Finding Sources
The library is the number one place to go if you're starting a research project and looking for articles and books. Reach out to a librarian for help getting started.
Why use library resources?
The library provides access to published research, which is generally not freely available on the web. Most research is published in scholarly journals or books, which can be expensive. The library subscribes to these resources on behalf of the entire university.
Research publications like journal articles and books are generally written by trained scholars with expertise in their fields. Researchers (like you!) rely on the work of others who work in the same field; researchers, through their written work, are in conversation with each other to build up the knowledge of a discipline. When you are writing papers in your major, you are participating in this conversation. Reading articles and books published by other researchers is an important part of the process.
Finding articles and books
Most scholarly articles are published online behind paywalls. Searching in OneSearch or in library databases gets you past the paywalls so you can access that work.
What's a library database? Databases are special search engines, usually subject-specific, that include information about articles and journals. Many databases include the full text of articles and some link to articles in other databases. Most databases include scholarly articles but some are focused on newspapers or streaming videos or historical and archival materials. The library subscribes to over 150 databases across all majors. The A-Z list of databases can be filtered by subject or by type of content to make it easier for you to find a database that will help you find what you're looking for.
Get Help from a Librarian
Librarians are here to help you get started with your research. You can schedule an appointment, send an email, chat with a librarian online, or just drop by the Information/Checkout Desk for help. We can help you brainstorm topics and research questions, find sources to get you started, work with you on putting together a literature review, or just talk with you about your project and help you get past hurdles and stuck points. There's always someone available to help.
Using OneSearch
OneSearch is the library version of Google: it includes all of the library's physical books and media as well as most of our online journals, videos, e-books, and more. OneSearch is also where you can log into your library account to see what you have checked out and the status of any requests you've placed. When you're logged in, you can save things you want to read or watch later.
This video will give you more information about using OneSearch.
Get past paywalls on the web
Did you know you can link the library to your Google Scholar account to make it easier to find scholarly articles that are available in the library? Learn how to add the library to your Google Scholar account.
The library also provides access to a browser plugin that can help link you to scholarly resources that you find on the web. Instead of hitting paywalls, easily see whether you can find something in the library by installing the LibKey Nomad plugin. Learn how to install and use LibKey Nomad.