What kind of information do I need, how much, and in what format?

• If you are looking for a definition, a bit of information, or a discrete fact, then an encyclopedia, handbook or dictionary might do the trick. Many are available as electronic encyclopedias, handbooks or dictionaries. We also have a resource that stacks together a bunch of these resources, called Credo. Give these a try for reliable, credible information.

• If you need magazines or newspapers, ProQuest Central, Ebscohost Academic Search Complete, and Nexis Uni (was Lexis Nexis Academic) include many of them.  

• Select a database by choosing your subject from the list of databases under
• Databases by Subject
• For example, clicking on Agriculture generates a list including Agricola, CAB Abstracts, Web of Science, and others.

NOTE: some topics show up in more than one database! Articles about food security will show up in Food Science and Technology Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts, and CINAHL, as well as in ProQuest Central, and others.

Many of the databases will allow you to limit your search to "peer reviewed" or "scholarly" articles. Most often, these will be of better quality and more in-depth than magazine or newspaper articles.

• Many of our databases allow you to limit your search to citations that have the full text of the article attached.

• When using any database provided by the Libraries, the user is responsible for observing the copyright laws of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). Students, faculty, and staff should understand the fair use guidelines that protect scholarship and research.

How long the research process takes varies by:  

• the nature of the assignment
• how well the topic is covered in 'the literature'* (the amount and quality of published work on a topic, including reference books, books, journal articles, and other sources)
• what's available in our library or in other libraries if you borrow materials
• the length of time allotted for the assignment
• the expertise of the researcher (what you know about the topic and how accurate that information is).

Things to keep in mind:  

• Start early so that you can revise your strategy or your paper if necessary. Starting early also allows more time to be creative in your approach (Taylor, et al., 1966).
• Some topics will have a huge amount of material available, while some will have little.
• If you need background material, use subject encyclopedias for more specific detail.
• subject encyclopedias 
• Conducting research normally takes longer than you expect.

Frustration and backtracking are a normal part of the process. However, reference librarians can show you strategies that can save you time and help you do your research more effectively. Ask at the Desk, through Ask-a-librarian, by phone 575-6645, text to 479-385-0803 

or email

refer@uark.edu  

You can use the

Research Paper Wizard

to help plan the sequence and find sources.