Types of Sources

Distinguishing between sources when you're searching in FRCC Discovery or the databases can be trickier than when you're looking at a print or web version. Limiters can help, but here are some tips to help you determine the type of source you're viewing. Keep in mind the examples below do not reflect the variety of database interfaces available.

Is it an ebook?

What to look for:

• One title,
• Publisher information,
• No page numbers in citation,
• ISBN (International Standard Book Number)
• Call number or options to read online or download an EPUB.

When viewing in FRCC Discovery:

• Look for the source type above the title. In the case of ebooks, Discovery calls them eBook.

• If you click on the book record, look under Additional Information to find publisher information and the ISBN.

When viewing in a database, such as eBook Search:

• On your search results page, in the preview record, eBook will probably be listed with other publication information (author, publisher, date). You may also see the download option for EPUB which can be read on eReaders like Kindle or tablets.

If you're not sure what source type you're looking at:

• Go to a search engine like DuckDuckGo or Google and search for the source's name. If an information card or Wikipedia entry doesn't come up, look for the publisher's website, Amazon, or Google Books page for the title. You can find the publisher listed in the database search result. 
• For example, searching for the Sacred and Mythological Animals in the search engine DuckDuckGo, the first entries were from Amazon and Google Books. A little further down in results was the publisher, McFarland. The publisher's website says "About this book" and has an ISBN for the online version.