The Library's website is a great place to start your research because our resources are a higher quality than what you can find free on Google.
The big search box is called Summon. It is a "Google-like" tool that searches many DelVal databases (and the book catalog) at the same time. It is a nice time saver, and it often uncovers resources that you might otherwise have overlooked.
We also have many other databases, which are organized by subject, which might be better for your research.
A qualified author will have a background in the field they are writing about. The authors should not show bias. Opinions are backed by research and evidence.
A current publication date is something within the last 10 years typically. This can be shorter in the sciences.
A bibliography or other references are important because they let us know where the author is getting their information from.
Read through the bibliography or works cited. Are there papers that are cited a lot? Are there other resources that might be useful to you?
Most of our databases include tools to help you find other people engaged in the conversation.
Look for areas of overlap in your reading. Keep these questions in mind: