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Criteria to keep in mind when choosing and using sources:
• Accuracy - What is the purpose of the document and why was it produced? Does the author cite her/his sources and are they legitimate?
• Authority - Who wrote the source? Is the author credible? What are the author's credentials (educational background, past writing, experience) in this area? Have you seen the author's name cited in other sources or bibliographies? Respected authors are cited frequently by other scholars. For this reason, always note names that appear in many different sources. Who published the source? Check the domain of the document - what institution publishes this document?
• Objectivity - Does the author have a bias, political or commercial or persuasive?
• Currency - Is this information new or based on outdated sources? Can you tell how current it is? How up-to-date are the links (if any)?
These databases contain a mix of citations & full text for scholarly articles (and some books and book chapters) in a variety of fields. Depending on the focus of your research, you may want to consult other databases listed on our full Databases list. Use the Subject filter there to browse the databases by discipline.
Search multiple reference sources at once
SuperSearch is a great place to start for journal articles, books and almost everything else the library has, in one easy to use interface.
For searching with more focus and precision, try one of the databases recommended on this guide.
Can't find what you're looking for at Wellesley?
Use WorldCat Discovery to search and request directly from libraries worldwide via Interlibrary Loan.
Questions? Interlibrary Loan Guide
