Category Archives: Research

Explore O’Reilly Safari

Database Spotlight

Database Spotlight

Database Spotlight

Are you interested in technology, computer networks, programming languages, game and software development, business or data science? Through the O’Reilly Safari database, you have unlimited, free access to over 35k eBooks, 30k+ hours of video, curated learning paths, case studies, interactive tutorials, audio books, and O’Reilly conference videos. Ready to advance your career with a certification such as Comp TIA, Cisco CCNA, CISSP or cyber security? Need a textbook for your class? Need to study for a certification test? Resources within the O’Reilly collection may offer what you need. Use your STC network login / password AND Google Chrome to access the resource.

How can you use O’Reilly Safari?

  • Learning paths will provide feedback while preparing you for a certification
  • Access test preparation materials
  • Instant access to the latest eBooks on Photoshop, Computer Security and many more
  • View case studies
  • Interactive tutorials

You can access O’Reilly Safari from this blog post or from our Databases page.

Contributed by Library Specialist Michael Gutierrez.


Explore EBSCO’s Religion & Philosophy

Database Spotlight

Database Spotlight

Database Spotlight

Have you visited EBSCO’s Religion & Philosophy collection? This database is a full-text database ideal for students in academic libraries when they need to research theology and philosophy. This database includes hundreds of full-text journals and magazines, covering both religious and philosophical topics including world religions, major denominations, biblical studies, religious history, epistemology, political philosophy, philosophy and language, moral philosophy and the history of philosophy.

How can you use Religion & Philosophy ?

  • 200+ full-text Journals and Magazines
  • 160+ Peer Reviewed Articles
  • Tailored toward theology and philosophical topics
  • Hundred of articles on world religions, religious history, political philosophy and philosophy of language
  • Full-text coverage dating back to 1911
Religion & Philosophy sample search

You can access Religion & Philosophy from this blog post or from our Databases page.

Contributed by Librarian Terri Rosalez.


Explore eLibrary

Database Spotlight

Database Spotlight

Database Spotlight

Want to learn more about Grimm’s fairy tales or about Abraham Lincoln’s campaign for president? If so, then eLibrary is the place to visit. eLibrary is an immense collection of periodicals and digital media with authoritative information. It is designed and tailored for all types of researchers from the novice student researcher to the professional. The pages provide valuable contents for both common and unusual topics of research. All content is 100% full text, including documents from books, magazines, journals, newspapers, photographs, transcripts and videos.

How can you use eLibrary?

  • Offers a custom Guided Research application
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Editor created research topics
  • Cross-search other ProQuest resources
  • Easily export citations
  • Accessible on any device at any time

You can access eLibrary from this blog post or from our Databases page.

Contributed by Librarian Patricia Sotelo .


Explore EBSCO’s Military & Government Collections

Database Spotlight

Database Spotlight

Have you searched through the Military & Government Collections database? This database covers a wide range of topics pertaining to all branches of the U.S. military and government. It is designed to offer current news to military members, analysts, policy makers, students and researchers with cover-to-cover text for nearly 300 journals and periodicals (and abstracts) for an additional 400 titles.

What can you find on Military & Government Collections?

  • Periodicals and academic journals dating back to 1901
  • Wide spectrum of subjects covered: including military law and economics.
  • Cover-to-cover full texts, many highly searchable PDFs or scanned in color.
  • Easy citation tools.
  • Material from Army, Air Force, and Navy Times.

You can access the Military & Government Collections from this blog post or from our Databases page.
Contributed by Library Specialist William Heinrich.


Explore Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)

Database Spotlight

Database Spotlight

ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) is an internet-based digital library of education research and information. ERIC provides access to 1.5 million bibliographic records (citations, abstracts, and other pertinent data) of journal articles and other education-related materials, with hundreds of new records added every week. A portion of the items is a collection of publication types which includes reports (annual, research, technical, etc.), working papers, and evaluations focused on the subject of education. Approximately one quarter of the complete ERIC Collection is available in full text. Materials with no full text available (primarily journal articles) can often be accessed using links to publisher websites and/or library holdings.

How can you use ERIC?

The ERIC collection includes bibliographic records (citations, abstracts, and other pertinent data) and/or full-text articles for 1.5 million items:

  • journal articles;
  • books;
  • research syntheses;
  • conference papers;
  • technical reports
  • policy papers; and
  • other education-related materials

You can access ERIC from this blog post or from our Databases page.
Contributed by Librarian Sabrina De Anda.


Database Spotlight

Explore EBSCO’s LearningExpress Library

Database Spotlight

Database Spotlight

Need to prepare for an occupational board exam, including NCLEX or TExES? Check out the practice exams in the LearningExpress Library database. New Users must create an account for the site in order to save their work, store score reports, and revisit any practice tests, tutorials, or eBooks. Registration only requires a valid email address and a password. This resource offers many other practice tests — explore!

How can you use LearningExpress?

  • Easy to follow video tutorials
  • Practice tests are based on real exams
  • Responsive design for use on desktop computers and mobile devices
  • Take practice exams either at your own pace or timed
  • Unlimited downloads for eBook content
  • Exams are accessible to all users, regardless of disability status.
LearningExpress Homepage

You can access LearningExpress from this blog post or from our Databases page.
Contributed by Librarian, Maureen Mitchell.


Opposing Viewpoints in Context from Gale

Controversial Issues

Need to write a paper on a Controversial topic? These controversial topic databases* will help.

 

Gale Database picture

Check out our newest database*, Opposing View Points in Context. This database provides many types of sources including: academic journals, magazines, news, videos, images, and more.

 

 

 

The database*, eLibrary Curriculum, has both Controversial Issues and Environmental Issues that can be researched.

 

 

Find additional materials in:

 

* Please note: to access databases off campus, you will need to enter your username and password.

Contributed by Librarian, Maureen Mitchell

Controversial Topics

Need to write a paper on a controversial topic? Check out the database, eLibrary Curriculum’s controversial issues or environmental issues resources. *

eLibrary Curriculum database

Find additional materials in CQResearcher, Issues & Controversies, Points of View, NewBank (below Suggested Topics, see Social Issues link), and the library’s book series Opposing viewpoints.

* Please note: to access databases off campus, you will need to enter your username and password.

Contributed by Librarian, Maureen Mitchell

Need Help Citing Your Sources?

Need help citing your sources? Check out the library’s research/subject guide, Writing & Citing Sources. Once on the guide’s home page shown below, more details with citation examples can be located by clicking on the tabs: MLA Citation Style, APA Citation Style, and Chicago Citation Style.

Also, consider coming in person for one-on-one help at the Research/Reference desk or the Writing Center found on the first floor of the library.

Contributed by Librarian, Maureen Mitchell.

 

“False, Misleading, Clickbait-y, and Satirical “News” Sources”

When searching for information online, it can sometimes be challenging to identify reputable resources. There are many websites that might appear legitimate, but they might actually post fake or misleading information alongside accurate information. What steps can be taken to help sort through potentially misleading information?

table

*Note – Numbers represent categories explained in the full document linked below.

Melissa Zimdars, an assistant professor of communication at Merrimack College in Massachusetts, put together a publicly available Google Document cataloging “False, misleading, clickbait-y and satirical ‘news’ sources.”  The document offers up sites that are known aggregators – they take news stories from other sources and rewrite them with more inflammatory headlines and without contextual facts. The document also lists some tips for analyzing news sources, and for how people can identify potentially fake news. Things like strange domain names, unusual domain extensions, and using ALL CAPS should be warning signs.

 

To see the document in full, please follow this link: False, misleading, clickbait-y and satirical ‘news’ sources

Contributed by Library Specialist, William Heinrich