Finding Sources @ the Cabrillo College Library (Week 4)

Get Your Research Question Ready!

On this page, you will begin the research process and find sources that will go into your essay. Below, you will find links to help you search for news sources through a variety of channels. Basically, you're going to find news articles that provide information on your research topic. You'll need to find quite a few before identifying the ones that you will write about and that will eventually appear in your essay. Aim to find at least eight to ten articles over the next two weeks and then plan on writing SQE paragraphs on at least two, maybe three, four, or even more! Research can go on forever, so the trick is to find balance. What do you want to learn about? What information is provided by the articles you find? Is that enough? Do you need more? Only you can decide. So keep your research question in mind, take notes, and let's start!

Minimum requirement: find 4 sources and write TWO SQE paragraphs

CQ Researcher

All CQ Researcher articles contain numerous sources at the end of each section. In each article, they also place numbered footnotes to indicate a source. You can click on these numbers and get the publication information for the source. In addition, at the end of most sections, there is a list of articles that you can review to gather more information on your research topic.

Here is a screenshot of the "Overview" section of the CQ Researcher article, "COVID-19 and Mental Health." Links to an external site. 

CQResearcherOverview.jpg

Here is a screenshot of the footnote that pops up:

CQResearcherFootnotesPopUp.jpg

Here is a screenshot of the footnotes at the end of the "Overview" section. These footnotes appear at the end of most sections in each CQ Researcher article.

CQResearcherFootnotes.jpg

What to do!

Review the footnotes in the CQ Researcher article, "COVID-19 and Mental Health" Links to an external site. and find at least one article that provides information about your research topic.

Pile of print newspapersNews Sources

Newspapers are a great way to get oriented to your topic because they are .  . .

  • Intended for a general audience
  • Written by journalists
  • Reviewed by editors for quality and accuracy
  • Provide information on recent & local events 
  • Provide the perspectives of average people, not experts

Newspapers can be found in many locations online:

Websites

Cabrillo Library Databases

  • U.S. Newsstream Links to an external site. provides free access to newspapers such as The New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.  This library database provides 100% free access going back decades, as well as more information about the source and citation tools. (When the login box pops up, use your Canvas login to access from home.)   

Santa Cruz Public Library Databases

Fact-Checking

Use the following fact-checking strategies to evaluate and verify your source.  

  • Be skeptical, not cynical
  • Investigate the source -- who published the cite?
  • Find the original source -- original vs. re-reporting (or re-posting!)
  • Look for trusted work -- has someone already fact-checked this story?

You will find thousands of news articles.  Be picky!  Use the best sources you can find. You should find 8 to 10 articles during these next two weeks, then evaluate and verify to pick the best ones to use!

At the Library

We will work with Cabrillo College librarians during our Zoom session NEXT week on Monday for STARS and Tuesday for Puente! Prepare to ask questions and tell them about your success. What's working and what's not working as you conduct research?

What to Do!

  1. Find at least one source from the CQ Researcher article, "COVID-19 and Mental Health." Links to an external site.
  2. Find at least one source from Google News. Links to an external site.
  3. Find at least two news sources from a Library Database, try U.S. Newsstream Links to an external site. or America's Newsbank. Links to an external site.
  4. Email your sources and locate your citations. (Send yourself this email so that you'll have a record of what you've found!)
  5. Evaluate and verify your sources.  Pick your two best sources for the "COVID-19 and Mental Health" essay and write an SQE paragraph on each those articles. (For step-by-step directions, go to the next page: Writing the SQE paragraphs for Your Sources)
  6. Turn in this paragraph as part of the Assignment: Week 5 Paragraph Writing

Need Help?  Ask A Librarian  Links to an external site.