChemWorx functionality, including tracking publication and reviewing activity, can be found on the ACS Publishing Center." -- ACS
AMA Manual of Style by Call Number: SBU BOL Permanent Reserve 808.02 Am11ISBN: 0195176332Publication Date: 2007-03-15
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by Call Number: SBU BOL Permanent Reserve 808.02 P96, 2020ISBN: 9781433832161Publication Date: 2019-10-01
- Citing Articles in APA StyleEBSCOConnect, Oct 24, 2018
- APA & MLA StyleSBU research guide
- APA StyleAn American Psychological Association resource
- APA Style GuideAn SBU style guide
- Citing Information - APA, MLA, etc.An SBU research guide
- Learning APA StyleFrom the American Psychological Association Style Guide, find a tutorial, browse learning resources, and learn how to master the 6th edition of the APA Style Guide.
- Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)A summary of the APA Style Guide and with examples of how to format a research paper, cite sources, create a reference page, etc. Includes examples and sample papers.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers by Call Number: SBU BOL Permanent Reserve 808.02 M72, 2009ISBN: 9781603290241Publication Date: 2009-01-01
- APA & MLA StyleSBU research guide
- Citing Articles in MLA StyleEBSCOConnect, Oct 24, 2018
- MLA & APA StyleSBU research guide
- MLA (Purdue Owl)Purdue
- Thesis Statements (Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill)A Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill resource
- The Thesis Statement (Wheaton College)A Wheaton College resource
- Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis StatementsA Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) resource
- Better Thesis StatementsA Prescott College resource
- A guide to writing up your chemical science thesisRoyal Society of Chemistry
- Writing a Paper: Thesis StatementsA Walden University resource
Mastering the Thesis Statement by Call Number: E-bookISBN: 9781611870831Publication Date: 2011-04-18
A Field Guide for Science Writers by Call Number: E-bookISBN: 9780198039020Publication Date: 2005-09-01- Writing a Science PhD by Call Number: E-bookISBN: 9781352006308Publication Date: 2019-05-06This practical guide will help scientific researchers navigate the core stages of their PhD writing journey, from refining their research question to structuring, editing and proofreading their thesis. The authors, both of whom have first-hand experience of working with PhD researchers, set out what's expected from PhD writing, help readers to establish good practice, and provide tips on how to overcome common roadblocks during the writing process.
- Summarizing a Scholarly Journal ArticleAn University of the Fraser Valley Writing Centre resource
- Finding and Summarizing Research Articles - APA FormatA Sauk Valley Community College resource
- Learn how to write a review of literatureAn Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison web resource
- Dismissive reviews: A cancer on the body of knowledgeRetractionWatch.com, Richard Phelps, 3/23/2021
- Literature ReviewsAn Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill resource
- Literature Review TemplateA free Microsoft Office literature review template "Write up your literature analysis with this template that's already set up for you with a cover page, headings, and formatting for a great looking paper."--Template description
- Literature Review vs Systematic ReviewA San Jose State University, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library research guide
- Best Practice in Systematic Reviews: The Importance of Protocols and RegistrationThe PLoS Medicine Editors (2011) Best Practice in Systematic Reviews: The Importance of Protocols and Registration. PLoS Med 8(2): e1001009. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001009
- CRITICAL APPRAISAL CHECKLIST FOR A SYSTEMATIC REVIEWAdapted from: Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP), Public Health Resource Unit, Institute of Health Science, Oxford. Oxman AD, Cook DJ, Guyatt GH. Users’ guides to the medical literature. VI. How to use an overview. JAMA 1994
; 272:1367-1371 [by the Dept. of General Practice, University of Glasgow.?]
Conducting Research Literature Reviews by Call Number: SBU BOL Book 001.42 F495cISBN: 9781412971898Publication Date: 2009-03-26
- Research Ethics/Scientific Article RetractionSBU library research guide intended to provide information to help researchers act ethically, and to avoid the pitfalls of citing retracted research.
- How to keep up with the scientific literatureDOI: 10.1126/science.caredit.a1600159
ScienceMag.org, by Elisabeth PainNov. 30, 2016 - Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science StudentsMichael Alley, Penn State
Scientific Style and Format by Call Number: SBU BOL Ref Book 808.066 Sci27 Browse nearbyISBN: 9780226116495Publication Date: 2014-05-07
