Once you have decided on a topic, you need to think about the best sources to get your information. Answering the questions below will help you decide what kind of strategy you need. It is good to allow lots of time for exploration at the beginning of your research.
Cut down the stress in your life and start EARLY! Start soon after receiving the assignment.
If you have not found anything of value after a half hour search, it's time to speak to a Librarian. Don't waste your time!
Read the research tips below and then try our quiz.
Do you need books?
- Do you know very little about your topic?
- Do you need background material, an overview, or the history of your topic?
- Is your topic a broad subject?
- Did your professor require that you use reference sources or books?
If you answered yes to many of these questions, you need Books. Look in our online catalog.
Do you need magazine or journal articles?
- Is your topic of current interest?
- Is your topic relatively specific?
- Do you need the latest research on your topic?
- Can you describe your topic in a few key words?
- Would you benefit from reading how an expert on your topic writes about it?
- Did your professor include words like scholarly, academic, refereed, or peer-reviewed articles or sources in your assignment description?
If you answered yes to many of these questions, you need Magazine and Journal Articles. These articles can be found in databases which the library subscribes to. The two which cover the broadest number of topics are Academic Search Premier and Expanded Academic ASAP. Click on Find Articles in left column of the library homepage and select On Campus Users to find these and other more specific databases that may be useful as well.
For more information on the difference between magazines and journals, see http://www.lib.utsa.edu/Research/Subject/scholarlyguide.html.
Do you need newspaper articles?
- Is this in the news now or very recently?
- Do you just need facts presented very succinctly?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, you need Newspaper Articles. These are also in databases the library subscribes to. Click on Find Articles in left column of the library homepage and select On Campus Users. Go to Newspapers, click on Proquest Newspapers.
This guide is meant to simply help you get started. A book may lead you to articles and then back to books and so on. Internet sites will be helpful also. Good research is a process.
Ready to test your knowledge?
(Created by Anne Paluck and William Newport. Portions adapted from the University of Connecticut Libraries.)
