Body, Mind & Health: Library Research Strategies

Wikipedia?• Is it an article in good standing?

•Who authored the article?

• Can you cite it as a source? What if the content changes? (What does that do to the quality of your citation)?

Use with caution (or use something better)•Wikipedia can sometimes be a good place to start, but you

should follow the references to the actual, cite-able sources of information.

• Research libraries have better, more authoritative sources!

Use Reference Sources

to find your way!

Excerpt from an entry on Epilepsy from The Cambridge World History of Human Disease

Finding Books – Open the Catalog

Different ways to search!

Finding Scholarly Journal Articles

Subscription Databases: Access via Cornell Library

Government Database: Freely available on the web

Finding articles in the popular press • For a great picture of how a disease or condition was

understood by the general public

• Both Current and Historical

• Too much fun!

Boston Daily Globe Sep. 27, 1894

Dr. Greene’s Nervura Blood and Nerve Remedy

Summary

• Use Reference Sources for background and clues about terms, sources, and more

• Search the Library Catalog by title, keyword, Advanced Keyword or Subject Browse

• Search Databases for scholarly articles and articles from the popular press (magazines and newspapers)

http://guides.library.cornell.edu/body2015

Reference Assistants