Library Tutorial

What resources should you use for your topic?

BOOKS:
If you are unfamiliar with your topic, books are a good place to begin gathering background information. Books often provide good overviews or broad coverage of topics. Remember that it takes several years to get a book published; consequently they do not necessarily contain the most current information on a subject. An explanation on using the library catalog to find books follows later in this tutorial.

JOURNALS:
In many disciplines, it is very important to use journal articles to find the most current information available on your topic. Citations to journal articles are found by using the computerized databases appropriate for your topic. Databases useful for general research will be discussed throughout this module.

REFERENCE SOURCES:
There are many reference sources that can provide you with basic, factual information. These may be in print or electronic format. Some useful online reference resources can be accessed from the main menu on the Libraries' web site under Research Guides by Subject.

FULL-TEXT ONLINE JOURNAL COLLECTIONS:
These full-text resources are valuable if you are unable to go to the library or want resources we don't have in paper. They can be searched by topic, and your search results will be available in full-text online. You can then print the results or read them from the screen.

INTERNET:
Access to selected Internet sites is provided through the Subject Guides. These sites have been evaluated for their currency, authority, informational content, scope, and appropriateness.