RD/IRW 115 Information Literacy Project: Find Sources

Research for college classes should come from from trustworthy sources.  One way to find reliable information is to use books and articles that have been screened for quality as part of the publication process. This page includes instructions and links to databases where you can find quality sources for your assignment.

Use the search box below to find books, videos, articles and more. Click on the tab on the left (PCC Library & Summit) to search for books and videos. Click on the Articles tab on the right to search for newspaper, magazine, and academic journal articles available through the library.

Library databases are great places to find published articles, but the results pages can be confusing, so this video will give you some tips to help you find useful results.

• Enter a search in the PCC Library search box. 
• If the book you want has a linked message starting with Available at..., and the book is available on your home campus, write down the location and call number.

• If the book is available from another campus, click on the "Request" button in the "Get It" section, (NOTE: You will need to login with your MyPCC username and password after clicking the blue "Sign in" button to see the "Request" button), and specify the campus to which you'd like the book to be sent.

• If the book is not available from PCC, you can order it using the "Get it" buttons to request a physical copy or digital chapters from the book (located in the "Get it from other locations" section). Learn more about requesting library materials.

If we don't have a book, chances are we can get it for you!

When you find an item with a "Find and request" message that means the book is not in our collection or is checked out.

You may be able to request the book from a library in our region using the blue "Get it" buttons to request a physical copy of the book or digital chapters from the book. Click on the book you want, and if you don't see "Get it" buttons to request a physical or digital copy of the book, you will need to log in with your MyPCC username and password after you click the blue "Sign in" button. 

Physical Item Requests

Requested physical items can be delivered to any PCC Library at no cost for pick-up in the amount of time listed in the "Get it from other locations" section (usually 7 days). An email to your MyPCC account will notify you when your item is ready for pick up. Items must be picked up within seven calendar days after they are available. Return your borrowed items to any PCC library.

Digital Chapter Requests

Requested digital items (such as book chapters) should be delivered via email in the amount of time listed in the "Get it from other locations" section (often 24 hours). You will receive requested PDFs via email. 

Learn more at our "Requesting Library Materials" page. 

Search these databases to find articles to help you answer your research question. You will find published newspaper, magazine, and academic (scholarly peer-reviewed) journal articles in these databases.

You can find over 100 additional databases in specific subject areas to search on the Databases A - Z page on the library website.

One of the best features of Google's Advanced Search is the ability to limit your search to the areas of the web where the information is most reliable, such as education sites or government sites.  The shortcut for this is to add site:edu or site:gov to your regular Google search. 

For example, if you conduct an ordinary Google search for nutritional supplements, most of your top results will be commercial (.com) sites trying to sell you vitamins.  If you search for nutritional supplements site:gov , the top results (except for the sponsored ads) will be sites such as the National Institute of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, which are authoritative, unbiased sources that are not trying to sell you anything.  If you search for nutritional supplements site:edu, your top results will be from universities providing research on nutritional supplements. 

Learn more about Advanced Google Searching from this self-paced tutorial: Google Search Tips. 

Sure you know how to Google, but do you know about the other Googles out there?  These Google resources are a quick way to find trustworthy information on the free web.

Find current event information from news sources that practice fact-based journalism.  Some recommended sources: