Modules
Grade 6
🔭Research Skills
Library Databases and Academic Sources
Learn to navigate library databases and identify high-quality academic sources.
11 min 3 quiz questions Grade 6
Libraries Are Research Superpowers
Your school and public library provide free access to databases that would otherwise cost hundreds of dollars per year. These databases contain peer-reviewed research, primary sources, and high-quality journalism not available through general web searches.
Types of Library Databases
- General academic: EBSCO, ProQuest — broad coverage across disciplines
- Science: Web of Science, Scopus — peer-reviewed scientific research
- Humanities: JSTOR, MLA International Bibliography
- News: Factiva, LexisNexis — news archives and legal documents
- Primary sources: Digital archives, government document repositories
Peer-Reviewed Journal:A scholarly publication in which submitted articles are evaluated by independent experts before publication.
Evaluating Academic Sources
- Check the journal's reputation and impact factor
- Verify the author's credentials and institutional affiliation
- Examine the methodology section for rigor
- Check the citation count — highly cited papers have been vetted by the field
- Look for conflicts of interest in the funding disclosure
Ask a Librarian
Librarians are research experts. They can help you identify the best databases for your topic, develop search strategies, and evaluate sources. Use this resource — it is free and invaluable.
Ready to test your knowledge?
3 questions · Grade 6 level