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Here's how to be smart about it:
Content farms are "websites that generate a large quantity of content specifically designed to rank high in search engine results" (Saba).
The articles on these sites are written quickly (one author may create several articles per hour) and frequently don't attribute or cite the sources of their information.
Although Google has tweaked its search in the last few years to weed out a lot of these sites, some can still be easily found. Here's a list of sites to use cautiously (Notess):
• 123people
• Allexperts.com
• Answerbag
• Associated Content
• ChaCha
Sources:
Notess, Greg R. "Content Farming, Quick Creation, And Declining Information Quality." Online 35.3 (2011): 46. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 24 May 2012.
Saba, Jennifer. "'Content Farms': Threat, Or Menace?." Editor & Publisher 143.5 (2010): 15. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 24 May 2012.
The following document from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Libraries explains some of the differences between using library databases and Google for research.
These are the databases containing scholarly articles that are available to you as a JCTC student.
NOTE: If working off-campus, enter your KCTCS ID and Password (the same one you use for email or Blackboard) when prompted.
Tutorials showing how to search these databases are available on the page: Searching for scholarly articles.
A database that indexes journals (articles), books (available by chapters), primary sources, and images. In addition to the many journals that the Learning Commons subscribes to, you can also use JSTOR and Artstor's open access content. At the bottom of the page, you will find a link titled “What’s in JSTOR.” One of the first links within the body of that page it to "Open and free content" which includes resources from both JSTOR and Artstor.
What you need to know:Use JSTOR to get great results for all areas of research for any class assignment. Artstor indexes images from numerous museums and libraries, including the Art Institute of Chicago. It is a great resource for art, art history, and CAT research. Check out JSTOR Daily to see how it matches scholarly information to current topics.
This link opens in a new windowEBSCOhost is the Learning Commons entire collection of EBSCOhost databases in one place.
What you need to know:This would be useful for those who want to use EBSCOhost databases but may be unsure of which one(s) to use.
Gale is the Learning Commons entire collection of Gale databases in one place.
What you need to know:This would be useful for those who want to use Gale databases but may be unsure of which one(s) to use. The cross-search function allows you to search across several of the Gale products at once.
