Wikipedia is great for finding keywords - not so great for scholarly, authenticated material. Do not use Wikipedia as a citable source. Scroll through a pertinent article, jotting down words or phrases that will help you in your further research.
In an article regarding General George Patton, we find Virginia Military Institute, Casablanca, 2nd Armored Division, Pancho Villa, and North Africa.
These are words one can use in further research, as keyword searches, or in indexes.
Scroll to the bottom of the wikipedia article to the list of sources. Check these for possible academic resources to help in your own research.
Yes, there is an abundance of information available via Google. Yes, it is an easy tool to use. No, not all information retrieved through the Google website is valid. You already know this. So, how does one use Google the SMART way?
Know your domains: .edu=education, these are college and university websites and are generally very trustworthy; .gov=government, a simple .gov is the federal government, these are always trustworthy; .mil=military, very good for policy papers; .com=commercial, be wary of these; .org=organization, be wary of these, too. They might be fine (trade unions, clubs) but they might have agendas that will skew the facts on their page. .net is now synonymous with .com and should be treated with the same regard.
In any instance, ask yourself, "In whose interest is it that I should believe this material?"
In the Google search box, type: site:(the domain) (note a space here) your search terms. i.e. site:edu george patton
The computer at the circulation desk is our online catalog. Search this by keyword, author, or title. If you need help locating materials in the library, ask Mrs. Anderson, or Mrs. Erbach.
This computer also allows self check-outs. On the circulation screen, enter your student number, then scan the book's barcode. Be sure the hit the reset button when you are finished. Books may be returned by setting them on the circulation desk.
