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ENGL1040 (Introduction to Academic Writing)

A resource guide for Introduction to Academic Writing

Next Steps in Research

The "next step" is to locate sources that provide greater substance, or support for your particular research question. Scholarly sources and/or professional/trade publications often provide this information, often taking the form of journal articles, conference proceedings, and/or books and eBooks published by academic publishers. 

Databases grouped by subject.  This should help you select appropriate collections based on your topic, however, keep in mind that usually topics are covered in overlapping disciplines.  For example: If your research question is "Should the White House end a policy that bans abortion aid to victims in war zones?" you will find resources in HEALTH, but also in LAW, and RELIGION.

To cross-search all databases, select from the following:

Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) provide more effective ways to search library databases, and, even Google. The short video below demonstrates how to effectively use Boolean operators in the search process.

Publication Finder is a good resource for finding out what access the NNU Riley Library might have to specific journals and eBook. The short video below demonstrates how to use Publication Finder, which is found next to the Databases A to Z link on library's main website.

The short video below will demonstrate how to search for and access print and eBooks through the John E. Riley Library. Please ask a librarian or someone at the Learning Commons Service Desk if you have questions about accessing an item through the library. 

Search Riley Library

The following link provides access to a guide for government information from federal, state, and local entities. The NNU Riley Library is a depository of documents from the federal government. Refer to the guide for more information on what this means, and what documents can be found at the NNU Riley Library.

The following link will take you to a guide providing access to a variety of sources for data and/or statistics.