After gaining basic background from a general encyclopedia, consider looking for more in depth background information in specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias. Reading relevant entries from a subject-specific encyclopedia will provide more sophisticated context, concepts, and vocabulary in given fields, thus helping you expand and refine your search terms.
Look up subject-specific encyclopedias and dictionaries in the Libraries' Catalog by adding the word "encyclopedias" or "dictionaries" to your keyword search. For example, to find a psychology encyclopedia you could perform the following search in the catalog:
Search for books using Hiram College Library catalog.
The A-Z list provides a summary description of each database in the collection.
Individual Databases:
Databases by Subject:
Search for books at academic libraries across Ohio. Print books can be delivered right to the Hiram College Library and you can request them yourself without having to complete an interlibrary loan form.
Sometimes you have too many ideas... or you have no idea where to begin.
or
.
Getting Started
The New York Times contains every article, fully searchable, published in the New York Times since 1851. First, set up an account (instructions here). Then just connect to nytimes.com and login. Or, once you have your account set up, download the NYTimes app from the app store. For more information on setting up an account and using the iPad app, see the New York Times Subject Guide.
http://www.nytimes.com/
Narrowing Your Search Make your results list more manageable. Less, but more relevant, information is key. Here are some options to consider when narrowing the scope of your paper:
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Broadening Your Search Think of related ideas, or read some background information first. You may not be finding enough information for several reasons, including:
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