Writing a Paper for Me

Check your textbook. Most chapters provide you with names of important people in the field as well as topic or subject heading names. Look for those authors in the textbook's bibliography. Make lists of keywords on the subject.
Google keywords plus the subject name (you may have to play around a bit with the latter).
For general or background information, check out useful URLs, general information online, almanacs or encyclopedias online such as Britannica, or Encarta, etc. Use Search Engines and other search tools as a starting point. Bookmark or copy what you Google so that you don't loose your source before you complete your citations. A nice pairing is Firefox + Google. Remember that you can Google the word 'definition' plus any term to get a broad listing of all the definitions of a word found on the web.
Evaluate: Pay attention to domain name extensions, e.g., .edu (educational institution), .gov (government), or .org (nonprofit organization). These sites represent institutions and tend to be more reliable, but be watchful of possible political bias in some government sites. Be selective of .com (commercial) sites. Many .com sites are excellent; however, a large number of them contain advertisements for products and nothing else. Be wary of the millions of personal home pages on the Net. The quality of these personal homepages vary greatly. Learning how to evaluate Web sites critically and to search effectively on the Internet can help you eliminate irrelevant sites and waste less of your time.
The recent arrival of a variety of domain name extensions such as .biz (commercial businesses), .pro, .info (info on products / organizations), .name, .ws (Website), .cc (Cocos Island) or .sh (St. Helena) or .tv (Tuvalu) may create some confusion as you would not be able to tell whether a .cc or .sh or .tv site is in reality a .com, a .edu, a .gov, a .net, or a .org site. Many of the new extensions have no registration restrictions and are available to anyone who wishes to register a distinct domain name that has not already been taken. For instance, if Books.com is unavailable, you can register as Books.ws or Books.info via a service agent such as Register.com. Extensions will help you to evaluate the material for bias as well.
Find books and; periodicals in the Library use the catalog online or on site and periodical indices in subject area. Which periodical search index you choose depends on the subject matter.
Check out other print and digital materials available in or through the Library Catalog, including
- Almanacs, Atlases, AV Catalogs
- Encyclopedias and Dictionaries (as starter material: don't stop here)
- Government Publications, Guides, Reports
- Articles in Periodicals: Journals, Magazines, Newspapers (Note: we call popular materials that come out repeatedly magazines; materials designed for professionals are called periodicals and/or journals. It shows a kind of snobbishness, but there it is.)
- Vertical Files are things found in file cabinets. Many libraries have print copies of things like pamphlets, clippings, etc.
- Yellow Pages, Zip or Postal Code and Telephone Directories
Check out online resources, Web based information services, or special resource materials on CDs:
- Search Engines such as Google and Google Scholar
  (See Jing Tutorials for how to best use Google Scholar)
- Online reference materials (including databases, e.g. EBSCO, ProQuest, etc.)
- Index to Periodicals and Newspapers (e.g. MagPortal.com, OnlineNewspapers.com, etc.)
- Answers.com - an online dictionary and encyclopedia all-in-one resource that you can install on your computer free of charge and find One-Click Answers quickly.
- Encyclopedias (e.g.Wikipedia, Encarta, Britannica, Canadian Encyclopedia, etc.)
- Magazines and Journals in full text and/or full image (e.g. Time, Maclean's, Newsweek, etc.)
- Newspapers (e.g. Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Vancouver Sun, etc.)
- Social Issues (e.g. SIRS, etc.)
- Dictionaries such as the
  - Oxford English Dictionary (physically in the Reference Dept. first floor of Ganser Library or online)
  - Online Etymological Dictionary
  - Middle English Dictionary
Other Sources: Check out other Public and University Libraries, businesses, government agencies, as well as contact knowledgeable people in your community.
Ask a university librarian. They are specialists in setting up research problems and finding information at appropriate levels. Remember that you can use both Franklin and Marshal and Millersville University libraries

2002; Last revised July 14, 2008
Dr. Bonnie Duncan
bduncan@millersville.edu
1-717-871-2080
English Department
Millersville University
Millersville, PA 17551

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