How to Do Library Research

• What search engine(s) or database(s) is likely to get you to the kinds of information you decided you need?
• What keywords will you use to search for information on your research question?
• Looking at your search results, why did you get the results you did?
• How will you save the sources you find?

• The database Credo Reference will help you find encyclopedia articles for factual overviews of your topic (like Wikipedia, but written by scholars who are experts on the topic).
• Start with a broad search for a single concept that describes your topic, like first-generation college students

Multisearch is the Library's search engine that searches 100+ of our databases all at once. It will help you find books, journal articles, news articles, videos, and more from a variety of different disciplines.

Or go to the Research Guide that most closely matches your topic to see the best databases for that subject:

What is a database anyway, and how does all the stuff get in there? Watch this video to find out: