Writing Center: Starting Research
research guide for UNC Writing Center
General Background Information Sources
The libraries have many resources to help students choose and understand their topics. These resources are a starting point where students will find broad information, overviews, or summaries about different topic areas. Students can narrow their topics later by searching in more specialized databases, but may want to start here first.
Links to these resources are located under E-Research Tools on the Library's homepage.
- CQ ResearcherThe perfect place to begin research on current topics. It covers the most current and controversial issues of the day with complete summaries, insight into all sides of the issues, bibliographies and more. Browse through articles in the current issue or search for past articles using words, dates or other criteria.
- Issues and Controversies on FileThis resource contains full-text articles on current controversial topics in the news. It is intended to give readers a quick grasp of the arguments for each side of the issue. It also contains chronologies, illustrations, maps, tables, sidebars, bibliographies and contact information.
- Points of View Reference SourceThis resource provides students with a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. Essays provide questions and materials for further thought and study and are accompanied by thousands of supporting articles.
- MedlinePlusAn introductory site for health-related issues. Includes jargon-free information on diseases and conditions, drugs and supplements, and local health resources. Also includes a medical encyclopedia and dictionary.
- AccessScienceThe online version of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology contains background information on science and technology. For research topic ideas, search from the front page or browse through the news archive under the "News" tab.
- Today's ScienceGlossary, biographies, and news articles on recent developments in scientific fields. Draws on periodicals covering health, the environment, technology, life science, society, and more.
Retrieving Scholarly Articles
To search all of UNC's electronic holdings for journal articles, newspaper articles, e-book content, theses and dissertations, government documents, and more, use our Articles+ search tool. Articles+ searches across all databases with just one click.
If students want more subject-specific resources, scholarly articles are in databases, organized by subject, on the library's E-Research Tools page. Choose a discipline under "By Subject." The list includes subjects such as American Studies, Education, English, Nursing, Public Health, and Social Work, to name a few.
- Academic Search PremierA general resource with popular and scholarly/peer-reviewed articles from many subject areas. Covers the social sciences, humanities, general sciences, multi-cultural studies, education, and more. Limit to scholarly/peer-reviewed by checking the "Scholarly (Peer-Reviewed) Journals" check box in the middle of the search page.
- PsycInfoThe American Psychological Association's database of research (theoretical and applied) in psychology. Includes research from related disciplines such as medicine, psychiatry, education, social work, law, criminology, social science, and organizational behavior.
- Sociological AbstractsProvides access to worldwide research in sociology and related disciplines, both theoretical and applied. Covers sociological topics in fields such as anthropology, economics, education, medicine, community development, philosophy, demography, political science, and social psychology.
- PubMedFrom the National Library of Medicine, this database provides citations for biomedical articles from the 1950s-present. Find electronic copies of articles by searching for the journal name under the E-Journals tab on the Library's homepage.
- ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health DatabaseThis resource supports nursing and allied health professional education and practice with full-text journals, dissertations, e-books, practice guidelines, study resources, and an assortment of videos from MedCom.
- Art & Architecture SourceIncludes full-text coverage of over 760 journals and 220 books from fine, decorative, and commercial art, as well as architecture and architectural design. It also provides detailed indexing and abstracts for many other leading academic journals, magazines and trade publications for which full-text is not available. It has strong international coverage, including periodicals published in French, Italian, German, Spanish and Dutch. Includes and expands on the coverage and contents of Art Index Retrospective, Art Index, Art Abstracts, Art Full Text, and Art & Architecture Complete.
- Communication and Mass Media CompleteOffers full text and citations of articles from 1915 to the present from the fields of Communication Studies and Journalism and Mass Communication.
- MLA International BibliographyProduced by the Modern Language Association, this is a good resource for literary criticism, linguistics, folklore and cultural studies. Gives citations for articles in literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore from several thousand journals and series published worldwide.
- History Search: America, History & Life/Historical AbstractsWith this resource, students can search two history databases, America, History & Life (focus on United States and Canada) and Historical Abstracts (world history, excluding the United States and Canada) at the same time, or choose to search separately.
Articles+
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