Guides: ENGL 105 Mangin (Sp 2021): Websites

Google Scholar

Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Google Scholar searches specifically for scholarly literature - peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, etc. Some of the search results are available freely in full-text but many display only links to pay-for-document delivery services. When using Google Scholar on your own computer, make sure that "Library Links" in Scholar Settings are set to "College of San Mateo - Full-Text @ CSM".

Before you start - see the Google Scholar menu (tree horizontal lines). That's where you can access the settings and advanced search interface.

Note: Google will be able to access only small portion of our databases' content.

Wikipedia

Always check the "TALK" tab in Wikipedia
Use the "Talk" tab, then look for a prompt "This article is of interest to multiple WikiProjects. Click [show] for further details." Follow. You may need to click on "show" again. Look for "This article has been rated as xxx-Class on the project's quality scale." Follow link to the "quality scale" or use the one in this box (see above).

Follow this link to "Achievement gaps" article in Wikipedia

Is this article a reliable source of information? (have you checked the "Talk" tab?)

Yes - it has 187 references!: 0 votes (0%)

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Note that PEW conducts it's own research and provides information about methodology.

The Rising Cost of Not Going to College
A report from PEW Research.
Note the references:
- at the bottom of the pages
- under each graph/chart
- in the appendices (the right side of the page).
If you download the report (PDF) you will see the names of the authors/editors on the 2nd page.

What type of website/organization is PEW?

Is it an educational institution? (URL domain is .edu): 0 votes (0%)

is it an organization? (URL domain is .org): 0 votes (0%)

is it a commercial company? (URL domain is .com): 0 votes (0%)

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Do you see an "About" link on the site menu? (hint: this type of link is usually located at the very top or bottom of the page)

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Can you find information about Kim Parker, one of the authors, by following the "About" and then "Our Leadership & Staff" links?

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Did the answers (in addition to references) help you to decide whether this report is a reliable source of information?

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Recommended sources (examples); are these reliable?

The College Payoff: Education, Occupations, Lifetime Earnings
This report, from Georgetown University and Center on Education and the Workforce (CWE), examines lifetime earnings for all education levels and earnings by occupation, age, race/ethnicity and gender. The data are clear: a college degree is key to economic opportunity, conferring substantially higher earnings on those with credentials than those without.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups
This report presents the educational achievement and attainment of White, Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students.
Achievement Trap: How America is Failing 3.4 Million High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families
This report looks at a population below the median income level that starts school performing at high levels, but loses ground at virtually every level of schooling and suffers a steep plummet in college. The report discusses demographic characteristics of the students (not different from the general student population at the 1st grade) and the need for change in attitudes and policies at K-12.
Projections of Education Statistics till 2026
Another report from NCES (see above)
Buyer Beware: First-Year Earnings and Debt for 37,000 College Majors at 4,400 Institutions
Another report from Georgetown University CWE.
The Labor Market Returns to Sub-Baccalaureate College: A Review
CAPSEE (Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment) working paper. Read the brief.
The Overselling of Higher Education
From the Pope Center (now James G. Martin Center) for Academic Renewal.
Do school districts spend less money on poor and minority students?
From Brookings Institution's Brown Center.