Not all articles are the same-- here are the different types you might find, and pros/cons of using each:
news articles: provide brief snippets of info; best for finding current info; watch out for the date to make sure it's not old, out-of-date info
magazine articles: provide more detailed info, but still digestible to the average reader; opinion, or viewpoints are often present in magazine articles
scholarly/academic articles: written by researches/professors/experts; double-checked by other experts for quality before publication; does not give basic info or definitions, gives high-level info that might mean you have to look things up while you're reading; they take a long time to publish, so not the best place for super up-to-date info
MinerQuest is the easiest way to search as many of the UTEP Library's databases + its catalog at once. Results will include articles of all types, books, e-books, government documents, streaming videos, and encyclopedia articles. A good all-purpose search tool.
No one else will make sure you find credible/reliable information online except you, so be picky about it!
At the bare minimum, make sure you can identify the following things on a web site:
the date it was posted/updated
who wrote it (bonus points if you can Google that person/organization to see if they're a credible source of info)
why the info on the site was written (is it opinion, persuasion, or just informative? Check he site's "about us" section)
Here are some more in-depth questions you can ask yourself to figure out whether you're looking at a high-quality web site:
Find Books/E-Books
Why use books?
Books/e-books can the perfect source for authoritative, background information because they provide very detailed info about very big subjects.
Note: You can use print books from the UTEP Library (here's how); e-books are just as good as print books, but make sure you're connected to the Campus VPN before you try to open one, or you'll probably get blocked.
MinerQuest is the easiest way to search as many of the UTEP Library's databases + its catalog at once. Results will include articles of all types, books, e-books, government documents, streaming videos, and encyclopedia articles. A good all-purpose search tool.