Once you have selected a topic for your paper, use the general reference resources available in the library to get background information on your topic. Reference books such as encyclopedias are a good starting point for your research because they help you become better acquainted with your topic.

The library also has several series of books that focus on current newsworthy issues. The following series are available directly behind the Reference Desk and cover a wide range of topics.

Many of the library's databases provide useful background information as well.  Gale CQ Public Affairs and Facts.com are just a few online resources you can check. 

Once you have done your background reading you will be ready to conduct more comprehensive research using books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and the Internet.

Use the  Library Catalog to find books available in the Cerritos College Library. Books can provide a broad overview of a topic or in-depth information.

You can search for books by author, title, subject, or keyword. It is often best to do a Subject or Keyword search to find books on your topic. If you find one book that is useful to your research, click on the Subject links to see others on the same subject.

Journals and magazines usually provide the most current information on a topic. Journal articles are more scholarly or professional while magazine articles tend to be shorter and more general. Newspaper articles, while not usually scholarly or professional, can give you the most current news and some additional facts on your topic.

To find articles on your topic, use one of the databases listed below.  These databases usually provide full-text articles on almost every topic. Conduct your search in these databases by using subject headings and keywords similar to those you used to locate books. Use subject headings similar to those used to locate books. Online indexes allow you to use search logic or "Boolean Logic" – and, or, not.

Country Watch
CQ Electronic Library
EbscoHost
Elsevier
Ethnic News Watch
Facts.com
Gale
Gender Watch
NewsBank
Project Muse
Proquest Newspapers
RAND California

For remote access to the library databases, you must login via MyLibrary.

For historical research, the Library also has print indexes that must be used to find older articles, generally anything published before 1985. The following print indexes are shelved in the Reference Section.

Biography Index
Business Periodicals Index
Education Index
General Science Index
Humanities Index
Los Angeles Times Index
New York Times Index
Reader’s Guide
Social Science Index

The Internet can be a valuable source for supplementing the information you have gathered from books and periodicals. It is important that you evaluate the information you get from the Internet to determine if it is reliable and useful to your research. If you are permitted to use the web, always evaluate websites before you use the information you find there. Look for:

See Evaluating Websites for more information.

To find web sites on your topic, try:

Online Guides to Writing Research Papers

A+ Research and Writing for High School and College Students

http://www.ipl.org/div/teen/aplus
 

OWL: Online Writing Lab at Purdue
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/

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