Now that you have chosen your topic (or topics), you can dig into more research. The library has access to many different types of reliable sources. We have articles, books and ebooks, videos, and more! In this guide, there are a selection of article databases, books and ebook databases (as well as a curated list of books we have in the collection), some video resources, and a list of websites that may be good sources for your research. 

If you have questions at any point of your research process, please reach out to the library. We would be happy to help! 

Keyword & Subject Searches
Keyword = Broad Search
Searches for the word(s) ANYWHERE within the database (text, title, author, etc.)

Subject = Narrow Search
Searches for the word(s) only within the subject heading

Expert Advice
What's a subject heading?  

It is a type of controlled vocabulary that is used to take the guesswork out of searching by using a single term to describe a subject within a given database. As you look through the results of an initial search you will see that the articles listed have subject headings or descriptors. If hyperlinked, you can click on the link to find other articles with similar content. If not, do a new search using the terms you have discovered.

Boolean Search Operators
These words are the connectors AND, OR, and NOT. They allow you to connect two or more search terms to get more specific results. As a note, the Boolean operators must have all letters in the operators capitalized. 

AND: narrows your search to only items containing both words

Example: travel AND Europe

OR: broadens your search to items that contain either word

Example: college OR university

NOT: eliminates any results that contain that word

Example: television NOT cable

Helpful tips for using effective search terms:

• The database can only find what you tell it to search for, so choose your words carefully
• If there are few results, check your spelling, or try different words 
• Use your concept map, as well as the subject headings from articles you've already found, to choose your search terms
• Don't use words like "or", "and", or "the" (unless as part of a Boolean search or the title of a work)
• If you want to use a Boolean search, use the drop-down boxes 
• Use 1 or 2 word search terms
• Only use a phrase or sentence when searching by title 

There is more information about searching the databases in the "How Do I...?" tab.