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Albert S. Cook Library

HLTH 220: Sexuality in a Diverse Society

Sources & strategies for research for the class.

Business & Economics Librarian

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Shana Gass
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Contact:
sgass@towson.edu
410-704-2395

Credit

This guide is a reconstruction of a resource created by Carrie Price.

Using this Guide

Use this guide to begin or hone your research.

This guide is intended as a starting point for research in Human Sexuality. 

Sex and sexuality are topics of great interest. There are also many misconceptions and continuing research to learn more about these topics!

So I hope this guide will help you find high-quality information for both academic and personal uses.

Empower Yourself with the Lateral Reading Evaluation Technique

Source Evaluation Exercise

Decide in your row who is going to look at Source A and who is going to look at Source B


Use Lateral Reading to investigate the source.
You want to answer such questions as:

  • WHO wrote the source?
    • Do they know what they are talking about? How do you know they are who they say they are? 
  • WHAT is the site/publication the source is posted on? 
    • What do other people / organizations say about them?

      PRO TIP: If information on WHO isn't offered, it's even more important to research the WHAT (where it is published/posted)
       
  • WHEN: Is the site current enough for your needs?
  • EVIDENCE: What kinds of evidence are they drawing on? 
    • Can you trace the evidence? Does the evidence look like it matches what the first source is presenting? ...these sources could be investigated on their own, as well.

The key is to initially spend more time looking outside the source than you do before deciding to invest time reading a source.
This technique can be used any time getting it right really matters to you, even on a topic that is new to you :)
And since you have limited time and almost limitless information, it will actually save you time.
 

Background Information & Books