Background research
Do not make the research segment of your assignment hard.
Choose your topic carefully.
Before you commit to a topic be sure you can readily find sufficient information that meets the assignment requirements.
Video: Picking Your Topic IS Research
This 3 minute narrated video offers tips for choosing a topic and developing a research strategy. Watch below or use the full-size version.
Problems? Try a different web browser or computer. This video uses Adobe Flash.
Research tools: reference materials
Reference resources are useful to learn about a topic so you can develop an effective search strategy. Credo Reference does link to Vol State databases to help you find credible sources.
Wikipedia and other encyclopedias are not appropriate sources for an academic paper, but are appropriate tools to learn about your topic.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Online reference collection of subject encyclopedias, handbooks, and guides,that cover over 80 major subject disciplines. Entries include visual aids, images, photographs and maps. Use the Credo collection for background research and discover key concepts and a mind map on your topic.
- Ebooks (Gale) - TEL Collection This link opens in a new window
Reference book collection. Suitable for general audience. Gale Virtual Reference
NOTE: Access limited by IP to users located in Tennessee
Resource provided by Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)
Research tools: recommended databases
This step of the research process will likely produce some suitable sources for your assignment, but more research will be needed. When you are comfortable with your topic selection proceed to Step 3.
Each recommended database has a different purpose. For best results use as described.
CQ Researcher
Description: This database only has the periodical CQ Researcher. Each issue of CQ Researcher is an in-depth report on a current or controversial subject in the U.S. written by experienced journalists and has a bibliography.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
Description: A TEL database published by Gale Cengage Learning focusing on current social issues. Each topic portal provides a variety of resources including pro/con viewpoint essays and published information sources on a controversial subjects.
- Opposing Viewpoints (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new window Research portal on current social topics with a variety of resources that support differing views. Resources include viewpoint essays, articles, primary materials, statistics, and multimedia resources. Helps students develop critical thinking skills. NOTE: Access limited by IP to users located in Tennessee Resource provided by Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)
ProQuest Research Library
Description: This library database is a general periodical index database. In this database you will find newspapers and wire feeds, magazines, trade journals (specialized magazines), and scholarly journals including peer-reviewed. ProQuest covers a wide variety of topics and is a suitable research tool for most subject areas.
- ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new windowGeneral interest periodical database. Journals available.