Find - SPH 1001 - Stone - Jacobs Library at Illinois Valley Community College

Library Catalog

Jacobs Library Catalog - S.O.A.R.
Search for books and other materials in the IVCC library and 90+ other academic libraries.

Requesting Books

Requesting an item for pick up at the Ottawa Center

Pro/Con book series

These series of books in our library's collection are excellent at presenting both sides of a controversial or timely issue. Use the library's catalog to look for them or use the list as a guide when selecting which books on your topic you want to check out.

Start Your Research

Academic Search Complete
Begin your research with this enormous collection of journals covering all academic subjects.
ProQuest Research Library
Search a diversified mix of scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and other timely sources across the top 150 subject areas.

Top Tools for Speeches

Opposing Viewpoints in Context
Seek to understand both sides of an issue with pro/con viewpoints, reference articles, interactive maps, infographics, and more.
Britannica Academic
Get fast and easy access to high-quality, comprehensive information by searching a combination of the Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, magazines and periodicals, and the web's best sites.

News, Culture, & Opinions

Access World News
Find primary source content from national, international, and local news providers.
Global Road Warrior
Learn about culture, customs, history, and languages of 175 countries with this digital reference knowledgebase. Research issues in international and cross cultural studies, international business, social sciences, women's studies, language studies, and study abroad programs.

Gallup
While Gallup is not a library database, it is still a great source for information. Gallup has been conducting public opinion polls since 1935, so it knows about the attitudes and behaviors of people.
Ted Talks
The Brookings Institute
Search research topics such as education, health care policy, social issues, and global development. Search can also be conducted by geographical region.
Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. Pew conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research.
PBS Newshour Topics

Swank link

Swank link

Evaluate Webpages

In order to determine information on the web is credible and usable for course work, take time to evaluate the who, what, and when. Use the information on the Who, What, and When tabs to help determine if a web source is credible and usable for your research.

Website evaluation PowerPoint

Is there a named author?
Is there information about their background?
Is the author qualified to write abut the subject?
Does the author cite or list other sources on the information?

What organization or group is responsible for the web site?
Is there information about the submission process for the content on the web site?
Can anyone publish on the web site?
What audience is the web site targeting?
Is the organization of the web site logical and credible?

Is recent information on the subject required?
Is it clear when the web site was last updated? If so, how recently?
Are the facts consistent with other recent resourcs?

The checklist below provides a structured method to test the credibility of any website. Use this when evaluating the credibility of web resources and determining whether or not to use the resources in an assignment. If you need additional tips, check out the Digging Deeper resource.

Research Challenge

Click here to begin the research challenge

SPH 1001 - Stone: Find