Use these web-based repositories to search for content that is free to use and share. Remember to check the license terms and include a credit -- Giving credit is a fundamental component of academic integrity.
Images with a CC0 license do not require a credit. They are free to use without attribution unless credit is required by your instructor.
CC0 images are an excellent option for brochures and posters
Use this NSCC Library IMAGE subscription resource for personal, non-commercial, or nonprofit educational purposes. Credit is required.
It is important to find credible print and online resources. When evaluating information, ask yourself the following questions:
Currency What is the date of the information? Is the information recent, or have there been newer updates?
Relevancy Why are you choosing this resource? Is this resource general or specific?
Accuracy Is this information correct? Can it be verified? Is it complete? Are there citations included in the information?
Authority Is the author, creator, or organization identified? What are their credentials?
Purpose Who is the intended audience? Is the site trying to sell anything? What biases does the author have
and how do they affect the resource?
Purdue Libraries. (2020, November 4). Evaluating sources: How to evaluate sources [Video]. https://youtu.be/KYrMC8ZaKA8
There are many methods for evaluating information. Two of the more popular methods are the CRAAP (currency, relevancy, authority, accuracy, purpose) test and CARS (credible, accurate, reasonable, support) evaluation method.
Snowden Library. Lycoming College. (2020, July 21). Evaluating online sources with the CRAAP test [Video]. https://youtu.be/Q8zRBdKlszE
The goal of peer review is to assess the quality of information within an article. Peer-reviewed articles may go through the following:
Search your library's article databases for peer-reviewed journals. To ensure that your results come from peer-reviewed or scholarly journals, do the following:
Read the description of the article database to determine if it features peer-reviewed articles.
On the database's search screen, look for a check-box that allows you to limit your results to peer-reviewed only.
If you didn't check off the "peer-reviewed articles only" box, look for an option that allows you to filter your results by resource type. For example, the database Proquest Central, provides an option for choosing "Scholarly Journals" in its "results" screen.
John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Lord Sealy Library. (n.d). Features of a peer-reviewed article. https://guides.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/evaluatingsources