Welcome to the Online Program at Columbia College! As part of your coursework, you are required to find library sources on a toxic compound.
Q. What do you mean by "library sources"?
A. In a nutshell, we mean online databases.
The library at Columbia College subscribes to many online databases. These online databases give you special access to thousands of high-quality, credible articles from a variety of sources, such as, but not limited to: peer-reviewed journals, professional trade publications, magazines, and specialized encyclopedias. Articles and entries from these types of sources are what you will be expected to find and use in this assignment.
Q. Can't I just use the internet (Google) to do my research?
A. For this particular assignment, we would not recommend doing that.
It should be stressed that these online databases are very different from the internet. While it’s easy to confuse the term “online database” with “online website,” in reality, the only thing that library databases and websites have in common is that you need a computer with internet access to view both. The quality and credibility of your average dot com website can often stand in stark contrast to the quality and credibility of a vetted journal article from a database.
So while it may be tempting to simply surf the web for information on your chosen toxic compound, you are encouraged to keep in mind that the assignment specifically requires you to use library resources.
Q. So no Wikipedia?
A. Correct. Sources such as Wikipedia, blogs and obscure websites will not be accepted.
Q. Okay. So what online databases should I use to complete this assignment and how can I use them most effectively?
A. We're glad you asked! The other two tabs of this LibGuide - Credo Reference and Academic Search Complete - will answer that question.
Good luck and Happy Researching!
- Edens Library Staff
