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Library and Information Science

A guide to resources in library and information science

Researching for LIBR 200

How to Read a Scholarly Article

By now, you've probably noticed that scholarly articles are long. Really long. There's a knack to reading them and this short handout shows you how.

A How-To Ebooks

Need to Find a Reference Source?

Tertiary sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, fact books, bibliographies, directories, manuals, handbooks, and indexing and abstracting sources. Try searching in OneSearch. For example, encylopedias AND [your topic]​

Getting Started with Your Assignment

Many of your information communities will require some creative thinking when it comes to finding scholarly sources for your paper. For example, it is unlikely that there will be many peer-reviewed articles on Persian cat fanciers specifically so think of this group in a broader context (hobbyists, pet owners, pet ownership). If it is a group that socializes only online, "virtual communities" is a possible search term. As you can see, you will need to draw parallels and extrapolate in order to find the peer-reviewed articles you'll need. Below are the best resources to start your research.

Most Useful Databases

Sources for Background Information

Specific Research Guides

Librarians at the King Library have created over 80 research guides on a variety of topics and disciplines. Is your information community World of Warcraft gamers? Take a look at the Game Studies research guide. This is just one example of the many subject-specfic guides that can help you with your INFO 200 research. Use the search box on the Research Guide listings page to see if there is one on your topic.