Research Guides: Botany: Get Started

Start Your Research

Welcome! This guide will get you started with library-based research in Botany.

To search for books or articles use Library Search on the library website.

The Claremont Colleges Library use the Library of Congress Classification System to organize physical books in the library. Our science section can be found on the first (1st) floor of the Honnold side of the building. Below, you will find a list of subjects and the call number grouping in which they may be found.

Botany is found in the LIbrary of Congress Subclass QK

QK1-989 Botany
QK1-474.5 General (Including geographical distribution)
QK474.8-495 Spermatophyta. Phanerogams
QK494-494.5 Gymnosperms
QK495 Angiosperms
QK504-(638) Cryptogams
QK640-(707) Plant anatomy
QK710-899 Plant physiology
QK900-989 Plant ecology

Evaluating Your Sources

The following information will guide you in determining if a source (journal, article, book, website, etc.) credible and reliable, and thereby, appropriate for your research paper.

USING THE CRAAP TEST

Australia, University of South. “Study Help: Evaluating Information.” YouTube, YouTube, 22 Oct. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U3dkTLjuvE.

CRAAP is an acronym for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. Use the CRAAP Test to evaluate your sources.

CURRENCY: The timeliness of the information

When was the information published or posted?
Has the information been revised or updated?
Does your topic require current information, or can older information work?
Are the links functional on the site?

RELEVANCE: The importance of the information for your needs

Does the information meet your needs?
Who is the intended audience?
Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced)?

AUTHORITY: The source of the information

Who is the author / publisher / source / sponsor? Knowing who or what funds the source will tell you more about any existing bias.
What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations? Are they a scholar or a celebrity figure?
Is the author qualified to write the topic? Do they have a degree or expertise in the area in which they are writing?
What does the URL revel about the author or source? (i.e. .com, .edu, .gov, .org, .net)
- Domains ending in .edu or .gov are considered the most reliable. However, be aware that any domain may contain items with bias.
- PLEASE NOTE: It is OK to use sources with bias present as long as you address it and make your reader aware of it in your research.

ACCURACY: The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content

What does the information come from?
Is the information supported by evidence? Are there citations or references?
Has the information been reviewed?
Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?

PURPOSE: The reason the information exists.

Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?
Do the authors / sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
Are there any political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?

*Adapted from "Evaluating Information - Applying the CRAAP Test" by Meriam Library, CSU

EVALUATION MATERIALS

Facticious
Digitally interactive quiz created in 2017 by veteran journalist, Maggie Farley. Factitious provides content that can be evaluated then swiped as correct or incorrect. Users are notified in real-time whether they evaluated correctly. Content provided for the evaluation process includes, cited sources that can be checked, publication names, direct quotes, images and more. This is a great resource for testing your skills in identifying credible and reliable content.

CRAAP Test Worksheet
The CRAAP Test was developed by California State University, Chico and is a list of questions to help you evaluate the information you find. Select a source appropriate to your research topic. Use that source to answer the questions below to determine if it is appropriate to use. Adapted from CSUN Library, 2019.
Evaluating Sources with The CRAAP Test
Handout. Information adapted from "Evaluating Information - Applying the CRAAP Test" by Meriam Library, CSU

FACT CHECKING WEBSITES

Use these sites to fact-check information that you find online.

AllSides
AllSides automatically delivers multiple perspectives on any topic to reveal bias, engage users, and connect people for civil conversations. We provide (and often customize) our patented and proprietary technology, platforms, services and content to media companies, schools, research institutions, nonprofits and more.
FactCheck.org
A nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. Its goal is to monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases and apply best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding. FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels.
OpenSecrets
Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Their vision is to facilitate access to clear and unbiased information about money’s role in politics and policy and to use that knowledge to strengthen our democracy.
PolitiFact
PolitiFact started in 2007 as an election-year project of the Tampa Bay Times (then named the St. Petersburg Times), Florida’s largest daily newspaper. It focuses on looking at specific statements made by politicians and rating them for accuracy and is run by the editors and journalists who make up the PolitiFact team.
Snopes
Snopes got its start in 1994, investigating urban legends, hoaxes, and folklore. Founder David Mikkelson, later joined by his wife, was publishing online before most people were connected to the internet. As demand for reliable fact checks grew, so did Snopes. Now it’s the oldest and largest fact-checking site online, widely regarded by journalists, folklorists, and readers as an invaluable research companion. Snopes.com is an independent publication owned by Snopes Media Group.

HOW TO SPOT A MISLEADING GRAPH

TED-Ed. “How to Spot a Misleading Graph - Lea Gaslowitz.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 July 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=E91bGT9BjYk.

Related Research Guides

Biology Research Guide

Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Library
Students and faculty of The Claremont Colleges Library can use the RSABG library, which has a unique and rich collection of print materials.

Before you visit, please call (909) 625-9767 or email at info@rsabg.org for more information.

STEM Librarian

Kimberly Jackson

Email Me

Contact:

Claremont Colleges Library

(909) 607-7168

Subjects:Applied Life Sciences, Botany, Community & Global Health, Computer Science, Environmental Analysis, Geology, Information Systems & Technology, Pharmacy