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ENG 111: College Composition I (Young-Loudoun)

This guide has been created by librarians at NOVA to help you find books, articles, videos, and other types of resources related to this program of study. Direct comments to Julie Combs, jcombs@nvcc.edu.

Websites

Search Google for your topic keywords. Look for government, education, and/or organization webpages as well as news/magazine publications. Be cautious if using Wikipedia as the content cannot be verified.

Google Web Search

Before using information found on a webpage, consider the following criteria to evaluate its credibility.

  • Who is the author?
  • What are his/her qualifications?
  • Why was the website created?
  • When was it last updated?
  • How reliable is the information?

For further guidance, please refer to NOVA Libraries' How to...Evaluate Websites research guide.

Media Bias

As you evaluate resources, consider whether they are neutral in tone or biased. There are several resources you can consult to help you discern whether a resource is more liberal or conservative, such as the AllSides Media Bias Chart and Ad Fontes Media. Balance your arguments by using sources skewing left and right. 

Suggested Websites for Topic Ideas

Beyond Google

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

You might experiment using an artificial intelligence (AI) research assistant. ElicitPerplexity, and Research Rabbit offer three different approaches to AI-based research with the possibility of limiting your search to published academic papers. You'll have to register (sign up), but they are free. Experiment!