Justice, Community, and Leadership

This guide outlines how to get started on your JCL research projects and papers.

Quick Links: 

Chat with a Librarian: Get research assistance from an SMC Librarian

Library Search: The best place to get started. Looks at both physical and digital materials like books, journals, ebooks, maps, videos, and more 

Google Scholar: Search for your topic in this database that covers many different fields and sources including articles, dissertations, court proceedings, professional conference papers, and more. Use the "Cited By" link to show materials that cited that article. Check for full text by using the "Check for Full Text" link on the right that is provided by SMC library. 

Interlibrary Loan: Get articles SMC library doesn't own for free using this service. 

When starting a research project, it can be beneficial to explore topics broadly.  Once you've identified a topic you might be interested in, take the time to get to know more. This is called gathering background research. It helps you: 

• Develop familiarity with a topic
• Identify different perspectives and relevant theories
• Identify experts, researchers, and scholars that work in the field  
• Identify specialized terms or jargon that can be used for searches later

Here are some sources of background information to consider:

• Encyclopedias & Handbooks
  • Encyclopedias provide background information on a wide range of subjects. Use the database Credo and Oxford Research Encyclopedias of Education to search in multiple encyclopedias at once. 
  • Handbooks like Sage Knowledge and Routledge Handbook Online provide overviews of research and authoritative guides to theory
• Newspapers & magazines
  • Newspapers and magazines often document the reactions, perspectives and opinions of an event around the time it happened. They can help you learn more about a culture, time period, and provide historical perspective to past events. Here are the databases that SMC owns that contains newspapers.
• Internet
  • Google - Search engines like Google can lead you to information that may or may not be appropriate for your needs. Be critical of the websites you visit. 
  • Wikipedia - Wikipedia is a useful resource to start learning more about a topic and identify major events, theories, scholars, or aspects associated with a particular topic. Use the References and/or Further Readings at the end of an entry to verify information within the article. 

Library Search includes books on the shelf and ebooks you can read online (plus much more).

After you start a search, you can use the filters on the search results page to focus your search.

Articles are published in journals. Journals are collected and indexed in Databases. Databases organize information by subject and can be found at A-Z Databases

What is a scholarly article?

A scholarly article is an article that was published in an academic journal. Most of the time, these articles document and discuss the results of original research that the author has conducted. They usually have a review of literature previously published on the topic, the methodology used in the study, and what the authors found out. Most scholarly articles are reviewed by a series of experts in the field before publication so that the reader can be reasonably assured the information is credible. 

What is a popular article?

A popular article appears in a magazine, newspaper, or website. The content in these publications often covers current events or summarizes research done by others. The content in these publications is often brief, written in simple language, and often includes pictures and advertisements. Authors are not always named, and sources are not always identified.

Looking for a good book to read over break? Need recommendations for your students or for your kids or even the grandparents? Looking for a new author in your favorite genre? Want to read something that fits the particular mood you are in?  

Introducing NoveList Plus. 

NoveList Plus is a powerful database with robust and deep search functionality that helps readers of all ages match books, fiction and nonfiction, perfectly to their preferences. Search or browse by moods, themes, genres and Lexile reading levels. NoveList Plus stands out for its author, series and audiobook recommendations. Excellent for teachers looking to recommend books to their students that fit their reading level; for parents looking for books for their children; for students and bibliophiles looking for their next best read.

Find a match for every reader in NoveList Plus. Look for it under N in our A to Z Database list.