JSTOR has created an online course that guides you through the process of conducting academic research. Lots of great tips here, especially if you're using JSTOR for your research!
Google: all the world's information at your fingertips, right? Not exactly.
Google is great at collecting and pointing you toward a huge variety of websites, but it's not so good at distinguishing between the good, the bad, and the totally irrelevant. However, if you learn to search smarter and carefully evaluate the websites you find, Google can be a great tool.
TIPS
Use good keywords and make them as relevant and specific as you can.
Check out Google's own tips on refining your searches.
Try adding the terms "site:gov" or "site:edu" to return only results from a particular kind of website (for example, government or educational websites).
You can also ask Google to search only one specific website (for example, the New York Times website) by adding "site:nytimes.com" to your keywords.
Type "link:nobelprize.org" to see which other websites link to a particular site -- and what those other sites have to say about it.
Use the Search tools button (see below) for more ways to filter your results, including results from a particular time period and results that use your exact search term ("verbatim").
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. Helpful advice on searching can be found HERE.
Google Scholar returns many results that are citations only (not full text). If you want the full text of an article, look for a PDF version in the right column, or ask a librarian for help. Remember that USN students can visit the Vanderbilt libraries to access their resources. An article you find on Google Scholar may be available via Vanderbilt.
In many cases, primary sources will be a major component of your research. Here are some ways to search the Library Catalog for primary sources on your topic:
Search by subject:
In the search box, type in a topic (a fairly broad topic works best), then type "Sources" or "History Sources."
Example: "Greece History Sources."
Click the "Subject" button and you'll see a list of books in the library with primary sources for that topic.
Do a Keyword search and add one of these terms:
Here are a few ways you can identify useful books in the Library Catalog:
Keep a list of all the keywords you use to search the catalog, and remember that you will learn more keywords as you dig into your research.
If you're having trouble finding anything on your topic, broaden your search and look for books that would tell you more about the context of your topic.
Remember that biographies can be a great source of information.
When you find an item that looks useful in the library catalog, see if the subject headings lead you to any other good books on your topic.
When you locate a book on the library shelf, take a minute to browse the books nearby. You may find another on the same topic that is even better.
Don't forget to check the bibliography of a book you check out (or an article you read). Sometimes you can find additional sources by tracing the author's research.
