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GERM 247 Music, Madness, and Genius: Pathologies of German Musical Fiction: Finding books

Searching for Sources Effectively

Follow the Bibliographic Trail: One proven method for gathering reliable information efficiently is to follow the citations or references from one source to another. The author's bibliography can lead you to other sources on the topic.

Identify Keywords: Before searching the Library Catalog or other databases, take a few minutes to write down all the words that describe your topic. Use these words in keyword or Boolean searches.

Subject Headings: If you find an interesting title in the Library Catalog, open the record and scroll down to alternate Subject Headings. Click on the link and it will take you to additional materials in the Library Catalog with the same subject/topic. 

Search Strategy Worksheet from Humboldt State University

Searching the Catalog

Start with a keyword search in the catalog. Once you have located a relevant item, you can look at the Library of Congress Subject Headings within the full record tab and follow those links to find related books.

You can also refine your results by using the facets on the left side of the screen. If you are looking for online sources only, narrow down your search by clicking the box next to the "available online" facet. 

Books