Using MARVEL Database Sources
Easy steps for Teens, From Your Librarian Mrs. Hall
MARVEL: Maine's Virtual Library and Free Databases
So you're in the 9th grade? We'll now be learning how to use the MARVEL (Maine Virtual Library) databases, and you'll use them throughout high school. MARVEL is free anywhere in the State of Maine. You can use it at school, or at home. Your science class is doing a project on green practices, including farming, buildings, and energy sources. We're now going to explore this great resource today, as it will help you with your project.
The MARVEL site
In your Internet browser's URL, go to: http://libraries.maine.edu/mainedatabases/ This is what you will see. On the left, you will see a link for "teen resources"
Teen Resources Page
Here is the page for teen resources. All of the resources will be useful to you, but for now, let's look at the Points of View Reference Center.
Points of View Reference Center
You'll see suggested topics- those which are the "hottest" topics of right now. "Earth & Environment" might be a good start for this project- OR you can enter your own search term. Choose your keywords thoughtfully. You can use the word "AND" to include words that you also want to include.
Finding and Choosing Articles
After you have selected Key Words that match your desired topic, you will see articles relating to that topic returned by your search. Each article's title is a good indicator of what it contains, but the "Abstract" included just below, will tell you even more. Scan through several of the abstracts until you find articles that would be a good match for you.
When you are gathering your sources, use the RADCAB method to check for relevancy and bias.
Special Features: Citation Generator, Read Text, Counterpoint, and Bonus links.
On the top left side, you will see an icon which will generate a citation of the article. You can copy this, and save it for later. There is also an option to have the text read to you, in the accent of your choice. An icon on the right provides a counterpoint; an article relating to the opposing view of the one you currently have. On the bottom right, there are also links with current related articles and web pages.
Remember to...
- Use multiple sources for your information
- Stay organized, using Bibme or another bibliography site
- Give credit to your sources