What sort of resources you need for your paper will determine where you start your search. (you can view our more than 900 research databases here). Reference works, scholarly and popular sources, newspapers - all are sources you might use for your beginning research. For a refresher on how to determine whether a resource is right for your needs, review these helpful tips.
PS: Wondering whether your source is credible? Nip your doubts in the bud with help from our tutorial.
Reference sources, such as encyclopedias and general knowledge sites like Wikipedia can be valuable for finding background information and expanding your knowledge about your topic. They should not be the only source used for your research.
Find comprehensive collections of in-depth, peer-reviewed summaries on an ever-growing range of topics, including history, communication, environmental science, education, politics, psychology, religion, and more.
Find books, encyclopedias, and dictionaries and use tools to explore research methods.
Past and present newspapers and periodicals can be valuable resources, as they represent primary sources that can reveal how any given event was received at the time at which it occurred, and therefore provide an insight into their audiences' opinions and attitudes toward certain topics.
However, now more than ever, while a news source may come from a reliable database, it is still important to critically evaluate its content. Learn how to evaluate your sources' credibility and identify "fake news" here.
Find news from U.S. and international newspapers, television and radio broadcasts, newswires, and blogs, as well as business profiles, patents, and legal research.
Find full page images of articles and other content from the New York Times from 2008 to 3 months ago.
Current full text of the Wall Street Journal newspaper back to 1984, with in-depth coverage of national & international finance and business as well as coverage of general news events.
Scholarly (or peer-reviewed) sources are important parts of the academic research process. Scholarly sources are written by and for experts in a particular field and use scholarly or technical language. These sources are reviewed by multiple specialists/experts in the field of study before being accepted for publication, and tend to consist of longer articles about the topic. Scholarly/academic sources are very focused on specific topics and don't often provide background information on your topic.
There are scholarly books and journals on most topics, including whatever majors you're interested in. To search for journals specific to your subject, go to our Database List and click "Search by Subject."
Find peer-reviewed journals, full text periodicals, reports, and books across multiple subjects.
Find peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, pre-prints, abstracts, and technical reports. To set up access to UA Libraries full text from off campus or export to a citation manager, click "Additional Info" below.
Find articles, book reviews, and more from thousands of academic journals across the social sciences, humanities, arts, and sciences.
Popular sources are the types of sources we are most likely to come across or interact with on a daily basis. These types of resources are written by and for a general audience that does not have any extensive prior knowledge on its subject, and are not peer-reviewed.
Your friend's blog? Popular source. BuzzFeed? Popular source. Twilight? Popular source. You get the picture. (But when in doubt, refer to our tutorial.)
Find backfiles of both the U.K. and U.S. editions of Harper's Bazaar from 1867 to the present. This material provides a powerful lens into international fashion, as well as popular culture and society.
Find scholarly journals and magazines that both analyze and contribute to popular culture.
Find streaming recordings of global and world music in a variety of genres and languages.
Search for books, articles, audio, video, and other digital materials from the collections of the UA Libraries and thousands more libraries around the world.
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