It’s the one sheet you need for any research project: the list of passwords to MCPS’s subscription databases. But what happens when you’ve combed through the brief list of MCPS-approved resources and still can’t find that perfect quote to add to your paper? MCPS places restrictions on which databases students are allowed to access when researching. But sometimes, these databases don’t offer students the best information available. Teachers should expand the parameters on online sources available, so that students have access to a wider variety of information and sources.

Because the pre-approved databases only provide articles written by their own staff or select news outlets, they provide few relevant or useful sources.

This is different from college where, as long as sources are credible, students are free to choose their own information outlets, said Anand Anandalingam, dean and former professor at the business school of the University of Maryland.

Since colleges place very few restrictions on research sources, high school teachers should take the time to teach how to find sources on their own. Otherwise, when professors assign the first big college paper, MCPS students would be left to picking random articles that appear in a Google search.

By reducing the restrictions, students will be able to learn through trial and error how to find a reputable source for themselves. When they find a source and go through the process of ensuring that it’s legitimate, students learn how to differentiate between what is and isn’t a reputable source.

But English teacher Corie Stewart argues that students should use the databases to help filter the available material, whereas a Google search yields millions of results. But if properly trained, students can learn how to narrow their searches and still come up with reputable sources, said Anandalingam.

Students can learn specific criteria to use during their research and what questions to ask themselves about their source to ensure its credibility.

Teachers can ensure the legitimacy of any source a student uses by teaching students to write an annotated bibliography, a list of sources that include a short paragraph to describe why the source is credible.

Although this may seem like additional work, if the cited article is reputable, then it won’t be hard to come up with a few words on why it is a suitable source. Any article from a respected source will stand up to this test.

Expanding the amount of usable online sources will lead to more variety in research papers and better prepare students for college-level research.