Research Guide for

ENGC 1101 College Writing (Reini-Grandell)

Main

Starting Research and Developing Keywords

Picking a Research Topic
You will likely start with a general or broad topic, and gradually narrow that topic as you begin to research and write about it. Narrowing down your research topic makes your research easier and increases your ability to persuade your audience. As you begin researching, look for opportunities to narrow your research question.




Research is a process. You probably won’t find everything you need on the first try. You may have to try several library databases to find all the information you need. If you get stuck, try looking in a different database or changing up your keywords.

Developing Keywords


 

Find Books

Find Articles

Encyclopedia (i.e. Reference) Databases: The encyclopedia databases (also called "reference databases") are a great place to start to learn about a topic and get background information. 
Gale eBooks
Selected dictionaries, encyclopedias, and reference books in many subjects.


Credo Reference
Credo logoArticles from dictionaries, general and subject encyclopedias, handbooks, atlases, and more.


Articles: Many topics can be found in general article databases. They include articles from magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. These databases cover many, different topics and are often a good pace to look after you have read some on your "broad topic" and narrowed your topic to something more specific.  

Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost)
Articles in all subjects from scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers. An all-purpose database and often a good place to start.

Academic OneFile (Gale)
Academic OneFile (Gale)Articles in all subjects from scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers. An all-purpose database.


Literature Database: Gale Literature has sorces specifically on literature.
Gale Literature
Searches all Gale literature databases at once: Gale Literature Criticism, Gale Literature Resource Center, LitFinder, Scribner Writers Series, Twayne's Author Series, Something About the Author, and the Dictionary of Literary Biography.


Academic Journals Only: JSTOR and Project MUSE have academic journals on many different subjects.
JSTOR
Scholarly articles, ebooks, and primary sources in the social sciences, humanities, earth and biological sciences, and more. Includes images from libraries, museums, and archives.

Project MUSE
Journal articles and books on literature, history, visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, and more.


Newspapers Only
ProQuest Major U.S. Newspapers
Search the 5 major U.S. newspapers all at once. Includes New York Times (including the Magazine and Book Review), Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal (including WSJ magazine).
Need more options? Try:
Combined Search

Combined Search helps find articles, books, and videos from the library collection.

Note: Combined Search results include both online content and paper books available for pickup at the library. Follow these instructions to request a book (PDF) be held for pickup.

 


All Library Databases by Subject/Type
All of the library's online collections, organized by subject or type.

Science Databases

ScienceDirect
Journal articles in the health and life sciences.

Science (Gale OneFile)
Articles from scholarly science journals and science and industry magazines.

BioOne
Articles from scholarly journals in the biological, ecological and environmental sciences.

Ask a Librarian

Call, e-mail, or chat with a librarian for more research assistance. We're happy to help!

  (952) 358-8290

 Email


Luke MosherReference and Instruction Librarianluke.mosher@normandale.edu
 

Note: Your chat question may be directed to a librarian from another college when Normandale librarians are unavailable.

Access Our Databases from Anywhere

Online Library Access Info
To access databases and other Library resources, login with your StarID and password when prompted.  Access is only available to current Normandale students and employees.

 

Cite your Sources (MLA)

MLA Quick Guide (PDF)
See MLA citation examples for the most common types of sources (9th edition).

MLA Formatting and Style Guide (OWL at Purdue)
This website offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, and the Works Cited page. Uses MLA 9th edition.
 

Cite Your Sources (APA)

APA Quick Guide (PDF)
A guide to APA citation format based on the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual.

APA Formatting and Style Guide (OWL at Purdue)
A comprehensive guide to APA formatting and style (7th edition). See examples of APA formats for papers, References lists, in-text citations, footnotes, and more.