When starting a research project, it is helpful to find background sources that will give you an overview of a topic. You can find strong foundational information in encyclopedias by searching in Credo Reference, an online encyclopedia database. Encyclopedias are considered Reference Sources. Your professor may not allow you to use an encyclopedia chapter as a resource in your paper; however, you can use the encyclopedia chapter to understand basic concepts, moving on to other books on the topic that you can use in your research paper.
Check out the Library Research: The Process for more help in starting your research paper.
Search the library catalog for print and online books. Type your keywords into the box below, for example gun control AND legislation.
From the results list, narrow your search to the type of source you are interested in, for example books, newspaper articles, videos, or articles. You can also narrow by availability, for example 'available online'
Search for articles from periodicals (magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals) in the following databases. From off campus, you will be prompted to log in with your Cougar Track username and password.
For more information on how to search in databases, please see What is a Database and how do I use it?