Mira Costa High School Library
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Research Databases

Need help using the research databases?  Come by the MCHS library or contact Mrs Forier for assistance.

For help getting started on a research project, check out these student research guides:
Recipe for Research: A Six-Step Process
Top 5 Searching Strategies

Databases
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 EBSCO Academic Search Premier
Access 4,600+ acclaimed full-text journals, magazines, and other valuable cross-disciplinary resources and 130,000+ ebooks. 
user: miracostahs  password: Library@24

ProQuest Resources included in the California state-wide contract
​List of all the resources available to California students.
Includes:  SIRS Issues Researcher, ProQuest Central Student, CultureGrams , SIRS Discoverer, ProQuest Research Companion, eLibrary, PBS Videos and Black Freedom Struggle
​
user: mbusd  password: Beach*18
You can search multiple ProQuest databases at once here:  https://www.proquest.com/​

Britannica School
Encyclopedia articles, multimedia, primary sources, games, and other learning resources.
user: mbusd  password: beach

Fact Cite - Mythology 

Username: miracosta
Password: mchs
Username and password are case-sensitive.

Los Angeles County Public Library Databases
Use your Manhattan Beach or Hermosa Beach library barcode number (on the back of your library card) or our Mira Costa HS account number.  
Here are some Mira Costa Favorites:
Opposing Viewpoints
Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL)
Biography in Context
Literature Resource Center

MCHS Library Acct: 1111652201702
​
Gale Literary Sources - (formally Artemis)
This County of Los Angeles Public Library database includes literary criticism, biographies and overviews of literary topics and works from all genres, disciplines, time periods and regions of the world. Use the barcode number on the back of your Manhattan Beach Public Library Card to login. If you don't have your own library card, you can use the MCHS Library Acct: 1111652201702

​TeachingBooks
Books come to life with this engaging collection of resources.  Designed to further fun and connection to the very books and authors your students are reading, TeachingBooks' dream is to stimulate active reading, inspired thinking, and evidence-based discussions about the young adult books enjoyed throughout our community.
user: mbusd  password: beach


Free Database Options

Evaluating Sources
Need help evaluating the information you found?  Use the CRAAP Test.
The CAL State Chico Library allows the personal use of this CRAAP Test sheet to assist in evaluating a source.
Or, Purdue Owl has some helpful information on how to evaluate digital sources.  
You can also use the SIFT method, or SMART check to evaluate sources.
General Information:
JSTOR Database

JSTOR is a subscription database that is now offering some journal content free of charge to non-subscribers. Students can also open free individual accounts to access a portion of the database articles.

Directory of Open Access Journals 
​Journals found in this directory do not require a subscription to access.

DeweyDigger 
​Great graphical approach to exploring subject areas


Google Newspaper Archive
Scanned copies of many newspapers
​
Google Books
"the world's most comprehensive index of full-text books"

Google Scholar
"Provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature."

History/Social Science:
Digital Public Library of America
Explore primary source sets, many with fair use policies.

Smithsonian
Explore your interests in the Smithsonian's vast collection and the research surrounding it.  Available to you online, with topics—from art to zoology.

Library of Congress
Use the largest library in the world online.
​

National Archives
Explore our Nation's history through its documents, records and photographs.
​
USA.Gov
Find answers to the most requested facts about the USA.  Including historical documents.
 
Columbia University U.S. Government Documents
Columbia University, a U.S. Federal government depository since 1882, welcomes use of its collections of U.S. Federal government  by members of the general public.

Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History


​
CIA World Fact Book
Information about people, government, geography, economy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues. Research done by the CIA.

IPL Political Science Magazine Links
This is a list of political science magazines available online. Also search the IPL2 site for good links on other topics.

​
Shmoop.com Civics, U.S. Government
This website offers guides and links on a wide variety of topics. Check this page for various Civics-related topics, and follow the links to a topic of interest. You can also search the site for topics, including The Growth of Presidential Power.

Media/Images:
**Plagiarism alert!  When using images or media - cite your sources and respect copy right and fair use policies.

Library of Congress Prints & Photographs

New York Public Library Digital Gallery

Smithsonian Institution Collections

AP Film Archive on YouTube
AP Archive is the film and video archive of The Associated Press, one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent news gathering

British Movietone Film Archive on YouTube
British Movietone is a newsreel archive, spanning 1895 to 1986
Biography:
Bio.com
InfoPlease Biographies

Science:
Sciencemag.org
PubMed
HighWire
ScienceDirect 
Current Drought information from NOAA

Literature:
Gale’s Literary Index
Poets.org

Current news:
Google Maps
Worldnewspapers.com
ProQuest Central New York Times
Google News
For more resources visit the "Newspapers" tab under "Research"

Exploring Current Trending Issues:
ProCon.org
Public Agenda Online
AllSides.com
​
Maps:
Google Street View
USGS National Geologic Database
David Rumsey Map Collection
LOC American Memory Map Collections

Historical Images:
Library of Congress Prints & Photographs
NY Public Library Digital Gallery
Smithsonian Institution Collections

Historical Videos:
Associates Presss Film Archive on YouTube
British Movietone Film Archive on YouTube

Careers: 
US Bureau Of Labor Statistics - Occupational Outlook Handbook 


Fact Checkers
The following organizations are generally regarded as reputable fact-checking organizations focused on U.S. national news:
Factcheck.org
NPR Fact-Check
Politifact

Snopes
Truth be Told
Washington Post Fact Checker
  • Home
  • About
    • Library Info Videos
    • About Your Library
    • What Teacher Librarians Do
  • Research
    • Databases
    • eBooks
    • Newspapers
    • Pathfinders
    • Plagiarism
    • Search Strategies
    • Sources of Information
    • Evaluating Sources
    • Citations - MLA
    • Fair Use - Creative Commons
  • Summer Reading
  • Find A Book
    • Book Finder Databases
    • Book Lists
    • Book Awards Lists
    • Library Collections
    • Recommend A Book
  • Textbooks & Core Lit
    • Textbooks Policies
  • Free Access
    • Homework Help
    • Ebooks and More
    • Audiobooks
    • For Fun
    • Mental Health
  • MCHS