Research: From selecting a topic to writing the bibliography

Now that you've decided what kinds of materials you need -- be they books, peer-reviewed articles, government reports, newspaper articles, statistics, etc. -- librarians can walk you through selecting the best place to search.

Here are two often-used places to search - the catalog and a general database.  Select subject specific databases are listed in a separate box below.

Let's say your general topic is "Cloud Computing Security" and you want to find peer-reviewed articles on this topic.

Consider this:

• Who would produce this information?  Peer-reviewed articles are written by academics who are experts in their field.

               → You will need to select a database that includes peer-reviewed articles (not every library database does).

• What angle, discipline, or perspective am I looking for?  Consider what class this research is for -- are you studying Engineering? Safety and Security Leadership? Business Management? Computer Science? Or do you want a multi-disciplinary approach?

               → The library has databases that focus on different disciplines.  Select the discipline that best captures your approach; or better yet, search
                    a few databases to get a fuller perspective on your research question.

This is a short list to demonstrate the breadth of options. Browse all databases GW subscribes to.