The Gale Virtual Reference Library is one of the most convenient and comprehensive databases that Richland Library offers, and DCCCD students can access it from anywhere there is an Internet connection.
The GVRL contains hundreds of full-text eBooks covering art, biography, business, education, environment, history, law, literature, medicine, multicultural studies, nation and world topics, religion, science, social science and technology.
My love for this database comes from its simplicity in browsing and retrieval. Use the search box located at the top of the home page or browse a particular eBook by clicking on the book itself, which will then display the table of contents.
The GVRL has many features, and allows students to save articles as they browse. By simply clicking the “Save Article” button located below each search result citation, the article is added to the “Saved Articles” list. Users can add up to 50 articles, which is great for writing in-depth research papers. From there, users can email saved articles to themselves or other users.
Create a Gale Bookmark in order to access saved articles after you have logged out.
Other features include the “Translate Article,” “Listen,” and “Download MP3” buttons. The “Translate Article” button includes a drop down list of 12 languages including Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), and French. Once the language is selected, a new window pops up with the translated article.
The “Listen” tool is also very impressive as the accent of the program reading the words sounds like a native speaker is reading. Users can even download articles and listen a later time. This is quite an amazing tool, and I think it is very good for people who are trying to improve in any language.
One of the most useful features I found was the citation tool, which will generate a citation of the article for you. Use this tool with discretion as some of the citations may have errors.
Working with this database is a great experience when used to its full potential. Check it out and see what you think.
Access it by going to the Richland College Library webpage, clicking on the green "Databases" tab, clicking on the “G” on the A-Z list, and clicking on the link to Gale Virtual Reference Library. (A log on is required outside of the library.)
C. Haynes
A study of research habits among college students resulted in a research report accompanied by a YouTube video. Under the heading "Everyday Research," the video had a slide titled "Wikipedia: The Power of an Uncitable Source."
It seemed to me this phrase accurately captured how we ought to think about this controversial research tool. It is indeed powerful but not useful for every purpose. For example, Wikipedia isn't considered a scholarly research-appropriate source.
Academics rightly caution their students not to cite Wikipedia as a source in their research papers and - by the way - so do the creators of Wikipedia.
Ending the conversation there, though, is disingenuous. There are many purposes for which Wikipedia is perfectly suited. (I strongly suspect that even those academics who curse it use it themselves at times.)
So what's it good for? It is good for getting an overview of a subject, seeing what issues surround a subject, getting a grasp of significant terms associated with the subject, and finding references to "citable" sources (citable because they are created by single authors who are accountable for their work).
Rather than steering student researchers away from Wikipedia with a blunt instruction to avoid it all costs, I'd say let them use it for what it's good for -- to inform, to help focus a topic and to open up other research paths.
However, if the subject is one that a classical encyclopedia addresses well, then use those. The Richland Library owns the Encyclopedia Britannica Online and a large selection of print encyclopedias.
To get a good perspective on the depth and breadth of print and online subject encyclopedias, try using a librarian's secret weapon: Reference Universe.
Reference Universe is a little-known online master index to index terms and article titles contained in both electronic and print reference works. More than 20,000 reference works are now represented in the database, and many of these are owned within the district libraries or our library.
Reference Universe can help you and your students find the best article topic in our own library and library website instead of the often taboo Wikipedia.
To get to Reference Universe, visit http://www.dcccd.edu/databases, click on "R," and scroll down to find the database link. Questions on how to use it? Let us know at richlandlibrary@dcccd.edu.
Students, instructors, faculty, and staff with a current DCCCD I.D. will be able to log on from remote locations.
