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For individual research help, schedule an appointment to meet with a librarian.
Finding Sources for Assignments
- Finding Sources for Assignments WorksheetUse this worksheet both in and out of class as a guide for finding sources for assignments. This worksheet begins with identifying keywords and then guides you on how to use keywords effectively in database searches.
Developing Keywords
These databases are great for learning about your topic and other things related to your topic. In other words, these databases can help you identify keywords that will make your searching easier.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowA collection of over 500 reference books on a variety of topics. (NVCC)
- Issues & Controversies This link opens in a new windowDetailed reports on controversial issues in the news. (VCCS)
- Opposing Viewpoints (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new windowEssays, magazines, journals, newspapers, statistics, primary sources; focus is on controversial issues. (VCCS)
Finding Sources
Academic Search Complete is great for finding sources across a broad range of topics or if your research topic crosses multiple academic disciplines (English Literature is an example of a discipline as is Political Science or Health). Subject specific databases are helpful to use when you want to dive deeply on a topic in a specific subject.
- Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowA multi-disciplinary database which offers information in many areas of academic study. This database supports high-level research in the key areas of academic study by providing access to journals, periodicals, reports, books and more. (VIVA)
- Searching Academic Search CompleteThis video introduces the Academic Search Complete multidisciplinary database.
ProQuest Research Library & Global Newsstream is ideal if you are searching for newspaper and magazine articles related to your topic. Newspapers and magazines, which are not scholarly sources, are better than academic sources for finding information on current events and rapidly evolving contemporary issues.
- ProQuest Research Library & Global Newsstream This link opens in a new windowLarge collection of magazines, journals, and newspapers, including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and many regional newspapers. (NVCC)
- ProQuest Research Library & Global NewsstreamThis video explores the ProQuest Research Library & Global Newsstream databases and tools you can use to get the best search results.
The Library Catalog is where you search to find books held by NOVA Libraries, in print and electronic form. Books provide more in depth information about a topic than do scholarly articles, which are focused on one aspect of a research question. Books cover multiple aspects of a research area and/or cover a single aspect in more detail than is possible for an article to cover.
- Searching for Books in the CatalogThis link takes you to a list of video tutorials on searching for and accessing books in the library catalog.