The purpose of this course research guide is to acquaint you with some of the resources in the University Library and on the World Wide Web useful for doing research on your paper topic. Should you have questions, stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor. You may also call the Reference Desk at (334) 229-4110 during the hours the Library is open.

Reference Sources

Sources in the Library's Reference Collection and similar sources online are a great place to start your research. They'll provide background information on your topic and can help you find brief factual information quickly. As you explore these sources, write down words that describe your topic. You'll be able to use these later when you search for articles and books. Also write down the names of people and organizations related to your topic.

Reference Books

• Black's Law Dictionary
  Main Reference Desk: KF 156 .B53 1999
• West's Encyclopedia of American Law
  Main Reference: KF 154 .W47 1998
• Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court
  Main Reference: KF 8742 .B57 1996
• Historic U.S. Court Cases: An Encyclopedia
  Main Reference: KF 352 .Z9 H57 2001
• The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States
  Main Reference: KF 8742 .A35 O93 1992

CQ Researcher

Each CQ Researcher (ASU) report focuses on a single topic related to social, economic, political, health, or environmental issues. They provide a chronological overview and detail recent developments and opposing viewpoints. Each includes a bibliography that can lead you to other sources of information on your topic.

top of page

Journal Articles

The best method for finding journal articles is to use one of the Library's online article databases. These are easily accessible in the residence halls and off campus by clicking on the database name and typing in the information requested. If you need additional assistance with accessing the databases, contact Cedric Davis (334 229-6998) or Randy Curtis (334 229-5604).

Try searching in these databases for your articles.

• Academic Search Premier (ASU)
• Ethnic NewsWatch
• InfoTrac One File
• JSTOR (ASU)
• Literature Resource Center
  

While you'll find the text of many articles in these databases, some articles are not full text. If the text of an article is not available in the database you are searching, first check for the journal title in:

• Serials Solutions (ASU) - Is it available in another database?

If you don't find it listed in Serials Solutions, check HORNetCat, the Library's online catalog. Type in the title of the journal and click on Journal Title in the Find Results in box.

• HORNetCat - Is it available in the Serials Department on the Library's third floor?

top of page

Books

Because of their length, books provide a more in-depth look at topics than articles do.

• HORNetCat
• netLibrary

top of page

World Wide Web

The World Wide Web is an outstanding but often bewildering source of information. Not everything you find will be authoritative, accurate, and valid. Try searching one of these to find more reliable Web sites.

• INFOMINE Scholarly Internet Resource Collections
• Librarians' Index to the Internet
• Scout Report Archives

top of page

Citing Your Sources

A copy of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers is available at the Main Reference Desk on the first floor of the Library. You can also try Citation Machine an interactive Web tool designed to assist you with modeling cited information in the proper format.

top of page

Your Comments

Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think about this guide. Has it helped with your research? Do you have any suggestions for improving the guide? You may e-mail Natasha Jenkins (njenkins@alasu.edu) or call her at (334) 229-1078 with your comments and suggestions.

top of page