Essentials of Library Research

  1. Choosing a Topic

A good paper or presentation starts with a well defined topic. View the resources on Choosing Your Topic to brainstorm, narrow or broaden your topic, and divide your topic into well-chosen keywords or search terms.

  2. Finding Books & Media, Finding Articles & Journals

You have a topic, so what's next? Finding appropriate sources are important. Finding Books & Media, and Finding Articles & Journals, will give you the info you need to get started navigating the library's article databases and catalog.

  3. Evaluating Information

You'll want to use the best sources to back up your argument. Evaluating Information will help you identify a scholarly source, demystify peer-review, and evaluate the quality of your sources.

  4. Citing Sources

MLA? APA? Chicago? We've got you've covered! The resources on the Citing Sources page will guide you through parts of a citation, citation styles, and our favorite citation generators.