Research Papers & Reports Pathfinder

Use this pathfinder to select a topic, find books and journal articles, and to organize and write your paper utilizing library resources. 

·         Be sure to pick a topic that is of interest to you and that fits the parameters of your assignment. The more excited you are about your topic, the more motivated you will be to work on your paper!

·         Be sure to have your topic approved by your instructor.

·         Be sure that you can find enough resources to support your conclusions.  

·         Be sure you know your deadlines.   Don’t put off checking out books, they might not be available when you need them. Allow time for books to be requested from other libraries. Interlibrary loans can take up to 10 days.

Helpful Websites:
Select a Topic to Research   Some guidelines from University of Michigan Flint. 
Interesting Topics from Bookwormlab.com

Finding Books at the Library
Search the Library’s Catalog

Search Melcat  for books at libraries across Michigan including academic and special libraries.   Allow 7-10 days for delivery.

Search our e-Book Collection
 We have a number of great books available in electronic format, 24 hours a day/7 days a week through remote access.

Searching Tip: Always start out with broad search terms and then narrow your results. Try keyword searches until you identify the proper Subject Headings. Advanced searching in our databases will allow you to narrow and focus your results even more.
 

Finding Magazine, Journal or Newspaper Articles
Use a library database to search for articles.    Most of our databases have full-text copies of articles that you can read right from the database.   

Take Note: A database is not a website. Even though you access databases online, they are not websites. Databases contain premium content from reference books, newspapers, journals, magazines that is not readily available from online websites.  

Powersearch it!   Use thiscomprehensive database to get started. Search reference books, journal and newspaper articles, and more in click.

General Reference Center Gold This general database searches magazines, newspapers and reference books on a variety of subjects.  Find articles from 1980 to the present.

 

To access library databases from home, you will need a valid, up-to-date Bloomfield Township library card.   If you don’t have the card, try the Michigan Electronic Library’s Database Collection available to all Michigan residents. 

 

Finding Good Websites
Websites can be a great resource especially for current information. Make sure you find the good sites though. Is the website authored by a person or group, an educational institution or the government? Is the information current, credible and factual? 
               
Guide for Evaluating a Website
How to Use Wikipedia for Research Papers   Your teacher will not let you cite Wikipedia as a source and even Wikipedia does not encourage use for research, but it can be a good starting point for finding  further sources on a subject. 

Internet Public Library Subject Guide Use this to find great websites compiled by Library Professionals.

Writing Your Paper
Find library books on writing good research papers.

Citing Your Sources
Be sure you know the format your teacher requires!  The three most common styles are:
MLA:  Modern Language  Association
APA:   American Psychological Association Style Guide
Chicago: The Chicago Manual of Style
*Consult these books for the most accurate, up-to-date information on citing your sources.

Helpful websites:
Quick Links  from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab aka OWL.
Citing Sources from Duke University