Research Tips

Our online catalog is available 24/7 to all Laredo College current students, staff, faculty, and administration.

To access the catalog remotely, visit the library home page (library.laredo.edu) and sign in with your PasPort credentials when prompted.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

MLA Handbook

The Chicago Manual of Style

Turabian Style Guide - Easy Bib

APA Formatting Style and Guide

MLA Formatting Style and Guide

Chicago Formatting Style and Guide

Download Zotero

A free tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share research.

Download Mendeley

A free program for managing your research and generating references.

Download Qiqqa

A free research and reference manager.

• Use keywords relevant to your topic/research. Avoid slang or jargon.
• Use Boolean operators (and, or, not) to connect keywords together.
  • virus AND elderly
  • university OR college
  • mercury NOT planet
• Use the limiters on the left-hand side to filter and narrow down your search.
  • Limit to articles or print books and set a range of dates to search within
  • Filter by format, subject, publisher, publication, language, geography, library location, and databases

Use the CRAAP test to evaluate and determine the credibility and reliability of a source:

CURRENCY - When was the information published or posted? Has the information been revised or updated? Is the information current or out of date for your topic?

RELEVANCY - Does the information relate to your topic? Who is the intended audience? Is the information at an appropriate level (not too easy or advanced for your needs)?

AUTHORITY - Who is the author, publisher, or source? What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic? Check for contact information and credentials of the author.

ACCURACY - Where does the information come from and is it supported by evidence? Has the information been reviewed and approved (ex: peer-reviewed articles)? How reliable is the information?

PURPOSE - What is the purpose of the information (inform, persuade, sell, or entertain)? Are the intentions of the author clear? What is the intent of the author? Are there political, cultural, institutional, or personal biases? 

Primary Sources

Provide first-hand information and are considered to be authoritative.

Examples: diaries, newspapers, letters

Secondary Sources

The analysis, interpretation, or evaluation of primary sources.

Examples: reviews, peer-reviewed journal articles, textbooks

Peer-reviewed journals provide articles that are written, reviewed, and approved by experts in that field. Peer review is a widely accepted indicator of quality scholarship in a discipline or field.

To search for peer-reviewed articles in our library catalog, conduct your search and then limit the results to only "Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals". See below: