Super Searcher Techniques

updated 10/7/13 Super searchers/researchers are made not born. Here are essential techniques to find quality historical information when you need it. These tips apply to interogating database and electronic finding aids. The second section helps you evaluate how trustworthy websites are.
  1. Use appropriate finding aids.
    • JSTOR Search Page yields full text of articles Search for and access full texts of scholarly articles in most field, including history and Latin American studies. You may also use JSTOR to search for images in scholarly articles and to search ArtStor, a large database of paintings, portraits, and other images.
    • HAPI/ Hispanic American Periodicals Index yields full text of some articles Over 275,000 journal article citations about Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil, and Hispanics/Latinos in the United States. HAPI currently provides over 60,000 links to the full text of articles appearing in more than 600 key social science and humanities journals published throughout the world. PRISMA Offers the full text of some key titles indexed in HAPI.

      For the following 3 resources, which provide bibliographical citations, not full text, go to the D. H. Hill Library database page

    • Handbook of Latin American Studies [from the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress] Click "H" at top of page and select the HLAS. The most important reference when doing Latin American research. Yields expertly annotated bibliographical citations.
    • Historical Abstracts Click "H" at top of page and select from list. Covers non-US history, including extensive coverage of Latin America. Yields annotated bibliography of good scholarly journals and books.
    • America: History and Life Click "A" at top of page and select from list. Yields annotated bibliography of books and articles on US history and culture, with coverage of US-Latin American relations, Latinos, immigration, and border issues.
  2. Understand the intellectual hierarchy of history: people, places, events, specifics make for more productive searches.
  3. Found a good author? Search by author!
  4. Push to the Goldilocks standards--not too big, not too small, JUST RIGHT! HOW?
  5. Use Boolean operators
    • Too many hits? Use AND
    • Too few hits? Use OR or wildcards * eg wom*n
    • Extraneous hits? Use NOT to eliminate offenders-- UCSB Gauchos

    Evaluating Internet Sites

  6. Historians go to great pains to validate sources that they use in their research. We must be certain that a document is authentic, not a forgery. We must check its claims against other sources for reliability. The WWW offers a wealth of information, but not all of it is equally valid, accurate or reliable. As with all historical sources, we must learn to apply our critical thinking skills when evaluating Internet sources.
  7. Use search engines to locate appropriate sites. You'll find other recommended search engies on the General Research Links Page .
  8. Try to find good, information-rich sites appropriate to a college student audience. Do not use online encyclopedias, newspaper stories, or similar very general references. A web site should not just be one page or a single item. It should be a series of interconnected elements. Your course web site is a good example. Think of a site as an online pamphlet or mini-book that explores several aspects of a given topic. Search for sites specifically focused on your topic that have been created by individuals or organizations.
  9. Academic research on the Web requires mastery in evaluating the credibility of sources. You must carefully appraise the Web page to determine its purpose. Use the criteria below to evaluate the credibility of a website.
    1. Accuracy Fact check! Don't take any site's information at face value. For fact checking Politifact and Fact Check Second, evaluate the amount, depth, and significance of the evidence presented. Are the arguments persuasive and supported by evidence? Can factual information be verified through links, footnotes or bibliographies to credible sources? Do obvious typos, misspelled words, poor grammar, PASSIVE VOICE, or other signs of intellectual sloppiness mar the site? If so, move on.
    2. Purpose: Much of what appears on the Web is intended to sell or entertain. What is the goal of the site, and does it accomplish this in a fair-minded, scholarly manner?
    3. Source: Anonymity destroys credibility. Who is the document written by, and is it affiliated with a reliable organization?
    4. Intended Audience: Much on the Web is designed for general consumption. Does the document acknowledge other sources and treat the topic with a certain amount of complexity?
    5. Date of Publication: Good research requires up-to-date information. Has the page been updated regularly? Appearance: You can tell something about a book by its cover. Is the Web site well-written and grammatically correct, and does the general layout of the page (graphics, design, etc.) appear scholarly?
    6. Reputation: Nothing speaks louder than a good referral. Has the Web site received good reviews or been recommended in a summary or abstract? (Tensen, p. 88)
  10. Reference: Tensen, Bonnie L. 2013. Research Strategies for a Digital Age, 4th ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.