Skip to Main Content

COU 512: Counseling Research: Other Resources

This guide will help students in COU 512 complete their research papers and assignments.

Evaluating Journals

Evaluating Books

Book reviews can be found in the Bowker's Books in Print database.

In Bowker's Books in Print, you can find over 1.9 million in and out of print book titles along with thousands of full-text reviews.

Borrowing FAQs

What is Interlibrary Loan?

Who can use it?

Where is it located?

What types of materials are available to borrow?

How much does it cost?

How long does it take?

May I request a textbook?

Are items borrowed through Interlibrary Loan able to be renewed?

Evaluating Internet Sources

Scales with computers

There is no review process or regulation for materials on the Internet, like there is for books or articles published in journals.  So before you use an Internet source in a research project, you will need to judge for yourself the quality of the material that is presented. Consider these questions:

Accuracy Does the information presented seem accurate? Are the facts verifiable?
Authority Who is the author? What expertise does he or she have on this topic? Who sponsors the site? Can you tell if it's a university or college, a business, an organization, or an individual?
Objectivity What is the stated purpose of the site? Check the "About..." link if there is one. What position or opinion is presented and does it seem biased? What kind of sites does this one link to? Are there advertisements?
Currency When was the page created? Does it include current information? Do links on the site still connect to their destinations?
Use Would you quote information from this site in a college research paper?

 

"Scales with Computers," Western Michigan Searchpath Tutorial, 2001, http://www.wmich.edu/library/searchpath/

Adapted from a Library Research Tutorial created by Jenni Breems & Jan Versluis at the John and Louise Hulst Library at Dordt College

View this page in a format suitable for printers and screen-readers or mobile devices. 915 South Jackson Street • Montgomery, Alabama 36101 • (334) 604-9093