Three Rules: (1) 20-Minute Rule;   (2) Library Homepage;    (3) Save Your Citations

Housekeeping

Check Your Library Account

Set Up Your Inter-Library Loan Account

Library Research Remotely [Wireless, Off-Campus Access]

Basic Research

The starting place for your library research is with the "research question." A well articulated, focused question is essential for an effective search of article databases and library catalogs. If you need assistance please ask at the Reference desk.

Search Concepts  (Keywords, Boolean, Wildcard and Proximity Searching)

Style Guides

MLA Style Sheet [abridged version]            MLA Style [Electronic Formats]

Article Databases: The Big Three

You can search for articles using databases or indexes. Many provide the full text of the article. Most databases can be accessed 24/7.

Academic Search Premier (Ebsco)
OneFile (includes Expanded Academic) (Infotrac)
LexisNexis Academic (LexisNexis)

Journal Searches

Do a Journal Finder Search in Skyline. If Auraria owns the title, try an Online search!

Online Reference:  Scoping Out Your Research Project:

America's Newspapers [Newsbank]

Ethnic Newswatch [ProQuest]

CQ Researcher

Lexis-Nexis Environmental

GAO [U S Government Accountability Office]

Public Affairs Information Service [PAIS]

Class Guides, Subject Guides, General Guides [a few examples]

Women's Studies

Immigration and Ethnicity

Public Affairs

Evaluating Websites:

(1) Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply and Questions to Ask (by Joe Barker, University of California at Berkeley)

(2) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Why Its a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources (by Susan Beck, New Mexico State University Library).

Think About Colorado Resources

The Colorado Historical Society, Western History Department of the Denver Public Library, the Colorado State Demography Office, Colorado Legislative Research Council, the Colorado Digitization Project, the telephone directory, experts in your area of inquiry, listservs on the Internet, brainstorming with your colleagues and professors and your Auraria Reference Librarian!

Library Orientation Tour

QUESTIONS? Come to the reference desk or contact us at (303-556-2585) or e-mail me at:  William.Tietjen@cudenver.edu

Good luck with your research!                 Return to Top