Currency

New information and discoveries can make books and articles outdated. As you look for information, depending on your topic, you may want to limit your search to the last few years or even the last few months. You may not need really current information if you’re researching a historical event or literature from the 1800s. On the other hand, research on topics like medicine and technology can become outdated much more quickly.

Which of these articles is more current? (Click on the citation to make your choice.)

	This article is very up to date for this topic.
Take a closer look at the date on this article.

Relevance

Because databases are simply looking for keywords, they may show you articles or books that use your keywords but don't actually include information that you can use. As you read the articles and summaries, ask yourself, "What does this give me that I can use in my paper?"