Privacy and Data Security  

Known article,

online access?

Use MGet It search!

Subject databases?

Browse by subject

from the library webpage.

This Guide is designed to meet the research needs of students enrolled in either of the two following School of Information courses:

SI 510:   Special Topics: Data Security and Privacy: Legal, Policy and Enterprise Issues

SI 446/546: Personal Privacy: Evolving Issues in a Changing World

                                             FAQs

How can I get a general background or introduction to large issues such as "privacy" and "security" without drowning in lots of detailed information?

Strategy #1

Find a book, online or in print, about the larger topic. 

Take a look at the chapter titles in the Table of Contents of the book.

Skim the chapters for a basic introduction.

Strategy #2

Use an online or print reference "book," like an encyclopedia, and read entries about the issues.  Many reference materials are now available online.  Take a look at the REFERENCE tab in this guide for a few suggestions.

I searched Google and found a lot of useful information, but I'm not sure how "good" some of it is.  How do I find "good" information?

The internet is very effective for finding certain types of information.  In the academic world, the system used to determine the authority of information, is the peer-review process. 

This means articles are reviewed by fellow scholars who determine if the information in the article is legit.  Sets of this legit material are found in databases, which often cover either a groups of subjects OR types of information OR types of sources.  Therefore you need to find the right databases to search.  Take a look at the ARTICLES tab for a list of suggested databases.

See http://www.lib.umich.edu/ask for additional contact methods.