Here is a good, basic formula for getting started with your research in nearly any humanities or social sciences discipline:
- Begin by using the keyword brainstorming worksheet
to help you tweak your research question, identify keywords and related terms, and keep track of what you find.
- Search in a library catalog (Summon, OBIS, OhioLINK and/or WorldCat) to find books and reference sources. They provide BACKGROUND and CONTEXT, review and SUMMARIZE earlier work, help you FOCUS your topic and provide CITATIONS to important books, journal articles, conference papers, interviews, etc.
- Next, search research databases to find articles. The Library has hundreds of databases available, but the ones listed below are good places to begin.
- You may also wish to use Google or Google Scholar to search the Internet. Take advantage of Google's advanced search features.
- Finally, use the CRAAP test worksheet
(click to download!) to evaluate the sources you find.
Managing your research time
You may find it helpful to develop a timeline to keep your research on track. These assignment calculators help break down research projects into a series of manageable steps, and gives some tips on what to do at each step along the way. Enter your project's due date to get started!
- The Assignment Calculator (Univ. of British Columbia)
- The Assignment Calculator (University of Minnesota)
- Research Project Calculator (Minitex)
These are just a couple of examples. There are other similar tools out there on the internet. Look around -- you may find another one that you prefer.
OBIS: Catalog of the Oberlin College Library 
OhioLINK Library Catalog
WorldCat
Interlibrary Loan
Summon -- searches across a wide range of library content, not just books! It includes journal and newspaper articles, data, digital audio, video and images, and so much more. Try it and see what you can discover.
OhioLINK Library Catalog
WorldCat
Interlibrary Loan
Summon -- searches across a wide range of library content, not just books! It includes journal and newspaper articles, data, digital audio, video and images, and so much more. Try it and see what you can discover.
These are good for getting started in any subject area, but consult with a librarian to discover subject-specific databases for your research.
Academic Search Complete 
Multidisciplinary - good for nearly all subjects. Scholarly and trade journals, popular magazines, newspapers, conference proceedings, book reviews, and more.
OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center ( EJC)
Scholarly journals in humanities, social sciences,and natural sciences, as well as engineering.
JSTOR
Scholarly journal archive for the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences; most journals 2-5 years out-of-date
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I
Citations and abstracts for dissertations and theses on all subjects from around the world. Previews and full text available for some titles.
Sage Knowledge
Dictionaries, encyclopedias, guides and handbooks from a range of social science fields.
Web of Science
Scholarly literature in the sciences, health and medicine, social sciences, arts, and humanities and proceedings of international conferences, symposia, seminars, colloquia, workshops, and conventions. Includes cited reference searching across many databases. Search all databases in Web of Science (includes Medline and BIOSIS, direct link for on-campus users). Dates of coverage: 1965 to present.
Academic Search Complete
Multidisciplinary - good for nearly all subjects. Scholarly and trade journals, popular magazines, newspapers, conference proceedings, book reviews, and more.
OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center ( EJC)
Scholarly journals in humanities, social sciences,and natural sciences, as well as engineering.JSTOR
Scholarly journal archive for the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences; most journals 2-5 years out-of-date
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I
Citations and abstracts for dissertations and theses on all subjects from around the world. Previews and full text available for some titles.
Sage Knowledge
Dictionaries, encyclopedias, guides and handbooks from a range of social science fields.
Web of Science
Scholarly literature in the sciences, health and medicine, social sciences, arts, and humanities and proceedings of international conferences, symposia, seminars, colloquia, workshops, and conventions. Includes cited reference searching across many databases. Search all databases in Web of Science (includes Medline and BIOSIS, direct link for on-campus users). Dates of coverage: 1965 to present.
- Become a better researcher!
- Drop in at the Research Help Desk or call 440-775-5031 during research desk hours
- Email us at reference@oberlin.edu
- Chat / IM with a librarian
- Sign up for a Research Appointment
- Services for students
- Off-campus access
- Multi-disciplinary databases -- good for all subject areas!
- Africana Studies
- Art & Architecture
- Comparative American Studies
- English
- Hispanic Studies
- History - American
- Music
- Science -- General
- Sociology
- Looking for a subject that's not in this list? Try Resources by Subject
Literature review introduction -- this page explains what it is/its purpose, strategies for approaching it, and questions to consider along the way.
Literature review worksheet -- a tool to help you examine each source that you are considering including in your literature review. Also gives you a chance to practice your critical evaluation skills by writing a brief appraisal of each source.
Literature review worksheet -- a tool to help you examine each source that you are considering including in your literature review. Also gives you a chance to practice your critical evaluation skills by writing a brief appraisal of each source.
WRITING HELP
KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR SOURCES
ProQuest RefWorks is a citation management tool that helps researchers gather, manage, store and share information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies in a wide variety of styles.
- Oberlin College Writing Center Closed during the summer!
- Citation Help -- Print sources at Oberlin
- Citation Help -- Online sources
- Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL)
KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR SOURCES
ProQuest RefWorks is a citation management tool that helps researchers gather, manage, store and share information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies in a wide variety of styles.
- Search - OBIS, OhioLink, PubMed & Scopus
- Share - Folders via URL
- Store - PDFs online and take notes
- Read - Search your references fulltext and save searches
- Write - Create a simple reference list and use Write-N-Cite to format paper in Microsoft Word
- Check out video tutorial! ProQuest-branded tutorials are also availble on YouTube. Online user guides are also very helpful.
What are scholar studies?
Scholar studies are the small offices along the front of Mudd on floors 2-4. They may be reserved by honors students for one semester (or in your case, one summer). Scholar studies are limited in number and in high demand.
How can I apply?
Read the fine print, and then submit a completed application form to Bill Ruth in the Main Library Adminstrative Office.
Scholar studies are the small offices along the front of Mudd on floors 2-4. They may be reserved by honors students for one semester (or in your case, one summer). Scholar studies are limited in number and in high demand.
How can I apply?
Read the fine print, and then submit a completed application form to Bill Ruth in the Main Library Adminstrative Office.
