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Sports Controversies Presentation

Sports in Literature

That's Debatable: Sports Controversies Presentation

assignment document

Research

Library Databases

These library databases are great places to start your research.

Sign in using your school Google account!
Your username (before the @) and password will let you access databases and resources outside of school.

CQ Researcher
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 Log in to access off campus.
Explores a single "hot" issue from the news in-depth each week. Topics include social and teen issues, the environment, health, education, science, and technology. Every report is written by an experienced journalist and features comments from experts. Also includes charts, graphs, sidebar articles, a pro-con feature, a chronology, lengthy bibliographies, and a list of contacts. (Full access to all articles published after 2012.)

Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints
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 Log in to access off campus.
Reliable information offering overviews, news, multimedia content, and opinions on contemporary political and social issues. 

The New York Times
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Current news, investigations, opinions, photos, and videos by the journalists of The New York Times from more than 150 countries around the world. Access the archive, including primary sources, via the TimesMachine. Sign up for a digital subscription using your school Google login. Watch this video tutorial to help you get started.

SIRS Issues Researcher
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Provides background and analysis on an extensive range of issues and topics. Editorially-created overview pages provide background for understanding issues. Further analysis and opinions cover the pros, cons, and everything in between. ​Explore topics in their SPORTS category here.

Additional Resources
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Original Information & Primary Documents

These online resources are great places to find original information and primary documents. 

Pew Research Center
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This nonpartisan organization conducts public opinion polling and demographic research, analyzing topics including politics, media habits, religion, race and ethnicity, social trends, and more.

ProCon.org
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Presents pro and con arguments of debatable issues with direct sources and citations, as well as further reference information relevant to those issues. Thoroughly researched and compiled by research staff and editors from the Encyclopedia Britannica group.

Find more resources specific to your topic on these other database pages:
Academic Journals
Current issues
newspapers/periodicals
Science

Research Skills

Find guides and tips for upping your research game, from creating targeted search terms to choosing the best information sources. 
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Email or chat with Ms. Cochran or Mr. Mather with any questions and for further help.

The research process
Grow Your Research Garden

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Prepare the Soil
Background investigation and thoughtful questions lay a healthy groundwork for your research.
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Plant the Seeds
The librarians and databases can help you locate quality sources that will sprout into your research project.
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Harvest your Crop
Use NoodleTools and Google Drive to organize, compile, and annotate the sources and information you have gathered.
​​​SEARCH STRATEGIES
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Search Terms & Fields
The words you search for, how you phrase them, and where in the resource you are looking for those words, are key to finding the best resources.

Terms
​The actual words you are looking for.

PROTIP: 
Use quotation marks to search for specific words together in a specific order
​"Declaration of Independence"
"Civil Rights"
"Chicago Fire"
Field
Where are you looking for your search terms?

Title: Name of the source
Author:  Who created the source
Subject: What the source is about
Keyword: Searches key fields at once

Boolean Operators
Refine and fine-tune your search by combining search terms & fields. Some operators narrow your search, and others broaden your search results.

AND
Results with search terms combined.
Lincoln AND "civil rights"

poverty AND ​crime
OR
Results with any of the search terms.
"right to vote" OR ​suffrage

wage OR ​income
(Great for synonyms and ideas with many different names.)
NOT
Results with search terms ​excluded.
"Chicago Fire" NOT soccer

dementia NOT ​Alzheimer's
(Great for targeting a term that has many different meanings.)
filters & limit search results

Filters & Limiters

After you perform a search, you can sort and fine-tune the results using filters or limiters. Different databases may use different terms, but most will let you filter by the categories listed here.

Subject
What topics the resource covers​

Hone in on all of the resources related to a topic. Databases often have specific, controlled vocabulary for topics.
​​"Canines" instead of "dogs";  "hypertension" instead of "high blood pressure." 

Search multiple subject terms at once using Boolean Operators to get even more specific.

​​You can find a database's specific subject terms  linked in a resource's information page, or in a database's Thesaurus Terms. Use those terms to search in the Subject field on future searches.
Peer Reviewed — Limits to items from scholarly journals that have gone through a review process by experts in the field.​
Publication Date
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When the resource was created

Limit the results to recent years for the most up-to-date information and research.
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Older results can help find primary sources or show how people in certain time periods understood your topic.
Source/Content Type
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Where the resource was originally published

Reference
Books of facts with specific entries to cover particular information, like encyclopedias, atlases, dictionaries, etc.
(Ex. 
Dictionary of American History, Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice)

Newspaper/Magazine/Periodical

Often shorter articles, for the public and a general audience. Great for overviews, recent news, and opinions about a topic.
(Ex. 
Rolling Stone, Chicago Tribune)

Academic/Scholarly/Trade Journal
More technical articles for a more specialized audience. Often longer articles that include actual studies and research conducted on a particular topic.
(Ex. Journal of Education, American Historical Review)

Full Text
If the entire resource can be viewed and accessed on the database

Some databases just include information and a citation for the resource, but not the actual resource itself. Limiting by "Full Text" excludes those from your search results.
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If you see a citation for a resource that you would like to find, talk to the librarians. We can often get that resource for you in just a few days!

Database PRO-tips

Abstracts are short summaries of there resource. Read the abstract and subject terms to decide if you want to save the resource and explore it further. This will save you a lot of time!
​Use the citations and bibliographies of the most useful resources. Search for those authors, or even those exact resources. Find the information those ​writers used.
Cite resources on any of our databases by finding the quotation mark icon.  
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Choose the citation format that is required for your project.
Search multiple databases. Each database has a different collection of resources. Performing the same search will get you even more resources to choose from. 
​​NEWS & MEDIA LITERACY​
How do you know if news and other online information is credible?

Use the four moves of the S.I.F.T. method to help you analyze news, videos, and other information that you encounter online and on social media.
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The SIFT method is a strategy developed by digital literacy expert, Mike Caulfield. All SIFT information on this page is adapted from his materials with a CC BY 4.0 license.
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Stop
Don't rush to share and trust information right away!

Consider what you already know about the topic or source. Is it reputable and reliable?

Focus on why this information matters to you. Don't get distracted by unrelated details.

​Recognize if the headline/article/video is trying to provoke a strong reaction to get attention. Is their goal to get more views and clicks over sharing accurate information?
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Investigate the source
Research the author and publication

What relevant background, expertise, or agendas to they have?

Use lateral reading: check what other credible and trusted sources say about this source, instead of relying on how they present themselves. Wikipedia and Google are great.

Is the site, author, or organization what you originally thought it was? Is there inconsistency in how they present themselves?
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Find additional coverage
Find the best information on the topic.

Search for other coverage of the topic to compare perspectives. Do different sources agree or contradict the original information? Is there a general consensus?

Read more in-depth reporting and analysis - don't settle for the first article you see.

Evaluate which sources seem the most thorough and credible. Consider adding them to your personal list of trustworthy news outlets to check first in the future.
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Trace information to its original context
Find the original source for the claim, quote, and media.​

It's always best to locate the origins of images, videos, quotes, research studies, and other information.

Check if re-reported information accurately reflects the primary source.

Has anything been altered or taken out of context. Was data cherry-picked to support a specific agenda? 
When in doubt, contact an expert - like a librarian!

Public Libraries

Find more resources like larger book collections, digital eBook and eAudiobook collections, search their additional online databases, and even request more books or journal articles from more libraries.

Your Maine East librarians can help access resources, get a library card, and more.
Des Plaines public library
1501 Ellinwood St., Des Plaines
(847) 827-5551
www.dppl.org
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Library card: Complete this online application form for a new or replacement library card. A temporary number will be emailed to you, and a physical card will come in the mail. You must bring the card to the library to fully activate it for checking out physical items. If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must be with you.
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Resources: The Commons
glenview public library
1930 Glenview Rd., Glenview
(847) 729-7500
www.glenviewpl.org
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Library card: Complete this online application form for a new library card. A temporary number will be emailed to you. You must bring a current Photo ID to the library to get your physical card. If you are under 16, a parent or legal guardian must be present when you get the physical card.
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Resources: Innovation Center makerspace; Teen services
morton grove public library
6140 Lincoln Ave., Morton Grove
(847) 965-4220
www.mgpl.org
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Library card: Complete this online application form for a new or replacement library card. A temporary number will be emailed to you. You must bring a current Photo ID to the library to get your physical card within 30 days. After that time, your temporary card will expire. If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must be present when you get the physical card.
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Resources: Services for teens
niles-maine library district
6960 W Oakton St., Niles
(847) 663-1234

​www.nileslibrary.org
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Library card: Complete this online application form for a new or replacement library card. A temporary number will be emailed to you, and a physical will come in the mail. If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must sign the online form.
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Resources: Creative Studio & Makerspace; Teen Underground
park ridge public library
20 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge
(847) 825-3123
www.parkridgelibrary.org
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Library card: Complete this online application form for a new library card. A temporary number will be emailed to you. You must bring a current Photo ID to the library to get your physical card within 14 days. After that time, your temporary card will expire. If you are under 16, a parent or legal guardian must be present when you get the physical card.
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Resources: The Studio makerspace; Media Lab; Teen Loft

Save Resources & Citations

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​NoodleTools provides integrated tools for citations, document archiving, annotation, and collaborative research and writing. Most library databases will create properly formatted citations and export it right to your NoodleTools project folder.
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Google Docs has a built-in Citation Tool to help you format citations, create a bibliography/works cited page, add footnotes, and more. Watch a tutorial here.
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The Online Writing Lab (O.W.L) at Purdue University is an extensive resource for creating works cited and annotated bibliographies, as well as help with research, writing, and formatting styles. 
Librarians
Colleen Cochran
[email protected]
​847-692-8443
Evan Mather
[email protected]
​847-692-4076
Library Hours
Monday - Friday
7:00 a.m. — 4:30 p.m.
  • Home
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    • Library Catalog
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  • Research
    • Databases
    • Class Assignments
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  • Teachers