Introduction to Finding Sources

What you’ll learn to do: evaluate methods for finding various types of sources using search engines and databases

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Have you ever heard a song, made a mental note to look it its name, but then forgot all of the words? You remember wanting to hear it again and add it to your workout playlist, but all you remember is a short bit of the tune? How did go about finding the song?

Chances are, you had to:

  • Investigate to find out the song’s melody. Maybe you hummed the tune for a few friends, or remember that it sounded somewhat similar to another song you already heard, and used that song as a reference point.
  • Investigate to find out the song’s title (“E.T.”, “The Lazy Song,” “Born This Way,” “Latinoamérica”).
  • Investigate to find out who performed the song (Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Kanye West, Calle 13).
  • Investigate to find out which album the song was released (Teenage Dream, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Born This Way, Entren Los Que Quieran) and if there are other songs you might also enjoy.
  • Investigate to find out where you can purchase or download the song for the best price.

You can’t (and won’t) get what you want to know without investigating. And it’s really no different with researching. Investigating is essential to your research because the questions you ask will help create a convincing and compelling argument. Researching will take time and effort, so it pays to take the time upfront to learn about the best strategies for maximizing your research. The wrong approach can waste your time and effort and result in a weak paper.

So, where do you start investigating? First, you’ll want to follow the research process. Once you have a good understanding of your research assignment and goals, you can begin to search for the right sources. In this section, you’ll learn how to use search engines and library databases to find scholarly articles you’ll need to write a top-notch paper.