BCC Library Resources and Research Strategies for English 110/111: Information Sources - where to Locate Them?

This page was designed to help you:

• Identify different information formats
• Understand that different types of resources can be used for different purposes

Reference works

A range of material that can be general or focused on a single topic. They’re great for quick consultation and can help give you the background you need to begin your research. They include:

• Almanacs and yearbooks (data, numbers, or facts on a specific topic)
• Bibliographies (recommended readings on a certain topic)
• Dictionaries and glossaries (meanings of terms and concepts, often within a specific field)
• Encyclopedias (concise description of a topic)
• Handbooks (overview of academic research on a topic)
• Geographical sources (materials such as maps, atlases, bibliographies, and more)
• Manuals (how-to guides to research methods)

 

Books and eBooks

Long format resources that provide comprehensive information on a topic. Books are critical resources for studying the humanities in particular, and they offer important in-depth context for topics across the social sciences and sciences as well. Academic libraries contain both fiction (works of the imagination) to be analyzed, as well as non-fiction (fact-based works). Because there is usually a long amount of time between writing and publishing, books are not a good source for the most current information. Types of books include:

• Monographs (single topic, often single author)
• Series (multiple volumes published over time on a specific topics or area of study)
• Anthologies (collections of content on a single topic)
• Textbooks (contain facts, theories, and knowledge on a particular subject)

 

Newspapers

International, national, and local coverage of issues and events for a particular region, often with a distinct editorial perspective. Newspapers are important resources for current information, personal accounts, opinions on issues, and coverage of popular topics in a given community.

 

Journals

A collection of articles within a particular subject area that are published regularly. The frequency of publication can be an indicator of how current the information is. Journals are more up to date than books and are a good place to find the latest research on a subject. In general, journals assign a volume number to indicate each year and an issue number for each publication during that year.  Journals contain articles written by different authors. Journals may be popular, scholarly, or trade oriented.

 

Articles

Articles are typically reviewing or research papers written by academics or other experts on a given topic. They are most often peer-reviewed, which means that other experts have rigorously reviewed the content to ensure that it is valid. Articles provide details on research and often include methods and results. Journal articles examine more specific topics and are excellent to use for in-depth research.

 

Research databases

Collections of information in a searchable format. This where you find journal articles. Each Library database has a specific content focus and offers the ability to fine-tune search results. These specialized, scholarly resources are often licensed by the University for your use. In order to access many of these resources on campus, you must log in with your BCC email login credentials on any workstation in the Library or Academic Computing Lab. If you are off-campus, you must log in using your CUNYFIRST log-in credentials before gaining access to any of our databases.

Special Collections, Manuscripts, and Archives

Unique items that were created or collected that provide evidence of a time or process. These materials are typically used as primary sources.

 Choosing Types of Resources

When you are getting started with your research, think about what it is that you need to know next before you can move forward with your research.

Example

Here is an example of the decision-making steps to find the type of information resource for the research need:

The topic is new to me and I want to find background information: Reference materials are a great place to start your research.

The topic has been in the news and I want to find out more: Consider finding a newspaper article that references an expert or research study. You can then search for that information in a database.

I know about the topic and want to find academic scholarship that has been published recently: Research databases contain articles form scholarly journals, including the most current research.

• Cortada, J. W. (2016). All the facts: A history of information in the United States since 1870. New York. Oxford University Press. ZA3072. U6. C67 2016