Research Process
The research process can look different for everyone, and may look different from project to project, but most will have a few common features:
- Begin with a question you want answered. What are you most interested in learning?
- Decide what type of information you need: do you need newspapers, books, or scholarly articles?
- Gather and evaluate information: are your sources current, reliable, applicable, and unbiased?
- Is your question answered? Do you need more (or different) information? Do you need to change your question?
- Repeat 1-4 until you're ready to use the information: make a decision, write a paper, present, etc.
Don't forget to ask a librarian for help!
Start Here
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Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowFull-text, searchable access to more than 175 specific encyclopedias in many subjects, including business, social sciences, history, biography, religion, popular culture, and much more.
Important Databases
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Communication Source This link opens in a new windowThe most comprehensive research database in the field of communications, this resource results from a merger of EBSCO’s Communication and Mass Media Complete with SAGE's Communications Abstracts. It indexes and abstracts over 1000 core journals, nearly 400 more than in CMMC, and its active full text for more than 600 journals includes 150 full-text titles not available in CMMC.
It also has a subject-specific, browsable thesaurus featuring 4,528 preferred and 8,528 non-preferred terms and coverage dating back to 1915.
Coverage includes advertising, rhetoric, communication disorders and much more. -
JSTOR This link opens in a new window** Expanded access continues as we work to implement a new contract for JSTOR's new all-access model, which will provide access to all archival journals and primary source content. **
Back volumes for 2,890 journals from the very first issue but usually excluding the most current 2-5 years, though almost 100 with coverage through the most recent issue. General subject areas include art & architecture, Asian studies, botany, ecology, economics, education, finance, history, language & literature, mathematics, music, philosophy, political science, population studies, sociology and statistics. -
APA PsycArticles This link opens in a new windowFull-text of 77 journals published by the American Psychological Association APA Educational Publishing Foundation, the Canadian Psychological Association, and Hogrefe Publishing Group. Almost all titles are from volume 1, issue 1 through the most recent issue. Initial coverage begins in 1894 for Psychological Review.
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APA PsycInfo This link opens in a new windowBehavioral sciences database containing full-text and abstracts for journals, books, and book chapters. International coverage for psychology, medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education and pharmacology. Index is created by the American Psychological Association. More than 1.8 million entries. Entries are searchable by language, format, special population groups, classification codes, content type, intended audience, and special features.
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Sage Journals Online This link opens in a new windowFull-text from 860+ scholarly journals, with excellent coverage for criminology, psychology, sociology, health sciences and the humanities. Numerous journals also cover education, general and international business, and management.
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SpringerLink This link opens in a new windowPrimarily scientific journals, with particular emphasis on mathematics, physics and engineering. Publisher is European, so some journals are not in English. Contains about 1,200 peer-reviewed journals.
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Taylor & Francis Online This link opens in a new windowMulti-disciplinary full-text database with an international perspective. Numerous specialized journals especially in education, social and behavioral sciences, communication, and business, but also otherwise across the arts and humanities, physical and life sciences, health sciences, and engineering, More than 1400 journals are available.
Search Tips
Try many different search terms Besides keywords, try a new search by clicking on a subject term.
Combine search terms. Instead of just searching Culture, also try:
- Religion and Culture
- Identity and Culture
- Politics and Culture
- Society
- Sociological Issues
- (your topic) and Culture, etc.
Put phrases in quotes. For example, instead of Asian American Identity, try "Asian American Identity"
Interlibrary Loan
Found or need information (e.g. articles, books, etc.) that we don't have access to? You can get it via Interlibrary Loan Details (ILL).
- Request a book or article.
- Most articles are emailed within 1-2 weeks. Books may take longer.
WTAMU students, faculty, staff, and Friends of Cornette Library (Supporting level and above) can use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to borrow research materials from the collections of other libraries.
ILL Office hours are Monday-Friday 8AM to 5PM. Contact the Interlibrary Loan department at (806) 651-2406.
Delivery could take as little as a couple of days or as much as three weeks. See here for more information about Interlibrary Loan. Click here for our ILL FAQs. For our Interlibrary Loan policies click our Library policies section then select Interlibrary Loan.