Program & Class Guides: Foundations of University Learning

The Nicolet College Library offers many resources in a variety of formats to the Nicolet College community. Learn more about the different types of resources available and how to use these resources in the research process here. 

It is important to evaluate information to ensure that it is reliable and appropriate to use in your project. Find a brief overview of evaluation criteria below:

1. Determine if the source is non-fiction or fiction.

A non-fiction (factual/not creative) source is generally preferred in a research paper. It is not usually advisable to use a fictional (created from imagination) source in a research paper except for limited purposes, such as illustrating a point.

2. Determine if the topic is accepted by scientific community.

Many topics are considered non-fiction, but the scientific community generally does not consider them valid at this point in time, such as paranormal/parapsychology topics, anti-vaxxing, climate change denial, etc. Talk to your instructor before going any further in the research process if your topic resembles these.

3. Consider all of the following:

• Currency: Determine the age of the source relative to developments in the field. Information within 3-5 years old is preferred unless historical information or perspectives is specifically needed; although slightly older information is acceptable in humanities-type fields. Be very skeptical of stagnant websites. 
• Reliability: Look for evidence of thorough research with credible sources. View sources without citations very skeptically. Determine if it was traditionally published, which typically includes rigorous vetting for non-fiction, or self-published, which may not be vetted at all.
• Authority: Determine the author of the source. Learn about the author’s credentials, expertise in the field, and any organization/institutional affiliations. View a source very skeptically in which an author can’t be determined. For websites, look for an "about us" page, contact information, and an indication of the mission of the organization. 
• Purpose: Determine if it is an informational resource. View a source created to inflame emotions, sell a product, or for any purpose other than to inform very skeptically.

Click here to learn more about evaluating information.

Most of the approximately 80 databases available via Nicolet College Library may be accessed by anyone on campus simply by clicking the database link.

Nicolet College students, staff, and faculty can access these from off campus using Nicolet credentials. Click here for more access help.

Find helpful ebooks in these databases:

Ebook Central including College Collection (fka Ebrary). Some available titles are:

This database offers hundreds of thousands of immediately available books, and more for loan or purchase as demand driven items. Please contact the library for assistance.

Ebsco Academic Ebook. This collection offers nearly 250,000 books. Some available titles are:

Overdrive. This frequently updated collection offers ebooks and audiobooks. Some available titles are:

Find more items in these databases:

Most of the approximately 80 databases available via Nicolet College Library may be accessed by anyone on campus simply by clicking the database link.

Nicolet College students, staff, and faculty can access these from off campus using Nicolet credentials. Click here for more access help.

Find emedia in these databases:

Swank Digital Campus Custom Collection. A small streaming video collection specifically acquired for certain Nicolet College classes.

Films on Demand. This collection contains many thousands of segments and full length academic and non-fiction videos, but no feature films. Some available videos are:

AVON (Academic Video Online). This collection offers more than 70,000 non-fiction and fiction films. Please confirm the video is not a feature film if a non-fiction source is required. Some available videos are:

Kanopy. This collection offers thousands of non-fiction and fiction films. Please confirm the video is not a feature film if a non-fiction source is required. Some available videos are:

Find more items in these databases. Please note that some of these databases contain feature films.

Most of the approximately 80 databases available via Nicolet College Library may be accessed by anyone on campus simply by clicking the database link.

Nicolet College students, staff, and faculty can access these from off campus using Nicolet credentials. Click here for more access help.

Find articles and reference information in these databases:

Find resources for other skills and information needs:

Article databases are the best tool to use to find current articles appropriate for research projects.

Because databases typically “know” about millions of articles, it is highly beneficial to narrow or focus a search using the advanced search option. Select relevant options/limiters:

• Full Text: Limits results to articles immediately accessible from the database. 
  Leaving this unchecked will include articles the database "knows" about but doesn't have. These articles can be requested via ILL given enough time.
• Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, or Academic Journals: Limits results to articles more likely to meet criteria discussed below.
• Publication or Source Type: If this option exists, choose periodical or journal, which are most likely to contain articles. 
• Document Type: If this option exists, choose article. This will eliminate things like editorials, obituaries, reviews, etc.
• Date Range: Enter an appropriate year range, such as last three, five, ten, etc., or a specific relevant era.
• Language: Choose languages you can read. Leave languages you don’t know unchecked.

When scholarly/academic/peer reviewed articles are required, these are articles written by experts in the field and reviewed by other experts in the field prior to publication. Typical characteristics of scholarly articles are: 

• Usually fairly long, typically between 5-20 pages.
• Multiple authors more common than only one.
• Often about research conducted or literature available in a field or area of study.
• Usually have charts and graphs rather than photos.
• Routinely contain a references list or works cited.
• Statement of credentials and affiliation of the author(s) regularly appears.
• Sections often mirror research process; i.e., literature review, methodology, findings, etc.

Click here to learn more about evaluating information.

The Nicolet College Library physical collection contains thousands of books, CDs, and DVDs available to Nicolet College students, staff, faculty, members of the Nicolet College district area, and beyond. To find them, use search library resources link.

The Nicolet College Library physical collection is organized using the Library of Congress Classification System. While materials may be found throughout the collection, the majority of relevant materials will have call numbers starting with P, especially PE, which indicates the study of the English language, and Z, especially Z668-669.7 which represents library education and research.

Click here to learn more about resources available at the Nicolet College Library.

It is important to evaluate information to ensure that it is reliable and appropriate to use in your project. Find a brief overview of evaluation criteria below:

1. Determine if the source is non-fiction or fiction.

A non-fiction (factual/not creative) source is generally preferred in a research paper. It is not usually advisable to use a fictional (created from imagination) source in a research paper except for limited purposes, such as illustrating a point.

In the Nicolet College Library, call numbers beginning with P are fiction, except for language studies, literary criticism, and author biographies. A call number beginning with anything other than P is non-fiction.

2. Determine if the topic is accepted by scientific community.

Many topics are considered non-fiction, but the scientific community generally does not consider them valid at this point in time, such as paranormal/parapsychology topics, anti-vaxxing, climate change denial, etc. Talk to your instructor before going any further in the research process if your topic resembles these.

3. Consider all of the following:

• Currency: Determine the age of the source relative to developments in the field. Information within 3-5 years old is preferred unless historical information or perspectives is specifically needed; although slightly older information is acceptable in humanities-type fields. 
• Reliability: Look for evidence of thorough research with credible sources. View sources without citations very skeptically. Determine if it was traditionally published, which typically includes rigorous vetting for non-fiction, or self-published, which may not be vetted at all.
• Authorship: Determine the author of the source. Learn about the author’s credentials, expertise in the field, and any organization/institutional affiliations. View a source very skeptically in which an author can’t be determined. 
• Purpose: Determine if it is an informational resource. View a source created to inflame emotions, sell a product, or for any purpose other than to inform very skeptically.

Click here to learn more about evaluating information.

Find browsable journals and magazines in Nicolet College Library’s Flipster collection. 

Nicolet College Library also offers access to the full English and Spanish language Overdrive magazine collection.  

Access Overdrive via the library’s website or the Libby app. Click Subjects, then Magazines, then browse topics.

Off-campus access is only available to Nicolet College students, staff and faculty. Click here for access help.

There are some great online resources to use for research papers/projects. See the table below to learn about website extensions and the associated level of credibility.

Some websites below contain information specific to other colleges, universities, or institutions. For Nicolet's Academic Success Center, call 715.365.4455 or stop in at the Lakeside Center, 2nd floor Information Commons. For Nicolet College Library, call 715.365.4479 or stop in at the third floor of the Lakeside Center.

Information Literacy and Research Skills:

Writing and Composition Skills:

College Success & Test Taking:

Examine website extensions to determine the level of reliability: