Recommended Research Starter Links
Useful Links - Library Book Information
San Juan USD Online Libraries - Mesa Verde HS
Online access to the Mesa Verde HS Library database. This database allows searches for books and reference materials in the library.
Sacramento Public Library Main Page
a) Sacramento Public Library English Language Learner Resources Page
b) Sacramento Public Library Digital Media: Magazines
c) Sacramento Public Library Digital Media: Movies
d) Sacramento Public Library Digital Media : eBooks
e) Sacramento Public Library Technology Skill Development
f) Sacramento Public Library Adult Education : Career Development
g) Sacramento Public Library Online Learning : Automotive Technology
Sacramento Public Library Homework Resources
Click on "My Account":
>>> Username sj# (example): sj123456
>>> Password 4 digit birth year (example): 2004
The main page for the Sacramento Public Library system. In addition to searching for books, you can also sign up to use the online database programs, with access to newspaper and magazine articles.
Useful Links - How To Get Started With Research
The Big 6 Research Model
You can do BIG things with Big6 Skills! Big6 is a six-stage model to help anyone solve problems or make decisions by using information. Some call it information literacy, information communication, or ICT skills, or a process, but we call it the Big6.
How To Conduct Online Research (eLearners)
Electronic resources are abounding, and they can be of very high quality. The best way to find peer-reviewed, high-quality journal articles for your online research is to access them through your online library, or to purchase the articles through an article provider. However, there are excellent sources that are both accurate and of high quality on the Web, and they are often free and not password protected.
How To Do Internet Research (WikiHow)
The internet has made researching a topic easier than ever before. Instead of making a trip to the library, people with internet access can simply pull up a search engine, type, and click away. But, in addition to making it easier to access information, the web has also made it easier to access misinformation. However, by following some simple rules, you can avoid being fooled or misinformed by a phony, inaccurate, or biased web source.
8 Killer Tips For Effective Internet Research (The Web Writer Spotlight)
Online research is not mere Googling or casual Web browsing. Anyone can Google, but few can draw the best results from the abundance of material posted online. If you want to nail your online research, you need to learn some key skills for performing effective internet searches. Here are eight tips to help you nail your online research each time.
Useful Links - Research Information
California State Library Databases
Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia
A free online encyclopedia containing over two-million articles. A excellent starting point to get background information and links to related topics and keywords.
The CIA World Factbook
The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.
ProCon.org - Topic Pros and Cons
Pro/Con.org is a website that collects controversial topics and presents the pros and cons of both sides of the argument. Resources include short, easy to understand explanations of issues, pre-screened and researched articles, video clips, and pictures, and citations for the site. Topics include: illegal immigration, drug awareness, cell phones, gay marriage, abortion, and much more.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text or metadata of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines. The Google Scholar index includes
most peer-reviewed online academic journals and books, conference-papers, theses and dissertations, preprints, abstracts, technical reports, and other scholarly literature, including court opinions and patents.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the de facto national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States.
Smithsonian Institution Homepage
The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum,education, and research complex. We are a community of learning and the opener of doors. Join us on a voyage of discovery in person or learn and explore online.
Useful Links - Citation and Writing Information
The Citation Machine
The Citation Machine automatically generates citation in MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian, and thousands more.
Purdue Online Writing Lab
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material. Users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects.
Five Online Sources To Use With Caution
Blogs- Anyone can create a blog, just like anyone can have a Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat account. There is no way to evaluate the authors reliability or expertise on a subject
Personal Web pages- Just like blogs, personal web sites are difficult to evaluate. Avoid them!
Wiki sites, including Wikipedia - Wiki sites allow groups of people to add and edit information on individual pages. Wikipedia is a good place to start if you know absolutely nothing about a topic, but use the links on the bottom of the Wikipedia reference to go to more reliable sources.
Video Games, Movies, and YouTube - the latest Call of Duty game might have information you "think" is accurate, the cool horror movie is "based on a true story" or the newest Youtube video might "look" real. Just remember that both movies and video games were created for entertainment not for accuracy
Historical Novels- Novels are fiction, even if they are set in a real historical setting.