– GETTING ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FROM ONLINE SOURCES – 29 highly detailed information rather than the broad base of generalized knowledge that you can get from the websites listed previously. Many times, university websites and private collections provide abstracts or a summary of articles on a particular topic as well as the material itself. In addition, university websites often include a reference number that allows you to order the microfiche or printed version of an article available in their collection. Different Types of University Search Engines Like public libraries, many universities sub- scribe to comprehensive search engines that contain vast amounts of information. Several of the most common search engines to which universities frequently subscribe are: ■ EBSCOhost (www.EBSCO.com)—a large database of full text articles with over 6,200 journals that are indexed and 5,000 journals in full text. Topics include the arts and sciences, business, health, and news- papers. ■ LexisNexis (www.LexisNexis.com)—a search engine that offers full texts from magazine and newspaper articles address- ing general news, business, and legal topics. ■ The Periodicals Contents Index (http://pcift.chadwyck.com)—an index that provides full texts from thousands of journals in the humanities and social sci- ences. ■ ProQuest Direct Index (http://ProQuest. umi.com)—an index that provides full texts of journals and newspapers on all topics, including business. In short, you should have no trouble finding materials on your topic—no matter what your topic or inquiry might be. Remember, it always pays to ask a university or institutional staff member for his or her help and guidance. Each institution will have differ- ent resources and procedures, but once again, most staff members are eager to assist you and provide you with any tips that they can. Summary Using the Internet is a quick and easy method of gathering information. You can begin on your own and get a lot of material by simply typing your subject matter into one of the search engines. The ten sites listed above should provide you with a solid basis of knowledge and sources. To obtain more spe- cialized or in-depth materials, it often pays to have privileges at a university or other cultural institution. Try to make arrangements to do so in advance so that you will have the most diverse and unique sources available for your work. LESSON 31 LESSON P rimary sources are the most valuable sources of information for any topic or research paper. Even though some of the primary resources you have collected may not seem espe- cially valuable (they might be extremely dated, slightly damaged, or written from a very narrow perspective), they are vital to your work. Primary sources, unlike secondary sources, offer you ■ an immediate perspective about an event that happened during the time period. ■ opinions that are candid and unique. ■ an opportunity for you to draw your own conclusions. ■ raw data that may not have been previously listed, collected, or compiled. In some cases, you may also be the first person to review a primary source. For example, let’s say that in your research, you had access to a recently found personal diary of President John F. Kennedy that recounted the days and events before his assassination. Of course, this is highly LESSON Selecting the Best Sources LESSON SUMMARY Now that you have collected information from a wide variety of sources—books, magazine articles, reference texts, and the Internet—how do you choose between them and evaluate what you have? How can you tell which sources are the best for your research paper without having to read through everything that you’ve found? This lesson will show you what to look for in your materials and how to make the most of what you have. 5 unlikely, but if it existed, it would reveal infor- mation that was not included in previous his- tories or biographies. Other Primary Source Materials Unique primary sources that are often over- looked can also include: ■ Personal diaries, chronicles, or notes from a particular time period ■ Newspaper articles from a particular time period ■ Physical, geographical, or topographical maps ■ Official documents—such as the census or other collections of statistics ■ Paintings, prints, drawings, and photo- graphs Although you may not typically think of consulting such diverse sources, all of them are excellent sources of information. Personal diaries contain feelings of individuals and might not be included in books. Newspaper articles from a particular time period do not have the benefit of hindsight and may include key eyewitness accounts or testimonies of events. Maps provide a physical portrait of a specific place at a particular point in history, as well as information about how people in the past perceived the physical world. Official doc- uments serve as legal statements of historical events, people, and places. Any visual sources —paintings, prints, drawings, and photo- graphs—also capture a situation at a precise moment and record it for posterity. Becoming a Source Detective Primary sources may be harder to locate than other sources, but they are well worth it. The beauty of working with primary sources— once you’ve found them—is that you, as the researcher, have to interpret them. You are not reading a famous historian’s opinion of a situa- tion; you are analyzing raw writing, visuals, and data and coming to your own conclusions. Sometimes, you will really feel like a detective poring over information as you piece together visuals of ancient historical sites or human experiences from a distant past. Naturally, pri- mary sources give your work andresearch an authority and uniqueness that make your paper stand out. Other Tips for Selecting the Best Sources Mostly likely, in addition to your primary sources, you should have many good second- ary sources. Perhaps there are several books that you found devoted to your topic, or maybe there is a great deal written about your topic in reference books or collections. If you were researching the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, there could be literally thou- sands of books and articles on the topic. How do you begin to pick and choose from all these selections without spending the next five years of your life reading? The first tip to follow when researching secondary sources, partic- ularly books, is to check two places immedi- ately before you begin to read. These key or strategic places to check are: – SELECTING THE BEST SOURCES – 32 1. the table of contents 2. the index The table of contents will immediately tell you whether there is a chapter about your topic, so you won’t have to read the entire book in order to find the information you need. If there is no table of contents, turn to the back of the book and check the index for an alphabetical list of topics. If your topic is still not listed in the index, chances are that, although the title or cover may be catchy, or the book claims to talk about your topic, the author cannot really provide you with key information. If this is the case, don’t worry. Two other strategic places to check for infor- mation are: 3. the bibliography 4. footnotes or citations Many times, even if an author does not directly deal with your topic, it is a good idea to turn to the back of the book and look at the bibliography. What other books and titles did this particular author consult? Are there any that might be useful to you even though the author doesn’t deal with them directly? In addition, footnotes provide excellent clues. Check the footnotes at the bottom of the pages or at the end of a book. An author who uses a lot of footnotes or documentation always has to provide the source of the information and the exact page it was found. In this way, even though an entire book may not be helpful to your work, you may get leads for other sources. Summary Primary sources make any research paper vital and exciting. They are always unique and pro- vide you with the opportunity to draw your own conclusions. Secondary sources are valu- able, but always check key strategic places before sitting down to read an entire book that may or may not be valuable to your work. The table of contents, index, bibliography, and footnotes should specifically mention your topic by name, give you precise chapters or page numbers to consult, or list other helpful books. – SELECTING THE BEST SOURCES – 33 LESSON 35 LESSON Y ou might not realize how many people you and your friends or relatives may know, or just how many people to whom you have legitimate access via public sources of information. In other words, before you set out to interview anyone, make a preliminary list of five places or contacts that might provide you with people to interview. If your topic involves a person who lived recently, it is helpful to know if there are any surviving relatives who might be willing to talk to you. In addition, there are usually other authors who have already written books on your topic, and they might be willing to speak with you. You may have compiled this list of names and authors from your secondary sources, and if your topic is a current one, think of a list of profes- sionals who work in that field every day. For instance, if you are researching the effects of envi- ronmental pollution on the drinking water in your neighborhood, your preliminary interview list might look something like this: LESSON Interviewing Primary Sources LESSON SUMMARY Often, the best and most unusual primary sources are people. If you are lucky enough to know or have access to anyone who has direct experience with your topic or has worked in a field con- nected with your research, then those people are key sources of information for you. How do you find and interview people who may have hectic schedules, and what strategic questions do you ask? This lesson will provide helpful suggestions about this process. 6 . Naturally, pri- mary sources give your work and research an authority and uniqueness that make your paper stand out. Other Tips for Selecting the Best. her help and guidance. Each institution will have differ- ent resources and procedures, but once again, most staff members are eager to assist you and provide