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Contents

At a Glance
(A summary chart of the research process)

Refining Your Topic
Understanding your task
Narrowing a broad topic
Choosing your own topic
Writing a thesis statement
Developing an outline

Finding Information
Looking for information
Developing search terms
Using Southworth Library

Using Information
Evaluating your sources
Creating note cards
Avoiding plagiarism
Creating an outline

The Final Product
Writing your paper
Citing your sources
Proofreading
The final product

Links
(Includes Works Cited and Student Handouts)
Research Guide for Students
Finding Information

Begin looking for information

Begin with general reference material such as an encyclopedia, or even your textbook. Read enough to become familiar with your topic and its context within your course. A good encyclopedia is Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Develop a list of search terms

Develop a list of related subject terms. Take notes while you read introductory material, such as encyclopedia articles. Be careful about spelling names and terms correctly. Take note of the dates in history that correspond to your topic.

Use Southworth Library Resources

Make your first trip to Southworth Library (there will be more than one!). Meet with a librarian if you need to - that's why we are here. You will find the following resources in the library:

  • Books
    • Check your subject terms in the library catalog. Note: You can only use the catalog from on-campus computers.
    • Find out if there are any subject-specific encyclopedias or books that relate to your topic. The librarians will help you find them. Usually these resources are found in the reference section of the library, so you can only use them in the library. Remember, you can photo copy any article that you need for your research.
    • Look at the bibliography at the end of articles in encyclopedias - these will lead you to other books or articles on your subject.
    • Look in your town library catalog to see if they have material that we don't have in Southworth Library.
  • Magazine or Journal Articles
    • Check the Reference Databases on the Southworth Library web page. These databases can be accessed from the library or from off-campus (we can give you the passwords if you need them).
    • Use the same search terms you used to find books.
  • Web Sites
    • Look for links at the end of electronic encyclopedia articles (the encyclopedias can be found under "Reference Databases" on the Southworth Library web page).
    • Look in the "Curriculum Connections" section of the library web page. Use the drop-down menus to find your course of subject areas.
    • Search using the following search engines and directories:
      • Google
        http://www.google.com/
         The industry standard. Be sure to use the Advanced Search feature for more precise searching.
      • Web Feet
        http://www.webfeetguides.com/wfonline/rhf.html
         A directory of web sites on Arts and Social Studies, Science and Technology, Ready Reference (quick questions), and New Topics.
      • Librarians' Internet Index
        http://lii.org/
        A publicly funded web site which allows you to search and browse the web site for the best of the web. The designers describe it: “We have tens of thousands of entries, maintained by our librarians, and organized into 14 main topics and nearly 300 related topics.”
      • Clusty
        http://clusty.com/
        When you enter a search term, Clusty will organize the results into folders organized by topics related to your search terms. For instance, a search for John F. Kennedy results in twenty-seven related folders, including his presidency, speeches, assassination, museums, etc.
      • Mooter
        http://www.mooter.com/
         Organizes search results into topical groups to direct your search.
      • Ask.com
        http://www.ask.com/
         Another general search engine. Guides searches by suggesting broader or narrower topics.
  • Primary Source Material
    • What are they? Primary sources were created during an event or about an event by people who experienced it. Primary sources are original records created at the time historical events occurred or well after events in the form of memoirs and oral histories. 
    • Sources at Southworth Library
      • Proquest Historical Newspapers: A database that contains the entire collection of The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times back to the 1800's.
      • Curriculum Connections (found on Southworth Library web page): Under history, browse the notes related to each site.
      • Online Catalog: There are many books in our collection that contain primary source material. They are both in our reference and general collection. You will need to add certain search terms to locate this material, such as Primary Sources, Sources, Personal Narratives, Letters, Diaries, Correspondences, or Photographs.
    • Sources on the Web