Source Types | Where and How to Search
Recommended: Watch the videos below in order top to bottom.
Finding reliable and relevant resources can be challenging for new researchers. The library offers millions of books, journal articles, newspapers, and other sources. Where do you start?
To find the best resources for your project, you need to know three things:
A short introduction to appropriate sources for academic research, including when to use them and where to find them. [Time: 4:48]
Popular and scholarly sources are not the only source types! Visit our tutorial homepage for additional videos (e.g., Primary and Secondary Sources) or explore additional options with your professor/a librarian.
Library research works differently than research on the general Internet (e.g., Google). The videos below show you (a) what to type into the search bar to get relevant results and (b) how to navigate our main search tool, Discover@UMSL.
How to identify appropriate keywords for your research topic and how to format your search. [Time: 4:44]
An introduction to the library's main search tool, Discover@UMSL. [Time: 4:48]
These videos only cover the basics! Talk with a librarian for help with your individual research topic or visit our tutorial homepage for additional videos (e.g., Intro to Databases).