Civic Engagement Project: Home

What is your question? All good research starts with an essential question. 
Ex: How can climate scientists predict how climate change will impact the future?

What are your keywords? Searching a database requires entering search terms or keywords related to your search. Consider phrases, tag words, synonyms (don't be afraid to think outside the box). 
Ex: "climate change" OR "global warming"  OR "climate crisis" 

Set up your search: Choose where in the document the database should search for your keywords:
Stick to Keyword or Entire Document 

Choose Your Search Limiters: Always choose "full document" - there is nothing worse than finding what could be the perfect resource, then discover you do not have access to the full article, only the abstract (summary). 

Additional Search Limiters: You can further limit your search by date and document type (the type of documents that are searchable can vary by database - unless you need something very specific (primary source, newspaper article, map) you do not have to use this limiter. Similarly using the date limiter is optional, but can be useful especially if you need current information 

Read the Abstract/Summary: Most articles contain one which gives you an overview of the article

Learn from what you have: Skimming articles may lead to discovering new search terms 

You are unlikely to get all the information you need from a single source: Pull what you need from each resource to bolster your evidence and answer your essential question as well as to create new knowledge

The overall purpose of research is to create something new!

NoodleTools: Online research management platform that promotes critical thinking and authentic research. It will help you organize your  information, build accurate citations, archive source material, take notes, outline topics, and prepare to write. NOTE: When creating a new project choose ADVANCED under citation level. Sign in with your WHS email. 

Gale: Environmental Studies & Policy: Digital resource that answers inquiries about environmental concerns with coverage of more than 5.4 million articles from more than 300 journals and book reference content from Delmar, including Soil, Science, and Management; Introduction to Agronomy; Food, Crops, & Environment; Fundamental Soil Science; and more.

Gale Global Issues: Supports global awareness and provides a global perspective while tying together a wealth of authoritative content, empowering learners to critically analyze and understand the most important issues of the modern world. Explore issues within government, law, health, science and technology, society and culture, and more.

Proquest SIRS Issue Researcher: Provides authoritative insight into the most-studied social issues by delivering the pros and cons from relevant, credible documents and graphics selected by trained editors and curated from over 2,000 global sources.

Gale Opposing Viewpoints: The premier online resource covering today's hottest social issues, from capital punishment to immigration to marijuana. This cross-curricular resource supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes. Informed, differing views help learners develop critical-thinking skills and draw their own conclusions.

Infobase Issues & Controversies: Helps researchers understand today’s crucial issues by exploring hundreds of hot topics in politics, government, business, society, education, and popular culture.

ABC Clio Issues: This database helps users develop an in-depth understanding of how society shapes and is shaped by controversy, providing authoritative historical context, expert perspectives, and carefully selected primary and secondary sources on today's most important issues.

Teen Health & Wellness: provides middle and high school students with nonjudgmental, straightforward, curricular and self-help support, aligned to state, national, and provincial standards. Topics include diseases, drugs and alcohol, nutrition, mental health, suicide and bullying, green living, LGBTQ issues, and more.

GALE Health & Wellness: Access full-text medical journals, magazines, reference works, multimedia, and much more. This comprehensive consumer health resource provides authoritative information on the full range of health-related issues, from current disease and disorder information to in-depth coverage of alternative medical practices for researchers of all levels.

GALE Gender Studies: provides balanced coverage of this significant aspect of culture and society. The database offers access to scholarly journals and magazines covering topics including gender studies, family and marital issues, and more.

GALE High School Edition: Search magazines, journals, newspapers, and reference on a range of topics.

CQ Researcher: Often the first source that librarians recommend when researchers are seeking original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news. Founded in 1923 as Editorial Research Reports, CQ Researcher is noted for its in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy.