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John Deere

John Deere Tech Program

Library Research Tutorials & Guides

Library Catalog  (Books, DVDS, Audiobooks, Movies)

Access Library Resources?

Databases

To access: Sign into MyCampus account with NICC Username and Password.

Click: Library task icon

Open: A-Z Databases List navigation bar at screen left. 

Library Account 

A 14-digit NICC ID Number may be required by some resource sites. 

This number is on the back of your student ID card. 

Do not have an ID card?  Follow these steps to get your 14-digit number:

  1. Locate the ID number listed on your Class Schedule or  Financial Statement.                                                                                                 MYCampus > Self-Service for Students
  2. Combine your campus center number below with your 7-digit (#######) student ID number. 

Calmar Campus: 2326300#######

Peosta Campus: 2511000#######

If you can't locate your student ID number please contact the NICC HelpDesk:

Phone:  (844) 642-2338, ext. 555

e-Mail:  helpdesk@nicc.edu

Access Library Resources Off Campus?

Click on the database, journal, link, etc.

  • You will be prompted for your NICC e-mail address & password to gain access.
  • You will automatically be redirected to the resource.

Please contact Library staff or the NICC Helpdesk ((844) 642 - 2338, Ext. 555, or helpdesk@nicc.edu) for additional assistance.

... Get material from the other campus library?

  1. Search the combined catalog on the library homepage.
  2. Find the item you want and select "Request Item".
  3. Log in to your account:
    • Your Borrower ID is the 14-digit barcode number on the back of your NICC ID.
    • Select your location from the pull down menu.
    • In the comments box, please include your email or phone number.

Note: If the table of contents is not available through the catalog, then type “Table of Contents” in the comments box with your other location information. The library will email the table of contents to you. This may help you decide if you need the book.

How to find resources on the Internet?

A search engine can be your most important resource when attempting to locate information on the Internet. Search engines allow you to type in the topic you are interested in and narrow the possible results. Some of the most popular search engines include Google, bing, Yahoo!, and Ask.

Internet Resources: Internet Search Tools

Evaluating Information Sources

As a student, you will be gathering information from a variety of types of sources for your research projects including books, newspaper articles, magazine articles, specialized databases, and websites. As you examine each source, it is important to evaluate each source to determine the quality of the information provided within it. Common evaluation criteria include: purpose and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and timeliness, and objectivity or bias. Each of these criteria will be explained in more detail below.

Purpose and intended audience

  • What is the purpose of the source? For example:
    • To provide information (e.g., newspaper articles)
    • To persuade or advocate (e.g., editorials or opinion pieces)
    • To entertain (e.g., a viral video)
    • To sell a product or service (e.g., advertising or marketing materials on a company website)
  • Who is the intended audience? For example:
    • Scholars and academic researchers with specialized knowledge
    • The general public (without specialized knowledge)
    • Students in high school, college or university (e.g., textbooks for students learning a new subject).

Authority and credibility

  • Who is the author?
    • Is it a person?
    • Is it an organization such as a government agency, nonprofit organization, or a corporation?
  • What are the qualifications of the author?
    • What is the author's occupation, experience, or educational background?
    • Does the author have any subject matter expertise?
    • Is the author affiliated with an organization such as a university, government agency, nonprofit organization, or a corporation?
  • Who is the publisher?
    • For books, is it a university press or a commercial publisher? These types of publishers use editors in order to ensure a quality publication.
    • For journals or magazines, can you tell if it is popular or scholarly in nature? See: Peer-reviewed, popular magazine, or journal?
    • For websites, is it an organizational website, or a personal blog?

Accuracy and reliability

  • Is the information well researched?
    • Are there references (e.g., citations, footnotes, or a bibliography) to sources that will provide evidence for the claims made?
    • If the source includes facts or statistical data, can this information be verified in another source?
    • If the data was gathered using original research (such as polling or surveys), what was the method of data collection? Has the author disclosed the validity or reliability of the data?

Currency and timeliness

  • When was the information published?
    • For books and articles - you should be able to easily verify the publication date.
    • For websites, try to determine the date the web page was created or updated
  • Is current information required? If not, then accurate, yet historical, information may still be acceptable.

Objectivity or bias

  • Does the source contain opinions or facts?
  • Is the information presented in the source objective (unbiased) or subjective (biased)?
  • Does the information promote a political, religious, or social agenda?
  • Is advertising content (usually found in business magazines or newspapers) clearly labelled?

In Summary

  • Does the source provide you with high-quality information? Is the information useful in answering your questions and meeting your information need?

Adapted from Burkhardt, J.M & MacDonald, M.C. (2010). Teaching information Literacy: 50 standards-based exercises for college students.Chicago: American Library Association.

Evaluating Internet Sources With RADAR

Relevance - How is this information relevant to your assignment?

Authority - Who is the author? What makes this person or organization an authoritative source?

Date - When was this information published and is the publication date important to you?

Appearance - Does the information look professional or academic? Does it have citations and references? 

Reason for writing - Why did the author publish this information? 

 

Adapted from Mandalios, J. (2013). RADAR: An approach for helping students evaluate Internet sources. Journal of Information Science, 39(4), 470-478.    Brock University Library St. Catharines, ON Canada

When you research a topic you may use information from articles, books, or the Open Web to support your ideas. Building upon the ideas and knowledge of other people is the way we as individuals build and contribute to the knowledge around us.

When you integrate other peoples' ideas and work into your own, it is important to give those authors credit for their hard work. This enables others, who see your work, to also look at those peoples' ideas that have contributed to your project. To cite means that you state where you found the information so that others can find the exact item again.

Tips for researching and citing:

  • Take clear, accurate notes about where you found specific ideas.
  • Write down the complete citation information for each item you use.
  • Take advantage of online citing tools.
  • Use quotation marks when directly stating another person's words.
  • Always credit original authors for their information and ideas.

Milner Library - Illinois State University -- https://guides.library.illinoisstate.edu/citing/whycite

When to Cite:

So how do you know when to cite? A few basic rules apply.

1. If you quote a resource, cite it.

2. If you paraphrase someone else's idea or statement, cite it.

3. If you state a fact that is not common knowledge, cite it.

4. If you're unsure, cite it.

Statement Cite? Reason
The Internet has brought many changes to the field of journalism. No Most people are aware of this.
Newspaper circulation has dropped by 20 percent because of the Internet. Yes This is a specific fact that is not common knowledge.
Also, readers may want to know where this information came from so that they can evaluate it to see how reliable it is.

Milner Library - Illinois State University -- https://guides.library.illinoisstate.edu/citing/whycite

Library staff may be able to offer limited technical support, especially if it's a library database or access issue.