Search basics

  • Searching Google Scholar? Some caveats.
  • Searching the library catalog (to find books, journals (not articles), maps, films, and more.
  • Searching the Articles & Full Text interface or a database to find articles.
  • Ask a Librarian when you run into trouble 

Research Strategies

  1. Find a reference source (a bibliography, literature review, encyclopedia or handbook) that relates to your topic (usually more broadly) 
  2. To find books, search the library catalog by keyword or known title. Note subject headings in records for the more relevant titles and follow those subject heading links. 
  3. To find articles, search a discipline-specific databases, e.g., Worldwide Political Science Abstracts, or a broader interface covering multiple disciplines, e.g., the Articles & Full Text search from the library homepage. 
  4. Track references from highly relevant articles. What sources did those articles cite? What later sources cited those articles?
  5. Ask a Librarian for help at any point in the process!