Many students turn to Wikipedia for their initial exploration of a topic. This is fine, but be sure to augment your background research with sources you can actually include on an academic bibliography (a.k.a. your References list).
Conduct background research because:
____________________________
The list below includes both print and online resources to help you get started with your preliminary reading.
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. Once you click on the name of a database or eBook, simply enter your student ID (without the W) and your six-digit birth date.
Why search here? Use this database for preliminary reading as you start your research. You'll learn about your topic by reading authoritative topic overviews on a wide variety of subjects.
What's included: Gale eBooks is comprised of subject, specialized encyclopedias with articles written by scholars and experts.
Why search here? Use this database when you want to find comprehensive, unbiased reporting and analysis to get background information on issues in the news.
What's included: Overview reports of topics related to health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy in America.
Why search here? Use Access World News when you need to find current news stories. It's especially useful for local and California news. This is your source for The Modesto Bee from January 1989 to the present.
What's included: Articles from of local, regional, and national U.S. newspapers as well as full-text content of key international sources. It includes in-depth special reports and hot topics from around the country.
Watch this short video to learn how to find The Modesto Bee.
Outline the flow of your paper: introduction, body, conclusion.
Create targeted search queries to quickly find the most useful sources.
Track the sources you've found vs. those sources you still need to find.
WHAT KINDS OF SPECIFIC QUESTIONS SHOULD I ASK?
Always look at your assignment for clues on the types of information and the actual content of information you’ll need to find for your research. Often, professors will give you an assignment with bullet points or areas they'd like you to address in your essay. You can turn those elements into research questions that you need to answer in the course of your research. This is a huge benefit to you because these questions give you a focus and a road map to follow to find information.
Example assignment: Explore childhood vaccination and why it is such an important concern.
Brainstorm keywords: child immunization: childhood, vaccination, vaccination schedule, laws,
_________________________
Introductory Questions (General)
Body Questions (More analytical)
Concluding Questions (Wrapping up)