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Social Sciences Research

Learn tools and tips for conducting research in the social sciences

Article Databases vs. Free Web

Simply put, databases were created to help you find credible information easily and quickly. Learn more about the difference between using article databases and the free Web in this short video below:

Using & Finding Books

Why Use Books:

Use books to read broad overviews and detailed discussions of your topic. You can also use books to find primary sources, which are often published together in collections.
 

Where Do I Find Books?

You'll use the library catalog to search for books, ebooks, articles, and more.

What if MJC Doesn't Have What I Need?

If you need materials (books, articles, recordings, videos, etc.) that you cannot find in the library catalog, use our interlibrary loan service.

Find Articles in MJC Databases

Why Use Databases?

The MJC Library subscribes to many databases filled with authoritative articles, book chapters, research reports, statistics, and more from thousands of respected publications.

Using the Library's article databases ensures that you're using the academically-appropriate sources your instructors expect you to use. Also, you won't have to cull through millions of unrelated Web pages that will waste your time and energy.


All of these resources are free for MJC students, faculty, and staff.

If you're working from off campus, you'll need to sign in just like you do for Canvas or email.

 

Articles & Databases button image
 

To learn how to navigate our databases page, please view the video below.

Using the Web for Research

You don't want to wade through millions of Web pages. By using a few tricks, you can focus your searches relatively easily to those authoritative, reliable sources you want to use.

  • Use key search terms - Use the same search terms you used successfully to find books and articles.
  • Know your search tool - Use advanced search features to control your search. For example you can limit your search in Google to just search government or educational Web sites by limiting to a specific domain. Learn more at Google for Researchers.
  • Use search tools you can trust - Google Scholar indexes scholarly literature on the Web.

You can search Google Scholar below:


Google Scholar Search