Steps To Getting Started

Read through your assignment carefully and ask yourself some questions before you begin. For example, what is the purpose of the assignment? Do you need to argue a position on a topic, expand your knowledge of a subject, provide comparative information or present different points of view? Further questions include:

Defining Your Topic

What is your specific topic? Try to state it in the form of a question that will help you clarify your thoughts and define your topic.
Write down your topic and the related issues using keywords, phrases, or complete sentences.
Brainstorm and try mind mapping. Try to be specific in identifying and narrowing your topic.

Identifying the Type of Information You Need

What types of information do you need -- books, scholarly journals, magazine articles, newspaper articles, or Internet sites?
How many sources do you need?
Do you need historical or current information?

Finding Overviews and Narrowing Your Topic

An effective way to start your research is with a source that presents an overview and identifies specific issues to help you narrow your topic. This will enable you to focus on your topic while providing valuable background information for continuing your research. The following print and online sources will provide background information and topic overviews and help you to narrow your research.

Reference Books:

Once you have identified a topic and the issues you plan to focus on, you may find it necessary to clarify certain aspects (people, places, terminology) before continuing your research. Reference books (subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks) are valuable for this purpose and can sometimes provide more detailed information than available on the Internet. Reference sources often include overviews or historical perspectives, define special terms, and identify key events, dates or people related to your topic. (The Reference collection, located on the main floor of the library, is searchable through the library Catalog.) Some examples of reference books: Social Issues in America; Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History; and Merriam-Webster's medical dictionary.

Online Databases:

The library subscribes to an online database focusing on current issues that can be a useful starting place for you:

Issues & Controversies helps students and researchers understand today’s crucial issues by exploring hundreds of hot topics in politics, government, business, society, education, and popular culture. Presented in a balanced, pro/con format, each article presents the key facts, arguments, history, and current context—an ideal resource for research papers, debate preparation, and persuasive writing assignments.

Additional Print Resources:

Two additional print series useful for getting started are Taking Sides and Information Plus. These multi-volume series present current information on a broad range of subjects and controversial issues. Taking Sides includes an overview of each issue followed by pro and con articles (See Keyword Index). Information Plus is a good source for background information and often provides statistics and charts to incorporate into your research.

Searching for Sources

Use the keywords that describe your topic to start your search for information.
Search the Library Catalog for books, reference books, E-books, or DVDs in the library's collection.
Search the online Databases to locate articles in magazines, academic journals, and newspapers. The library subscribes to databases covering a variety of disciplines including history, business, agriculture, education, health, military and government. The primary databases for general research are:

Academic Search Complete* is the library’s primary database for locating magazine and academic journal articles. It contains more than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 12,500 journals and a total of more than 13,200 publications.

Newspaper Source Plus* provides full-text articles from major U.S. and International newspapers. Newspaper Source Plus includes more than 860 full-text newspapers, providing more than 35 million full-text articles. In addition, the database features more than 857,000 television and radio news transcripts.