Getting Started

There are lots of ways to get started;  here are some ways to join the scholarly conversation.

• think about why you took the class and what you wanted to learn
  
• discuss it with a librarian: 
  
• review:  look over your syllabus, readings, class discussion for issues that catch your attention; talk it over with your professor
  
• browse and note what interests you and why it's interesting: 
  
• Academic Search Premier:  skim journal article titles and descriptions
  
• Book Catalog:  skim book titles and descriptions
  
• Encyclopedias (including Wikipedia):  skim entries
• interdisciplinary tools:  skim JSTOR and Google Scholar
  

Exploring the scholarly conversation surrounding your topic

• discuss it with a librarian:
• Book Catalog:  follow subject links to other useful material (e.g. environmental policy--international cooperation)
  
• Encyclopedias:  track down items listed for "further reading"
• Academic Search Premier:  scholarly and popular articles on a wide range of issues
  
• JSTOR:  scholarly articles on a wide range of issues
• get specific with subject-specific databases

Things to set up as you get started

• My Interlibrary Loan account:  request needed items as you find them 
  
• Refworks account:  collect and cite your sources as you go along

Alternate Routes

• Beginning Research at Colgate University: Quick-reference tutorial to doing research.
  

Questions?

Librarian Hours