Research Overview

We all come to this class with different experiences and different comfort levels, especially in regards to research. Some of this information may be review for you, and some may be new information. Regardless, please make sure to read through it carefully so you understand my research expectations, which may be different from previous instructor's.

Here are links to a variety of guides and videos to help you figure out search terms, use the library website and find articles, to evaluating the articles and making sure they're a good fit. You should review all of the guides below and consider it part of your reading material for this assignment.

Where Do I Start & How to Find A Source?

You should become familiar with the SCC library website. All of the sources you find should come from the SCC library website for this assignment for a few reasons. One, the library pays access to journals that you'll want to review. If you find the journal on your own search (let's say through Google) then you may be asked to pay money. The SCC Library pays that subscription for you, so you should never pay for an article. Second, a goal for you this semester is to feel more comfortable and confident with research, and that means being more comfortable and confident with our own research tools. After you have decided on a topic, you should start researching.

But, to answer the question: you should start with OneSearch

Think of OneSearch as your first stop in all things research: from here you can enter your search terms, topics, etc. OneSearch is a great tool for our essay.

Here's how to use OneSearch:

OneSearch in one minute: a quick review of how to use OneSearch. If you are new to research and just want an overview of how to use the SCC library website, start here.
- Here's a longer (2 minute) video of how to use the SCC OneSearch
- OneSearch Demo

I strongly recommend narrowing your results for Scholarly Only, or (also narrow by date, language, etc)

Is the Source I found good enough?

This is covered in depth in the 13.4 - Review Evaluating a Source's Credibility guide but if it's scholarly it should be considered credible. Here's an additional video on ways to evaluate online sources and a helpful guide on Misinformation, Disinformation, and Fact-Checking and determining whether or not a source is Scholarly or not: Is it Scholarly? How to tell

Don't forget to read the source!

Reading research articles can be tough. The source you're required to find must be scholarly. These can be tough to read, though of course some aren't.
Here's How to Read a Scholarly Source to help you parse through these dense texts.