Doing Research

Reference books -- dictionaries, handbooks, encyclopedias -- are good starting places for basic information.  Find them on the first floor of the library, between the front desk and the Write Spot.

• Quick answers to questions
• Good for browsing and getting ideas quickly.
• Great if you need only a small bit of information.

Books on your topic go into more detail and provide a lot of background information.  Once you have a clear idea of what you are looking for, check the library catalog.

• Complete explanations of a topic
• Places to go for more information -- check the footnotes and bibliographies!
• Long enough to give you good overviews and plenty of background information

Articles are really good if you have a focused question.

• Short and focused, go right to the point of the question
• Assume you already know something about the topic -- you may need an introduction from somewhere else!
• More recent information -- it's faster to write an article than a book!

Find articles in the library databases.  You can search them all from one box, but that's like drinking from a fire hose.  Pick the best database for the job, and your life will be easier.

• Go to our database page
• Pick the subject you want from the "By Subject" filter at the top of the page.
• Click on the best database for your needs. If off-campus, you will  need to log in with your Portal username and password, plus input a code received by text or email from our proxy server. 
• Ask a librarian for help if you have trouble.
• Search away!