Summon doesn't have everything! Check out the tabs below to search for more specific types of information. For more help searching, visit the Search Effectively page.
Also known as scholarly, refereed, peer reviewed, or academic articles.
Summon searches a little bit of everything, but sometimes a more focused database is needed. Below are three examples of subject databases. Once used for finding literature criticism, one for science and technology, and one for social issues.
In general, be sure to use books written for an academic or scholarly audience instead of those written for a popular audience.
Videos from reputable publishers are great resources for learning more about a topic. The library provides several databases that include streaming videos, animations, and tutorials.
This collection provides high quality streaming videos on business & economics, health & medicine, humanities & social sciences, and science & mathematics, as well as travel and fitness programming, home and how-to videos, indie films, and popular music performances. Linking/Embedding Issues with MS PPT
Statistics vs. DataStatistics provide an interpretation and summary of data. Statistics can be numbers or percentages in an article, or tables, charts, or graphs.
Data is the raw results of research. It is a primary source and can be analyzed and interpreted.
An authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States.
Literary Criticism refers to the act of interpreting and studying literature. It is the analysis of a literary text through various lenses where purpose, perspective, or other related aspects important to understanding the work itself are discussed in detail.
In the search box, type the title of the work and the author's last name.
Example: "The Great Gatsby" AND Fitzgerald
Comprehensive coverage of critical essays from the Contemporary Literary Criticism, Short Story Criticism, and Poetry Criticism series.
Full text literature database with information from reference books, literary journals, magazines, study guides, and videos.
Purpose: To inform, report, or make available original research or experimentation in a specific field or discipline to the rest of the scholarly world; where "new knowledge" is reported
Abstract: Articles will typically have an abstract at the beginning that summarizes the findings of the research presented in the article
Audience: Written for scholars and researchers in the field; language contains terminology and jargon of the discipline; reader is assumed to have a scholarly background
References: References or sources are listed in the form of bibliographies, reference lists, and footnotes. Look at the end of the article for the reference list or bibliography
Accountability: Articles are evaluated or reviewed by experts in the field; edited for content, format, and style
You can often tell that you have a book review because it will list the citation information along with the ISBN and price at the very beginning.
Purpose: Entertainment and general interest; geared to sell products and services through advertising
Abstract: No abstract
Audience: Written for general, nonexpert readers; uses simple language
References: Sources are not cited. There will not be a list of references at the end
Accountability: Articles are evaluated by editorial staff who are not experts in the field; edited for format and style
