To get you started on your research, here is a list of top library resources for First-Year Writing students:
For additional information on OneSearch and how to use it, please view our webpage with How-To Videos.
Credo Reference is a library database that allows you to search full-text, credible reference sources - like dictionaries, encyclopedias and handbooks.
Think of Credo as the library's version of Wikipedia.
While you should never cite from Credo directly, you can use Credo to:
After searching for your topic in Credo, use the Mind Map feature in the search results (pictured below) to see additional keywords and related concepts that you could use in your searching for sources.
Most Credo entries will have a Bibliography or Further Reading section that will provide a list of sources at the end of an entry.
If you see a source in the Bibliography that interests you, try searching for the full-text of that source using library tools. You could potentially read and cite one of these secondary sources (i.e. books, articles) in your college work!
Gale Opposing Viewpoints is a library database that provides access to a wide range of articles and perspectives on current social and political issues, presenting both "pro" and "con" viewpoints on popular topics.
Gale Opposing Viewpoints searches a variety of sources, including:
You can also use this database for research topic development.
When reading viewpoint essays in Gale Opposing Viewpoints, recognize that the authors are trying to persuade the reader to agree with their views.
Keep in mind that these essays are opinion pieces. They are not peer-reviewed journal articles.
It's up to you to analyze the author's credentials to determine if it's a source worthy of citing in your own work.
EXAMPLE:
Take for example the following viewpoint essay - "Global Warming Will Not Increase Food Insecurity," by Patrick J. Michaels. We see in the article commentary that Michaels is a "global warming skeptic," which informs the reader that this essay will be heavily biased.
We also see that Michaels worked for the Cato Institute. A quick Google Search of the Cato Institute shows that this institution is affiliated with right-libertarianism values, which demonstrates political bias. The Cato Institute was also founded by Charles Koch, a billionaire aligned with conservative politics who's businesses have proven to violate environmental protections. The institutional affiliations of Michaels further prove why his viewpoint is biased.
Searching by primary-source format words: There are words in catalog records that identify the type of primary source. These are often part of the subject heading, or subject words, in the record. These may include: advertisements, autobiographies, collected works, correspondence, description and travel, diaries, documents, interviews, journal, letters, manuscripts, pamphlets, personal narratives, sources, and speeches. You can combine a primary-source format word with words describing your topic such as event or person (e.g., letters and Lincoln; diaries and civil war). For a specific search, type in the primary-source format word in the Subject box in Advanced Search of the Library Catalog.
Searching by author: To find diaries, letters, autobiographies, personal papers, etc., search a person's name as an author (not as a subject, because that will find materials about them instead of works the person wrote).
Identifying primary sources: Look for the publication date or, if you have a reprinted book, look for the original publication date. If the original publication date is during the time you are studying, you have a primary source. Primary sources may be compiled, edited, and printed some time after an event or historical period. Also look at the birth/death dates of the author. If the birth/death dates of the author are such that the person lived during the time of your event or historical period, you might have a primary source. Look at the notes in the record; there may be clues as to whether or not it is a primary source. The words facsimile or reprint might indicate primary source.