Here are just a few of our eBook databases to help you find background information about your park.
Wikipedia is not a credible source to cite because it would be impossible to verify the credibility of every single person who had something to do with that information. Content can also be added or edited by a bot!
BUT! Wikipedia can be a useful tool to help further your understanding of something. It can also help you identify more keywords, which you would then use to search library databases and find higher-quality, more authoritative sources.
A Wikipedia entry's list of references may lead you to better sources. Be sure to evaluate each source carefully for credibility and authority.
Your primary information need is to find quality sources for your National Parks project. Each item you need to include in your final project is its own information need and requires its own research:
Start by taking a high-level look at your national park before researching it in detail.
Pre-research will also help you identify other keywords and ideas so you can do more detailed research later. Be sure to make notes about what you find!
Whether you're looking for background information or doing detailed research about your park, it's important to consult a variety of sources and engage with diverse ideas. This helps ensure that your information is:
Online reference books, or eBooks, are helpful for learning a lot about your park in one place. You don't have to read the entire book -- you may only need a chapter or even a paragraph!
Features of eBooks:
Credo Reference is especially helpful because the information is available in shorter segments that come from encyclopedias and other reference books. They also have a Mindmap feature that creates a visualization of your topic that shows how subtopics and keywords are connected to the main topic.
The National Park Service maintains a website for each of its parks. While the information they provide is comprehensive, consulting a variety of sources is important even for finding background information.
For example, on the NPS site for Rocky Mountain National Park, they describe a woman named Isabella Bird. She was an early English explorer and the second woman to climb Longs' Peak. The information they provide about her will get you started, but there is so much more information about her elsewhere on the internet.