Finding Books

To find books, you will need to search the catalog, also known as Web Voyage.

To find books on a specific subject: Do a keyword search.

To find a specific book: Do a title search.

To find books by a specific author: Do an author search or author browse (author browse must be last name, first name -- Dickens, Charles).

Reference books can get you off to a good start with your research. Those are located on the first floor.

We also have online reference works provided through Credo Reference .

If we don't have what you're looking for

Sometimes we may not have any books on your topic or we may not have the specific book you're looking for. In that case, you will need to request it through interlibrary loan (ILL). The ILL office will borrow the book from another library for you. Please note that it may take up to 10 days to receive items requested through interlibrary loan.

To figure out what book you want to order through interlibrary loan, you can do a search in WorldCat to find out what's available from other libraries. WorldCat allows you to search for materials from the collections of libraries all over the world.

Finding Scholarly Journal Articles

Two Good General Databases for Finding Articles

Academic Search Premier
Multidisciplinary database containing full-text scholarly articles.
CQ Researcher
A weekly publication that covers current and controversial issues with complete summaries, timelines and bibliographies. For students who need to complete an assignment, prepare for a debate, or become a quick expert on a topic.
InfoTrac OneFile
A one-stop source for news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics and academic disciplines.
Literature Resource Center
Provides access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of authors from every age and literay discipline.
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
A one-stop source for information on today's hottest social issues. OVRC features viewpoint articles, topic overviews, full-text magazine, academic journal, and newspaper articles, primary source documents, statistics, images and podcasts, and links to Websites.
ProQuest Newspapers
Includes coverage of 27 newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, plus other important U.S., international and minority interest papers.

For additional useful databases in your area, please visit the list of databases in your subject area.

How to Find a Specific Journal Article in Full-Text

Periodicals A to Z is a database that will allow you to search for a specific journal title and find in which databases it is available in in full-text (or if it is available in print at the library). For instructions on how to use Periodicals A to Z, visit this page on the Research Guide.

Using the Web

The Web can be a useful resource while doing research. However, you need to be careful about the information you choose to use in your research. Websites may be developed by the government, by an academic institution, or by some guy in a shack with no qualifications whatsoever. This page gives you some tips on how to evaluate Websites.

Citing Your Sources

Do I need to cite this?

You need to cite your sources when:

  • You directly quote from a source (including books, newspapers, journals, movies, a websites, lectures and anything else)
  • You paraphrase what you read in your own words
  • You use an idea that you got from another source

Basically, any ideas that didn't come directly from you (other than those that are common knowledge) need to be cited.

Citation Formats

There are specifically prescribed ways for how you will have to format your citations in your classes. There are literally hundreds of citation formats out there, but there are three major ones that are primarily used in colleges and universities:

  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago/Turabian

The citation format you will use depends on the subject area of the class you're taking. For English 101, you will be using MLA.

We have books in the library on MLA format that tell you exactly how to format each type of resources (book, article, lecture, etc.). There are also a number of online resources including Purdue's Online Writing Lab. Click here for a list of other online citation guides and free web programs that will format your citations for you.

Need Help?

If you need help with your research, please feel free to contact us via IM, phone, e-mail or in person. Visit the Ask a Librarian page on the Website for more information.

In-Class Activity

Source Critique: Racial Profiling

Break up into five groups and each group will critique one of the five following resources based on the following criteria:

  1. Who wrote it? What are their credentials?
  2. Who published it? What is the sponsoring institution?
  3. Is it objective?
  4. Is it backed up by facts? Are there references?
  5. Would you use this in your paper?
  1. A Thirteenth Amendment Framework for Combating Racial Profiling.
  2. Racial Profiling
  3. The Myth of Racial Profiling
  4. A Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection Systems
  5. Assessing Racial Profiling More Credibly

If you have a question or comment about the Library's website, please e-mail library@norwich.edu.