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

Searching “Popular” Magazines and News Sources•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