Wikipedia?

• Maybe, but…• Who authored that article (who is the authority standing behind the

article)?• Is it an article in “good standing?” • Are the references truly useful, or are they unclear and filled with

broken links? • 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 source of the information.

• Some Wikipedia articles aren’t very good. How will you know?

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_disability

• Research libraries have better, more authoritative sources!

Step 1. Find Background Information

?

Don’t enter your search here!

Instead, search within this book

Open PDF to read chapter

From the entry on “epilepsy” in the Cambridge World History of Human Disease.

This book – On the Sacred Disease– might be a great primary source on the understanding of epilepsy in antiquity! Does the Cornell Library own it?

Step 2: Search the Library Catalog

• Try the exact title – On the Sacred Disease

• If this doesn’t work, open the Guided Keyword Search and search for some of the key words, e.g. sacred disease

Could this be it?

To see a title’s contents, open the Long View

You can also search by Subject Heading

Step 3: Search Databases

• Search discipline-specific databases to find articles

• Database: History of Science, Technology and Medicine

• Please “Pause” and view this Screencast

Other valuable databases!

• Proquest Historical Newspapers – Hit “Pause” and watch this Screencast• Proquest American Periodicals• North American Women's Letters & Diaries -- Colonial to 1950• Everyday Life & Women in American: 1800 - 1920• And many more!

Need Help? Ask a Librarian!