Starting Points Resources
Databases: Start with these three
Academic Search Complete
This is our main general database. It has a broad collection of resources that cover most subjects. It contains scholarly articles and other kinds of information, so be sure to evaluate your articles so that you know what it is you are reading.
Choose this database if you are just getting started or are exploring a topic. If you are looking for more specialized information in a specific discipline, use the databases by subject guide to choose a specialized database.
Off campus access available to WSU Vancouver students, staff and faculty.
JSTOR
JSTOR is a great resource for students looking for articles from scholarly journals. It is a relatively small database, but it covers a broad range of disciplines. What makes JSTOR stand out from other general databases is that it is highly selective. Journals in this database tend to be respected in their academic fields. So, JSTOR is a good place to look when asked to find scholarly sources.
Be aware that while JSTOR has high quality articles, they are not the most current. Most journals in JSTOR are delayed (embargoed) for five years. This means you will not find the most current information in JSTOR.
Off campus access available to WSU Vancouver students, staff and faculty.
Web of Science
The Web of Science is made up of three databases: Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, and Arts & Humanities Citation Index. These three provide deep coverage of scholarly materials across a wide range of subjects and disciplines.
Web of Science is a complicated tool that, with some effort, can perform highly specialized and complex searches. However, it also does a good job of returning scholarly results from simple keyword searching.
Off campus access available to WSU Vancouver students, staff and faculty.
Reference Resources: Background, vocabulary, and context
The Reference Collection & Reference Desk in the WSU Vancouver Library
The reference collection and reference librarians in the WSU Vancouver library are one of the best places to start any research project. The librarians help you maximize your time and minimize your frustration. Our collection of reference books can help you find the information you need quickly and point you toward more detailed and in-depth sources for your projects.
To talk to a reference librarian, come to the library or call us at (360) 546 - 9686. You may also reach us at library@vancouver.wsu.edu or from the IM chat window on our web page. You can also add the library IM screen names to your IM buddy list.
Oxford Reference Collection
The Oxford Reference Collection gives you access to well over one hundred subject encyclopedias and dictionaries. These are very useful for helping you figure out your research topic. These resources can point you from a broad topic to something more focused or provide specialized vocabulary and background information that will make searching the specialized databases faster, easier, and less frustrating.
Off campus access available to WSU Vancouver students, staff and faculty.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
This is a collection of electronic reference books, similar to the Oxford Collection. Our Gale Virtual Reference collection is smaller, but more specialized. Click on the browse button for a list of titles or enter a search term to search all of the books at the same time.
Off campus access available to WSU Vancouver students, staff and faculty.
Topic Resources: Who says what on this topic?
CQ Researcher
This is a GREAT resource for starting a project and researching a topic. It is a unique kind of reference source that will give you background information on a controversial issue and explain the best arguments of the opposing viewpoints. CQ Researcher is especially useful for filling in gaps, or in providing a balancing viewpoint in your research.
Similar to other reference sources, CQ Researcher is probably not the place you want to end your research. It is not a scholarly source, but it is very useful. CQ Researcher is a great place to start your research and to inform your searches in the scholarly literature.
Off campus access available to WSU Vancouver students, staff and faculty.
Contemporary World Issues (Book Series)
This is a series of Reference Books available in print and through the Netlibrary eBooks. The CWI books introduce a topic and provide a very in-depth overview of background information. The CWI books are not scholarly sources, but they cite some of the best scholarly information. This makes them very useful tools for getting into the key sources for your topic. The CWI books have a glossary of key words in the back and also have good indexes, which make finding information on your topic fast and easy.
The CWI series books may be found in the reference collection and in Netlibrary eBooks.
Opposing Viewpoints (Book Series)
This series of books take a broad controversial topic and then provide matched essays that offer a point - counterpoint on specific issues. For example, the essay
This is a series of books that may be found in the Vancouver collection or ordered from Pullman and other libraries.
Current Events: Newspapers, media, and press
Newsbank Access World News
Collection of full-text newspapers that provides extensive coverage at any level—local, state, regional, national and international.
Off campus access available to WSU Vancouver students, staff and faculty.
Historical New York Times (1851-2003)
This is a very useful resource for anyone doing research involving American History or topics that would have been reported in the American Press. Using historical newspaper coverage can help provide a different insight into your research. Many times contemporary coverage of a topic is colored by history. Having a primary source helps reveal how people thought about an event as it was happening.
Off campus access available to WSU Vancouver students, staff and faculty.
Subject Librarian
Nicholas Schiller
schiller@vancouver.wsu.edu
(360) 546 - 917
aim: wsuvnicholas
y!m: nicholas_wsuv_library
msn im: schiller@vancouver.wsu.edu
last updated: July 11, 2008
Back to resources by subject list