The keys to evaluating information:

1. Look for independent information about the creator/s, funding, opinions or viewpoints, and statements
2. Spend more time double-checking facts externally rather than using time to look at the original source of information
3. Delay clicking: spend time to skim the results after you search; read bits and pieces before choosing to click any link
4. Use these techniques with all types of information – books, videos, articles, websites, etc.

• use "quotation marks" around phrases
• truncate - shorten a word to its trunk or root to get alternate endings - with an asterisk * (shift 8), e.g., truncat* finds truncate, truncated, truncation
• apply Boolean connector AND to combine unlike ideas, e.g., dance AND promotion
• apply Boolean connector OR to connect synonyms, e.g., advertisements OR campaigns

Put it all together:

• "hip hop dance" in one box
• AND (promot* OR advertis* OR campaigns) in the next box
• use parentheses in single-box searching - when you don't have another set of boxes, e.g.,:
• "hip hop dance" AND (promot* OR advertis* OR campaigns)

Use the left or right menus to narrow your results, e.g., by language, date, subject, etc.

Databases have a citation (information about an article such as the title, author, name of the journal or magazine, volume and issue (which correspond to the date), date, and pages) and sometimes they will also contain an abstract, or summary, of the article.

Databases also often cite multiple types of resources - books, essays or chapters, government documents, etc.

Some databases will also have the complete item (called the full text): you should see a link to an HTML or PDF document. Or click on - this will check the other library databases for the full text of the article.

We want everyone to learn to search within the resources that we own, using the "Find it" box, the "Get it @GVSU"  icon, and the Journals list. However, we don't have access to every article, book, or other materials! We offer a service called Document Delivery as a solution for these gaps in our collections. Each request costs us money (staff to manage it + paying other libraries their cost + copyright clearance), so only use it if you really need something we don't have.