How can you reach a librarian for help with your research?

• in person at the Information/Reference Desk
• by telephone during library hours (623.845.3112)
• by 'live chat' via the Ask a Librarian service
• by appointment via the Reference Consultation service in order to discuss discuss your research assignment in detail with a librarian 

LMC GUIDE: Library Research is a brief guide to the research process from selecting a topic to citing your sources and includes typical resources you may want to use.

Topic Selection Sites

The library subscribes to three databases that discuss CONTEMPORARY ISSUES. These databases have print counterparts that are housed on the index table behind the Information/Reference desk.

• CQ Researcher - an online version of a popular resource for a wide range of contemporary issues. This database covers the period from 1991 to the present.
• Gale Opposing Viewpoints - contains essays on many contemporary topics.
• Issues and Controversies - (Facts on File). This database provide current, in-depth, and objective information on contemporary issues. Coverage begins in 1995.
• Contemporary Issues Resources - From the LMC book collection.

• Almanac of Policy Issues - "The Almanac of Policy Issues provides comprehensive background information and links on major U.S. public policy issues. The Almanac is an independent public service not affiliated with any particular issue or cause. Every effort is made to present all sides of each issue, and to do so in an unbiased, journalistic format." [from the site]
• American Civil Liberties Union - for issues involving civil and constitutional rights.
• Current Topics for Research - (from Kingwood College) - briefly annotated webliographies.
• The Drudge Report - editorials from leading columnists on current topics and more.
• Globalization101.org - from the Carnegie Endowment for Internationa Peace, this organization links to numerous issues regarding globalization.
• Government Accountability Office (formerly General Accounting Office) (GAO) reports.
• Hot Topics/Best Information on the Net - from St. Ambrose University.
• Hot Topics on the Web - from San Diego State University; must scroll down the page to locate topic lists.
• Idea Generator - (from Old Dominion University) - just lists of topic ideas, no links to any information.
• Online NewsHour - information on contemporary issues from PBS's NewsHour (online transcripts of interviews and background reports).
• Public Agenda Online - non-partisan public opinion and policy analysis for a broad range of issues.
• Rand Corporation reports - "think tank" reports that are available electronically.
• ResourceShelf's DocuTicker - links to reports from government agencies, ngos, think tanks and other organizations.

Virtual Reference Desks

These links to electronic "reference desks" will help you locate sites and information.

• Gale Virtual Reference Library provides access to popular Gale specialized encyclopedias and resources, such as Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, Encyclopedia of World Biography, World Education Encyclopedia, Gale Encyclopedia of Everyday Law, Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. See a list.
• Oxford Reference Online provides access to 100 key Oxford dictionaries and reference works. It provides comprehensive coverage of over 20 broad subject areas.
• INFOMINE - contains over 22,000 links to significant, well-organized and well-described Internet accessible databases, journals, textbooks, reference sources, etc.
• Refdesk.com
• The Internet Public Library
• LibrarySpot
• Library Research - suggestions for locating ideas, researching a topic, and citing your sources

General Reference Sources

Almanacs

• Information Please Almanac
• The Old Farmer's Almanac
• World Almanac - Includes The World Almanac and Book of Facts, The World Almanac of the U.S.A., and The World Almanac of U.S. Politics, 1998 to the present, updated annually.

Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia Britannica Online
• Catholic Encyclopedia (1913 edition)
• Columbia Encyclopedia (6th edition, 2001)

The library guide Specialized Encyclopedias lists some of library's encyclopedias that are devoted to special topics. Call numbers are included so you can locate them in the Reference Collection.

Dictionaries

• Oxford English Dictionary Online "The ultimate authority on the usage and meaning of English words and phrases, unparalleled in its accuracy and comprehensiveness, the OED is the supreme reference work for anyone who loves the language."
• Online Etymology Dictionary compiled by Douglas Harper, this site provides word histories and includes a search engine.
• Dictionary.com a dictionary site that includes a theasurus, writing hints and more.
• eWebopedia.com computer and internet terminology.
  
• Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
  
• American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed., 2000
  
• One-Look Dictionary
• Wordsmyth: The Educational Dictionary-Thesaurus - A "Best Free Reference Web Site" of Reference and User Services Quarterly combines a dictionary-thesaurus along with a "spell like" feature, how a word is used in a sentence, as well as grammar and context information.
• yourDictionary.com - A "Best Free Reference Web Site" of Reference and User Services Quarterly has 1800 dictionaries with more 250 languages.

Thesaurus

• Roget's Thesaurus (1995 ed.) (from Bartleby.com)
• thesaurus.com

Miscellaneous

• Quotations
• Maps
• Statistical resources - United States and International data
• Measure 4 Measure - A "Best Free Reference Web Site" of Reference and User Services Quarterly that provides links to interactive calculators and translators in health, science, mathematics, finance, etc.
• How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement
• Symbols - a source for over 2,500 symbols
• Acronym Finder.com - to locate the meaning of abbreviations, initials, and well, acronyms.
• Scientific Acronyms

More links to sites that can help with locating information.

Photographs

• AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive - a database of 50 million images from the AP archives (includes photographs, graphs, etc.).

Literature Criticism Fulltext Resources

• Literature Resource Center From the vendor: "Resource Center provides access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of authors from every age and literary discipline. Combining Gale Group's core literary databases in a single online service, the Literature Resource Center covers more than 120,000 novelists, poets, essayists, journalists, and other writers, with in-depth coverage of 2,500 of the most-studied authors."
  
  
• Literature Online. This is a fully searchable archive of nearly 200,000 poems, plays, and prose works by key authors from Literature Online, together with structured access to the best of current and historical criticism.
  
  More than 500 "Study Pages" devoted to the most commonly studied contemporary and canonical authors feature a range of full-text resources carefully selected for their relevance, including poems, plays, novels, biographies, etc.
  
  Cliffs Notes publications are a popular resource for literary research. These provide detailed plot summaries, character analysis and profiles, and criticism to help you understand and appreciate the work. The LMC owns some in print format, and others are available from NetLibrary, and e-book resource. To get to NetLibrary follow this sequence: Library Home page - Articles & Databases - E-books -NetLibrary.
  
  
• Pathfinders to literary resources - reference and circulating books, periodical articles, database sources, etc. - can help you quickly find relevant critical resouces in our library.

Writing Assistance

• GCC English Department - provides links to WWW Resources for Writers
• Dartmouth Writing Program
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center
  
• Resources for Writers - George Mason University
  
• Researchpaper.com "The Web's largest collection of topics, ideas, and assistance."
  
• A+Research and Writing Guide. Provides a step-by-step guide to writing a research paper, research methodology and resources, and links to OWLS (Online Writing Labs) that provide guides to specific types of papers and essays (e.g., argumentative, narrative, comparative).
  
• NoodleTools: Smart Tools for Smart Research - A "Best Free Reference Web Site" of Reference and User Services Quarterly can help you get started on your research by directing you to appropriate internet sites, and it provides an interactive MLA-style bibliography composer to help you get the citation information in proper format.
  
• The Nuts and Bolts Guide to College Writing - a very good source for all aspects of writing, including the mechanics of grammar, types of papers, and citation formats (APA, MLA, Chicago).

Citation formats

MLA Documentation Guidelines for Research - GCC English Department's guide for citing documents using the MLA format.

Quick guides to MLA and APA formats prepared by the Library Media Center (pdf files).

• Citation formats (MLA) - Books, Magazines, Journals, and Newspapers
• Citation formats (MLA) - Electronic (OPAC, CD-ROM, Internet/WWW)
• Citation formats (MLA) - Literary Criticism, Controversial Issues resources
• Citation formats (APA) - Books, magazines, newspapers.
• Citation formats (APA) - Articles from magazines, journals, etc. via electronic databases, web sites.

Others you may want to consult:

• MLA, APA, Turabian, and Chicago - style manual formats via Auburn University
• "How to Cite Internet Sources" from the University of North Texas.
• Modern Language Association (MLA) - the MLA's official site includes their style manual.
• American Psychological Association (APA) - APA's "Electronic Reference Formats Recommended by the American Psychological Association".
• APA Style - Frequently Asked Questions
• APA Style Resources