Sheena Campbell
Student Services Department
Student Services Librarian
530-752-3058
STS 011: Science on Trial
by Sheena M Campbell, Nancy Wallace, Melinda M. Livas – September 13, 2021
Science on Trial: an Introduction to Science and Law in America
For your final assignment, you will need to gather at least reliable books, articles, or online resources to improve the overall quality of the Wikipedia article you’ve selected. This guide will help you to navigate the library catalog, collections, and databases to identify sources, as well as providing guidance to assess the credibility of sources.
A resource does not have to be academic to be credible. Critical evaluation of information is always essential, but especially if it is not already vetted by people who are familiar with the field, and with methods to determine the reliability of the information. For this assignment, it will be helpful to refer to criteria for evaluating Wikipedia articles: Wikipedia’s Good Article Criteria
If you have any questions or would like assistance with finding, accessing, or evaluating sources please contact Sheena!
Search Strategies
Develop a strategy! This will help you focus your search, locate relevant information and save time.
It’s necessary to do some preliminary research on your topic to gather background information that will help you to determine the scope of your inquiry (what aspects of your research topic will you investigate) and search terms (the keywords that are used to describe your research topic).
1. Do a Background Check
It’s a good idea to begin your research with resources designed to provide an overview of your topic (reference sources). These include: encyclopedias, dictionaries, reviews, and bibliographies.
Example: Oxford Bibliographies Online
Search through research guides developed cooperatively with scholars and librarians worldwide, combining elements of an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia for a wide variety of subjects.
2. Identify Keywords
a. Identify the key concepts in your research question.
Example: What are the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing?
b. Build on your key concepts to create Search Terms
hydraulic fracturing —> hydraulic fracturing OR hydraulic fracking OR fracking OR fracked gas OR shale gas extraction
environmental impacts —> groundwater OR aquifer OR water table; toxicity OR toxicology; seismology OR seismic activity
3. Trace Citations
Looking up the References at the end of encyclopedia entries and other sources can lead you to additional relevant information.
- See How To Trace Citations (PDF)
- There are multiple strategies for tracing citations. If you are not able to find a source, ask a librarian for additional suggestions.
Searching for Books and e-Books
Books are typically broad in scope and can be very helpful for providing context and orienting you to a topic.
1. Advanced Searching
2. Find related sources
Each book in the library catalog has its own item record that will include information related to the book’s topic area, including a summary, Table of Contents, and subject categories.
The Subject field in the library’s catalog can link you to resources that have all been categorized in the subject areas pertaining to your research topic.
- Example:
3. Evaluate
Books are published by a variety of institutions ranging from academic, commercial, and independent publishers. When evaluating the credibility of a book, it’s important to consider the publisher. If your instructor wants you to rely on scholarly sources then you need to check if your book was published by an academic institution.
- Example: Raimi, Daniel. The Fracking Debate: The Risks, Benefits, and Uncertainties of the Shale Revolution. Columbia University Press, 2018.
Books published by commercial, popular publishers can also be reliable sources of information but you will need to do some investigating as to the rigor of the editorials process and fact-checking. It’s a great idea to check if the book has an extensive bibliography that enables you to see what information sources the author utilized and the comprehensiveness of their own research process.
Searching for Articles
Academic research articles are published in scholarly journals. They are highly specialized and their primary audience is experts in a field. They are written assuming readers are already familiar with the research area.
1. Search
Use the scholarly databases listed below to find academic research articles. You can also check the Subject Guides, or use the Databases search option to find additional databases.
Additional video tutorials:
2. Evaluate
Articles are distributed by a variety of publishers and include peer-reviewed scholarly journals, newspapers, magazines, and trade journals. When evaluating the credibility of an article, it’s important to consider the publication. If your instructor wants you to rely on scholarly sources, then you need to check if your article was published by a peer-reviewed academic journal.
- Example: Atkinson, Nathan, & King, Katie. (2012). Flooding and fracking: A review of extreme weather impacts on drilling activities. Natural Resources & Environment, 27(2), 28-36.
What is peer review?
The process of peer review is one way in which credibility is established in the scientific literature.
How to tell if a source is peer-reviewed?
To check if the article you have found is from a peer-reviewed publication, you can search by the journal’s title in Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory
What if the source isn’t peer-reviewed?
Articles published in newspapers, magazines, and trade journals can also be reliable sources of information but you will need to do some investigating as to the rigor of the editorials process and fact-checking!
Searching for Online Sources
Academic research articles are published in scholarly journals. They are highly specialized and their primary audience is experts in a field. They are written assuming readers are already familiar with the research area.
1. Perform an Advanced Search
- Keyword in the title: Search for website page titles with “fracking”
- intitle — intitle:fracking
- All words in the title: If your search term is made up of more than one word, search for website page titles with both words “hydraulic fracturing”
- allintitle — allintitle:hydraulic fracturing
- Site domain: Select domain parameters to only search through educational institutions (.edu), or governmental sites (.gov)
- site — site:.gov
- File type: Select a certain file type ( .pdf ; .doc ; .ppt) if you want to connect to reports or presentations
- filetype — filetype:pdf
*Note the spacing of these examples. If a space is inserted between the command and the search term, the search will not work correctly.
2. Evaluate
What if the source isn’t from an educational or government institution?
Information published online from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and many community organizations and citizen scientist organizations can also be reliable sources of information but you will need to do some investigating as to the rigor of their fact-checking!
| Criteria | Questions to Ask |
|---|---|
| Authority | Who (person, organization or company) created this source of information? What are their credentials? What qualifies this person or organization to speak authoritatively about this topic? What editorial process was involved in confirming the reliability of this information? Is it peer-reviewed? What does the URL tell you about this source of information (.gov , .edu , .org)? |
| Currency | Has this source of information been updated or revised to incorporate recent statistical evidence or events? Does this source serve as a historical record, or do you need the most up-to-date information on your topic? Is this source of information omitting a recent study or publication that contradicts their claims or arguments? |
| Truth | How accurate is this source of information? Can you see evidence that it has undergone a process (peer-review, editorial, fact-checking) to verify the information provided? What types of evidence have been used to support claims or arguments? Are there links or citations for these sources of evidence? Are there any existing criticisms about the reliability of the statistical or quantitative data included as evidence to support claims or arguments? |
| Unbiased | Is the information presented with the stated purpose to change public opinion around a topic? Does the source of information stand to financially benefit from persuading their reader to adopt a certain opinion about a topic? Does the source of information seek to change public opinion about a topic using factual evidence gleaned from research, or do they make an appeal based on a particular belief system? |
| Privilege | What relationship/proximity does the source of information have to the topic? Are they a member of the community, or an eye witness to an event? Does the source of information speak about members of a community, or witnesses to an event? Or do they conduct interviews/provide quotes from members of a community, or witnesses to an event? Are all stakeholders around a particular topic investigated, consulted or interviewed? What is the power dynamic between the source of information and the people or organizations they study? |
| Adapted from Dawn Stahura's ACT UP Method in “ACT UP for evaluating sources: Pushing against privilege” (2018) | |
Recommended Online Resources
National Human Genome Research Institute - Policy Issues
The NHGRI focuses on advances in genomics research and the sequencing of the human genome. They reflect global scientific and medical communities that develop enhance genomic technologies. The Policy Issues page of their website considers the ethical, legal, and social aspect of genomics research in our work, including these key issues.
American Bar Associations - Standards of DNA Evidence
With the advancement of science and technology, come more sophisticated methods of collecting and analyzing evidence, for the purpose of criminal trials. In light of such advancements to DNA Evidence, and varying regulations from state-to-state, the American Bar Association outlines the professional standards of admissibility of such evidence.
Fordham Law School - Intellectual Property Institute
The Institute promotes a legal realist approach to IP law in order to better understand what the law actually is and does, and to predict where it is going. In doing so, it hopes to foster progress toward identifying and resolving issues of concern to the IP community. A critical mission of the Institute is to develop the next generation of IP law practitioners and to encourage them to think critically about the importance of IP rights.
UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry
The UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2i2) is an interdisciplinary research center committed to holding those who create unjust technologies and systems accountable for the erosion of equity, trust, and participation. C2i2 is committed to impact through research, culture making, and public policy. C2i2 is also home of the Minderoo Initiative on Technology and Power, an initiative that critically investigates the social impact of digital technologies on communities and the broader public good.
Freedom School for Intersectional Medicine and Health Justice
The Freedom School for Intersectional Medicine and Health Justice is an initiative supported by the UC Berkeley Center for Race & Gender and UCSF Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved (PRIME-US). The Freedom School’s Institute for Healing and Justice in Medicine centers around publishing and uplifting perspectives (narratives, experiences, research, and other works) related to healing, social justice, and community activism in Western medicine and public health.
Environmental Protection Agency - Laws & Regulations
The EPA works to ensure that federal laws protecting human health and the environment are administered and enforced fairly, effectively and as Congress intended. When Congress writes an environmental law, the EPA is responsible for implementation by writing legal regulations. The EPA’s website provides information about current legislation, agency enforcement, and scientific research related to health and environmental impacts.
Organize & Cite Your Sources
Consider using one of these citation managers to keep track of your sources and generate citations:
For information about additional tools, see the library’s Citation Manager Comparison.