Information Literacy Resources

The resources below focus on information literacy skills. This page includes:

  • Access to databases

  • How to search using a Search Engine like Google

  • How to analyze if a resource is considered reliable or not

  • How to give credit to the original content creators through citation.

Gale Databases

ESD105 logo

These databases and eBooks are provided by the Washington State Library.

You will not need a password if you are using these resources on-campus.

If you are using the databases or eBooks off-campus, please contact your teacher or school librarian for the password.

Gale Databases

Gale eBooks

NCW Libraries

NCW libraries logo

A collection of databases that are available for students and teachers to use.

Must have a public library card to access.

NCW libraries: Student Research

Learn tricks on how to get better results when you do a Google Search.

How did you get that answer so fast? Learn how the internet makes it so you get your search results so quickly and how to make sure you are getting the right searches.

Plagiarism

What is plagiarism?

Merriam-Webster dictionary states plagiarism means:

"To steal or pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own: to use (another's production) without crediting the source."

Click on the link below to learn about the different types of plagiarism:

Explaining Plagiarism

Evaluating Sources

Historical events or traditional website research

These resources are great for evaluating if a website is accurate or not. The media bell curve highlights the level of bias news sites may have. These resources are most useful when doing historical research*.

*Note: Many of these resources/tests were created many years ago and may not be relevant to use when looking at current events or social media resources.

Media Bell Curve

RADCAB

CRAAP test

T.R.A.P. test

Evaluating Sources

Current Events or Social Media platforms (nontraditional research)

Mis/Dis/Mal information explanation

Digital Detectives book

These resources are based on Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgin's book Developing Digital Detectives: Essential Lessons for Discerning Fact from Fiction in the 'Fake News' Era. These steps are based on how to research and identify accurate information on current events, and when using resources found on social media.

These lenses are meant to teach researchers how to identify what is true and untrue online and how to look at why a person may have posted something before they share or repost it on their own page.

Citing Sources

Citation Makers

(always double check for accuracy)

Q&A about Citations

Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property

This 7 part series will go over everything you need to know about Intellectual Property.

Videos:

  1. Introduction to Intellectual Property

  2. Copyright Basics

  3. Copyright, Exceptions, and Fair Use

  4. Patents, Novelty, and Trolls

  5. Trademarks and Avoiding Consumer Confusion

  6. Internation IP Law

  7. IP Problems, Youtube, and the Future.

Intellectual Property Definitions

Copyright

Protects all original, creative work in a fixed form.

Fair Use

Permits limited use of copyright material with acquiring permission from the rights holders.

Creative Commons

Used to facilitate the reuse of the copyrighted work. Often in the form of symbol which make it easier to identity if and how you can use copyrighted work.

More information and Resources

Four Factors

Four Factors are considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair:

  1. Purpose of the Use

    1. Materials should be used in class only for the purpose of serving the needs of specified educational programs

    2. Students should not be charged a fee specifically or directly for the materials

  2. The Nature of the copyrighted work

    1. Only those portions of the work relevant to the educational objectives of the course should be used in the classroom

    2. The law of fair use applies more narrowly to highly creative works; accordingly, avoid substantial excerpts from novels, short stories, poetry, modern art images, and other such materials

    3. Instructors should not distribute copies of "consumable" materials such as test forms and workbook pages that are meant to be used and repurchased.

  3. Amount of the Work

    1. Materials used in the classroom will generally be limited to brief works or brief excerpts from longer works.

    2. The amount of the work used should be related directly to the educational objectives of the course.

  4. Effect of the Use on the market for the Original

    1. The instructor should consider whether the copying harms the market or sale of the copyrighted material

    2. Materials used in the class should include a citation to the original source of publication and a form of a copyright notice.

    3. The instructor should consider whether materials are reasonably available and affordable for students to purchase.

Permissible Amounts

This describes the approximate permissible amounts for Fair Use.

Motion Media (e.g. movies, film clips, excerpts from television shows, etc.)

  • Up to 10% of the total OR three minutes...whichever is less

Text Material

  • Up to 10% of the total OR 1,000 words...whichever is less

Music, lyrics, and music

  • Up to 10% of the work BUT no more than 30 seconds of the music or lyrics from an individual musical work

Illustration or Photographs

  • No more than five images from one article or photographer

  • No more than 10% or 15 images from a collection...whichever is less

Numerical data sets

  • Up to 10% or 2,500 fields or cells from a copyrighted database or data table...whichever is less