To start your research, check the research guide "Basic Steps To Research".
If you know the subject area of your topic, use a relevant reference resource such as a subject-specific encyclopedia. Credo Complete Core is an electronic reference database with an array of encyclopedias on various topics. In addition to subject-specific encyclopedias, background information can also be found in:
- Textbooks
- Dictionaries
- Article databases
- Wikipedia (check for bibliographies at the end of the article where you can find additional sources of information)
For print books, use the WCC Library Catalog,
and use this guide for eBooks and Audiobooks.
Use a relevant database to find articles on a specific topic. In addition to articles from academic journals, trade journals, magazines and newspapers, some databases also include eBooks, dissertations, and more.
If you know the subject area you need, select it below to see recommended databases for that subject. If you need a specific content type - biographies, book reviews, news - select that type from the second drop-down in the Articles A-Z database list
If you know databases by name, you can find them in the A-Z database list.
If you have a Wilson Public Library card, you can access NC Live databases through NCLive.org.
You can also search for scholarly articles via Google Scholar.
To find credible websites, use the Google Advanced Search guide
View the video
Online Research: Tips For Effective Search Strategies
For source evaluation, see the Evaluating Information Sources and RADAR: Evaluating Internet Sources page of the Basic Steps of Research guide.
To cite sources, use the Citation Builders page of the Citation Styles: MLA & APA guide.
Watch the video “How to Use Wikipedia Wisely” created by the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) based in Stanford’s Graduate School of Education.