What kinds of sources do you need for your research project, and where should you start? First, consider the “when” or time frame of your topic. Are you researching a historical event, such as the Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s, or a historical figure, such as social justice crusader Ida B. Wells? Is your topic a current event or issue, such as the recovery from Superstorm Sandy, or a present-day person, such as Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey? Consider also the “where” aspect of your topic. Do you need information about recent weather disasters in the United States, or do you need a global perspective?

Even with an understanding of various types of sources, it can be difficult to determine exactly what you need for your assignment. Figure 10.1 provides an overview of when to use different common research sources and gives examples of what you’ll find in each source. Review your assignment and use Figure 10.1 to help you find the best resources for your project.

Scholarly Articles. Many college-level research projects will require you to use scholarly articles, which are articles written by experts in their fields, such as researchers, librarians, or professors, and then assessed and edited by other experts in a process called peer review. Authors submit their articles to a scholarly journal that has a board of respected and highly qualified reviewers who check the articles for all the basics (e.g., spelling, grammar, quality of the writing), but also evaluate the work based on its thesis, research methods, and originality. You might find that some of your instructors use the terms peer reviewed, refereed, or academic to refer to scholarly articles. Be sure to clarify what your instructor expects of your sources before you begin your work.

Unlike an encyclopedia, scholarly articles do not usually provide a general overview of a topic. Rather, they are often research or scientific studies with a hypothesis and rigorous testing. For example, for our topic of climate change we might find scholarly articles that compare temperature data over a certain time period, analyze a specific pollutant’s effect on climate change, or explore public and political discourse on the topic.

Finding Scholarly Articles. Scholarly articles are published in scholarly journals. You can find journals in your library in a few ways. The first and most popular way is to conduct a search using an online database, which will result in titles, description, and sometimes full text of articles within the journal. The second way is to use your library’s catalog. Both methods are discussed below. The key thing to remember, however, is that online databases will let you search inside the journal. There is a much more effective approach given how difficult it would be to browse decades of print journals in the library stacks. You can always look for the print edition of the journal using the volume and issue number you find in an online database. When searching the library catalog, you are likely to find only the names of journals and not the titles of the articles within the journal.

Periodicals (Journals and Magazines). You may have heard the word periodical before. Many sources that we use in both academic research and our personal lives are periodicals. A periodical is a resource that is published multiple times a year, such as a magazine. Periodicals often have issue and volume numbers, but the title of the periodical is always the same (e.g., Rolling Stone or Journal of Academic Librarianship). You might use magazines for some of your college research, and you will definitely use journals.

Be warned that not all periodicals are scholarly. As mentioned above, Rolling Stone is a periodical. There is a new issue every two weeks, which classifies it as a periodical, but it does not go through the rigorous peer-review process like the articles in scholarly journals. Remember, this step does not disqualify magazines as a viable source for your research, but they will not satisfy an assignment’s scholarly article requirement. Refer to Figure 10.1 for a breakdown of when and how to use different types of sources.

Using Databases to Find Scholarly Articles. To find scholarly articles, you will use databases. Remember that a database is an organized and searchable set of information often classified by a certain subject area. Your library will have online databases that cover a variety of topics. Although some databases are available to anyone regardless of their affiliation with a college, access to most of the databases you’ll use for research in college requires paid subscriptions, and the material is available only to people who are affiliated with a school that pays for the service. For this reason, you will most likely need to log in with your college username and password to use the databases from off campus. Also remember that even though databases might look just like Web sites, they’re actually carefully chosen subscriptions paid for by the library. So you can use the library resources without ever stepping foot into the building, but the librarians would be happier if you came to visit.

Librarians have insider knowledge of the databases that your school can access and are masters at database searches. Working with a librarian can help you search more effectively than working solo and leads to better results with less wasted time. Some databases are specific to one subject, such as chemistry, while others include articles from a wide variety of disciplines. Many libraries have dozens, if not hundreds, of databases. It can be difficult to figure out which ones you should use, but your librarian can help you determine which databases are best for your research. Don’t be afraid to ask! It’s better to ask than to waste hours searching in the wrong place. We’ve said this before, but remember that if you search for more than 20 minutes without finding anything, it’s time to ask a librarian for help.

Scholarly articles can be a great resource. Depending on your topic, however, you might also need other types of sources.

Books. When doing research in today’s world, online resources often overshadow books. Students and faculty alike love the convenience of online resources that can be accessed immediately and from any place with Internet access. Restricting searches to only online resources, however, will severely limit the results and might also exclude some of the best information available.

In the first few years of college, books are especially useful for research projects. Often students are in introductory classes and write research papers on broad topics, such as the Civil War. Although countless scholarly articles have been written about the Civil War, they will not provide a general overview of the topic. Such articles tend to have a narrow focus on aspects like an analysis of the economic factors that contributed to the start of the war. Many students mistakenly search databases of scholarly articles looking for a broad overview when, in fact, they should be looking for books to give them this perspective. Do not be afraid of books. Libraries—with their thousands, if not millions, of books—might intimidate many new students, but librarians who are trained to help await you. Doing research without a librarian is like driving cross country without a map or GPS. Technically, you can do it, but you will get lost along the way. It might be fun to head down uncharted paths, but when you’re facing a deadline, you want to get to your destination as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Using the Online Catalog. To find books, print journals, and other materials physically located in the library, such as CDs and DVDs, you will use the library catalog, an online resource accessible on or off campus. Sometimes off-campus access requires you to log in with your school username and password. Please note that most library catalogs will not search articles inside the print journals; it will find only the journals by title (e.g., Journal of Climate). Searching the library catalog is a lot like searching databases. Use your keywords to find relevant materials. When you find a source that looks promising, check to see if it is currently available or if it is checked out to another student. If it’s available, write down the title, author, and the call number—which is like an address for the book that tells you where it is in the library—and head into the stacks to locate your item. If it’s checked out to another student or if your library doesn’t own the source that you’re looking for, remember to ask about interlibrary loan. One of the biggest benefits of searching for books or other sources is the ability to browse. For instance, when you find your book on the shelf, look at the other books around it. They will be on the same topic.