So...you have picked your topic and decided on some keywords you might use for your project. At HPU, we have hundreds of databases and thousands of information sources to choose from. So ... where do you start?
Different types of information sources will provide you with different types of materials:
Please ASK a librarian at any stage for further help!
Reference sources can be a great place to go for general background information, definitions, and overviews of a particular topic. HPU Libraries provides access to a number of subject encyclopedias. Not finding what you need? Just ask a librarian!
Credo is a database of background content, containing full-text entries to help learn the basics of any topic. Start your research here to focus your topic, find keywords and people, and discover more in-depth books and articles.
The most comprehensive database for communication, mass media, and related fields. Provides article info for over 700 titles, including scholarly journals and trade publications for advertising, public relations, journalism, and other areas.
The following databases may also be helpful to your research:
The ultimate cross-disciplinary research tool, ProQuest Central brings together 30 of our most highly used databases to create the largest single academic research resource available today.
Use this link to connect Google Scholar with HPU's collection of full-text journals. You will be asked for your HPU username and password if off-campus.
Opposing Viewpoints covers todays' hottest social issues and includes published opinion essays, reference articles, infographics, news, images, video, audio, and more. Informed, differing views help learners develop critical-thinking skills and draw their own conclusions.
Statistical data on over 80,000 topics, and reports on companies, products, markets, and industries. Statistics and reports are formatted in clear visualizations and include their citation information, as well as links to related sources and topic reports.
For your research, you also may need to consult Newspaper Sources. Here are a few of our top newspaper collections.
In addition to prominent and respected titles like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Financial Times, and others, News & Newspapers also offers curated regional, specialty and international news titles and collections for a wide spectrum of viewpoints and counterviewpoints over time.
Current, full-text access to the NYT from 1980 to present. Includes the Late Edition Daily plus the Sunday newspaper.
Full text access to the Wall Street Journal, which covers breaking news and current headlines from the U.S. and around the world. Users can also set up alerts for the latest articles on topics of interest. Full text coverage from 1984 - present.
Keywords matter. Think of different terms to search for the same thing. Instead of just "movies" search: movies OR films OR cinema OR "motion pictures"
Enclose phrases in quotation marks. In the above example, you would search "motion pictures" in quotation marks to keep the two words together.
Use the limiters. If you just need scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, for example, you can check a box to limit your search to show only those.
Pay attention to the number of results. Too many results? Connecting terms with AND narrows your search. Too few results? Connecting terms with OR broadens your search. Irrelevant results? Exclude terms with NOT.
Need help? ASK US!
These are just a few of the statistics and data resources that may relate to your research topic. You can find additional resources on our Statistics & Data guide, or ask a librarian for help!
Statistical data on over 80,000 topics, and reports on companies, products, markets, and industries. Statistics and reports are formatted in clear visualizations and include their citation information, as well as links to related sources and topic reports.
The Statistical Abstracts of the United States were compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, and represents a collection of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. ProQuest offers the most recent editions of the Statistical Abstracts.