Finding Information on Any Subject
You may be asked to write papers or give talks on a variety of subjects in your Writing, Communication and other classes. This Subject Research Guide will recommend some library resources which may be helpful in your search for information regarding the subject you have chosen.
Make sure that you understand your assignment. Refer to your notes, the teacher's commentary, and the class syllabus.
Brainstorm your topic before you come to the library. Think of:
- Vocabulary, concepts or keywords (determine several in case the first one doesn't work).
- Write down a specific question or statement.
- What do you already know or want to know about the subject you have chosen?
- What library resources do you want to use (encyclopedias, journals, magazines, newspapers, books, etc.)
Use the following basic databases (indexes to journals, books, newspapers, etc) to find information:
- Academic Search Premiere(appropriate for all topics - also has links to Business Source Premier and Health Source Plus)
- Academic Universe (see LexisNexis Academic) (useful for legal, political and newspaper information)
- Applied Science and Technology Index (for engineering, computer, food science, and other subjects) OSU Libraries Catalog (for books and to find call numbers for the journals you have found in the databases above)
The Library has many different electronic databases. The ones listed above provide some full text articles or the library has subscriptions to many of the journals which they index. Therefore, you will be able to locate most of the information they provide here at The Valley Library. After you have followed this suggested process, if you still need more information, consult our Alphabetical Listing of Databases or our Subject Listing of Databases for additional places to find more information. However, remember that the library does not subscribe to all of the journal articles you may find in these other electronic indexes.
If you would like more instruction about doing library research, please refer to our library research tutorial.
For more information about call number locations, please see the library's floor maps.
