ENGC 1101 College Writing (Reini-Grandell)

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


 

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
Articles 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)
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).

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Need more options? Try:
Combined Search


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

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.

 Keyword_Worksheetwboolean_Revised.docx