Getting started with your research can be a difficult hurdle. This page will direct you to resources to help you choose a topic and find relevant sources throughout the library.
Check out our Research Process: Getting Started Guide for a more in-depth tutorial. This guide is designed to assist you in getting started with your research and includes information on selecting a topic, locating scholarly sources, evaluating information, avoiding plagiarism, and more!
Your department has a subject librarian who is dedicated to finding the best sources in your field of study! If you’re looking for help with a research project, reach out to them for one-on-one support.
Have a question? Type it in the box below to chat with a librarian!
The best way to search our physical and electronic resources is through the main search box on the library's main page, DUQSearch.
This guide explains the best way to refine your search.
Tip: Don't type whole questions like you would with Google or another search engine. You want to use key words and filters to narrow down your search to get the results you want!
Sometimes, you need to get an overview of a topic before you determine what your research is going to focus on. Our Background Sources Guide contains tips and recommendations for databases and other sources that are great for getting an overview of a topic.
We recommend these databases as a great starting point:
| CQ Researcher |
| Gale Virtual Reference Library |
| Oxford Reference |
| Sage Knowledge |
| Very Short Introductions |
There are a number of ways to evaluate a source to see if it's reliable, relevant, and applicable to your argument. Many assignments will require your sources to be peer-reviewed; DUQSearch and many databases include filters to limit your search results to only peer-reviewed articles.
Even if a source has been peer reviewed, there are some cases where you might need to use a primary source, raw data, or other resources that are not traditionally run through the peer review process. Below are a few guides for evaluating sources and critically reviewing information:
| Evaluating Information |
| Data Resources |
| Qualitative Research Methods |
| Quantitative Research Methods |
| Critical Appraisal Tools |
| Finding Government Documents |
Gumberg also has a number of guides on different topics, subjects, research methods, and more! You can find a full list of them here. You can sort them by group, subject, or type.
The following are a list of collected guides; they link to all of our guides on a particular subject.
