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Skyline Library Home How to Use NETSCAPE Electronic Resources Finding Info on the Web Evaluating Sources Citing Sources TO FIND BOOKS: PLS WebPAC TO FIND MAGAZINE, JOURNAL OR NEWSPAPER ARTICLES: Academic ASAP General Reference Center Health Reference Center Business ASAP Informe General Science Abstracts Humanities Abstracts Social Science Abstracts Readers' Guide Book Review Digest Wilson Biographies Proquest Newspapers SIRS Researcher Ethnic Newswatch Gender Watch ERIC (Education) PubMed (Medicine) TO FIND PERIODICALS & BOOKS IN OTHER LIBRARIES: Melvyl (UC) InvestiGator (SFSU) Library of Congress Subject Headings Libweb TO FIND LITERATURE INFO: Literature Resource Ctr. TO FIND ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLES: Britannica Online Americana Online Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia TO FIND GOVERNMENT STATISTICS: U.S. Census Stat-USA San Mateo County Stats TO FIND LISTS OF BOOKS: Books in Print NoveList TO FIND COLLEGE CATALOGS: College Source Online TO FIND INTERNET RESOURCES: Internet Search Tools IPL Serials IPL Newspapers NewsDirectory.com

Research Assistant Follow the suggestions here for help finding the right information for your class assignments, for research projects or for any personal interest. Click on the highlighted links for more help finding each type of information. BASIC STEPS IN RESEARCHING ANY TOPIC FINDING SPECIFIC TYPES OF INFORMATION FINDING INFORMATION BY SUBJECT AREA BASIC STEPS IN RESEARCHING ANY TOPIC If you're beginning a research project, you should follow these basic steps: Select a topic. Click here for help in selecting a topic. Develop a research question. Click here for help in developing a research question. Plan a search strategy. Click here for help in planning a search strategy. After you have accessed information on your topic, you should: Evaluate your sources. Click here for help in evaluating sources. Cite your sources. Click her for help citing your sources. FINDING SPECIFIC TYPES OF INFORMATION Click on the type of information you need: Background Info (Encyclopedias/Reference Books) Broader Info (Books) Current/Specific Info (Magazines/Journals/Newspapers) Information on Literature Biographical Information Information on the World Wide Web * To find background or introductory information on a subject: try general encyclopedias or reference books in your subject area. For general online encyclopedias, click here. For lists of reference books on different subjects, click here. * To find broader or more extensive information on a subject, use books. To find books in Skyline library, CSM or Canada College libraries or any San Mateo County public libraries, use the PLS WebPAC. Click here to use the PLS WebPAC. * To find relatively current and specific information, use: magazines, journals or newspapers (commonly referred to in libraries as periodicals). To find articles in magazines, journals or newspapers: First, select one or more of the periodical databases available through the library or on the World Wide Web. Click here to select a magazine, journal or newspaper database through the library or on the Web. Next, carry out a search in the selected database(s) based on your research question and search strategy. If the full-text of articles you find are available from the database(s), download them or print them out. If the full-text of articles you find are not available from the database(s): Check the Skyline Library Periodicals List Search the Melvyl Periodicals database to see what libraries in the Bay Area carry the periodical(s) containing your article(s). * To find information about literature, start with the Gale Literature Resource Center. Click here to use the Gale Literature Resource Center. * To find biographical information about famous people, start with the Wilson Biographies database. Click here to use the Wilson Biographies database. * To find information on the World Wide Web, use an appropriate Web search tool (such as subject directories, search engines or databases.) Click here for help in choosing the appropriate Web tools and how to use them.   FINDING INFORMATION BY SUBJECT AREA Art Biology Business Child Development Cosmetology Current Events/News Economics Education Ethnic Studies Fashion Health Law/Paralegal Studies Literature Medicine Music Psychology Sociology U.S. History Women's Studies World History

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last revised: 1-14-00 by Eric Brenner, Skyline College, San Bruno, CA