So ... now what?
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. Where do you start?
Different types of information sources will provide you with different types of materials:
- General Sources (such as encyclopedias) will give you a wide overview of your topic; facts, statistics, background, and so on.
- In-Depth Sources (such as books), will add further detail, examples and variety to your topic.
- Narrow-Focus Sources (such as scholarly journals), will add depth and fine detail to your research.
Please ASK a librarian at any stage for further help.
Find GENERAL Sources
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 Reference via NC LIVE This link opens in a new windowCredo 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.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowSearch individual or multiple online encyclopedias and dictionaries covering a wide range of subjects, from science to education to history.
Find IN-DEPTH Sources
Find IN-DEPTH Sources
When doing research, you will also need to search the Library Catalog to find books, DVDs, streaming video, and other items for your research. You can use the catalog box below to start a search, and remember to ask a librarian for more help!
Find NARROW-FOCUS Sources
Find NARROW-FOCUS Sources
For your academic research, you will often need to find scholarly, peer-reviewed articles from our library databases. Here are a few of our most popular databases related to Women's and Gender Studies to get you started. Remember to ask a librarian for more help with keyword searching, finding the full text of an article, and getting an article or journal through Interlibrary Loan.
- Gender Studies Database on EBSCO This link opens in a new windowIndexing and abstracts covering the full spectrum of gender-related scholarship. GSD offers over a million records from scholarly and popular publications, including journals, books, conference papers and theses. Subjects include gender inequality, masculinity, post-feminism and gender identity.
- Sociology Database in ProQuest via NC LIVE This link opens in a new windowCovers the international literature of sociology and social work, including relevant titles from related fields such as social policy, social care, social services, social anthropology, gender studies, gerontology, social psychology and population studies. It includes hundreds of full-text scholarly journals, as well as dissertations and other sources.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowThis database provides access to historical coverage of scholarly journals in a wide range of disciplines. Coverage goes back to the first issue (some as far back as the 1800s), but does not include the most recent issues (usually last 3-5 years).
ADD...Statistics & Data
Add: Statistics & Data
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 Guide, or ask a librarian for help!
Add...Multimedia
Add: Media Sources
HPU Libraries provides access to several collections of streaming videos that you can watch right from your device. You can also create clips and embed them into Blackboard, PowerPoint presentations, and more. Looking for something different? Check out the Streaming Content Guide or ask a librarian!
