GEW 101A: Finding Sources & Citations

Library Resources

The CSUSM librarians recommend the following library resources to find sources for your GEW 101A writing assignments:

• CQ Researcher - this resource provides comprehensive overviews of current events topics
• Gale Virtual Reference Library - GVRL allows you to search multiple encyclopedias simultaneously and can provide you with good background information on your topic.

Newspapers and Magazines

Your professor may require you to use newspapers and magazines for your assignment. Refer to the Library's News & Newspapers guide to begin your research in these sources.

General Websites

You may also want to do some searching online using your favorite search engine (e.g. Google, Bing, Duck Duck Go, etc.). Make sure to choose high-quality online sources if you are going to use these in your assignments. 

Tips on deciding whether to use an online source for an assignment:

• Consider the owner of the website -- is it a well-known, established institution like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, a research foundation, university, etc.? 
• Does the purpose of the website match your research interest? Try to find sources that have relevant expertise for your question. For instance, if you need information about a news event in California, checking the website for a newspaper in England probably isn't your best bet.
• How does the site look? Are there lots of broken links and images? 
• Who wrote the content? Can you tell who the authors are? 
• Where is the information coming from? Does the source show where the information is coming from? Is that source a reliable source?

Remember -- you can always check with your professor or a librarian if you have any questions about the validity of a source.