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Gingrich Library: Your Success Is Why We're Here!

FYS 100N -- Exploring History and Memory through Monuments, Public Places, and Visual and Performing Arts Events (Fall 2023): Getting Started

The Key to Research

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The Key to Good Research -- Patience is a Virtue!!!

Background Information

When you begin a research project, it is helpful to do some background reading to get some basic information on your topic, e.g., keywords, important names, dates, etc. CredoReference is a fulltext online reference service comprised of over 3 million entries from hundreds of well-regarded reference titles. Content includes dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, and subject-specific titles.

Subject-specific reference materials can provide beginning researchers with the following:

  • an overview of a topic and how it fits into the broader picture,
  • the various aspects of a topic to help broaden or narrow the area of research,
  • the vocabulary (a.k.a. keywords) associated with the topic to use at the computer,
  • the names of important people or organizations associated with the topic,
  • a bibliography to lead to other relevant items on the topic, including major studies, books, articles and researchers.

Hint: Use the Mind Map to explore related topics.