ESHS LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER

Getting Started
Research...Where do I begin?

Have you just been assigned a research paper?  Do you need help getting started?   Use the following as a guide for deciding on a topic and finding information in books, encyclopedias, reference books, magazine articles, newspaper articles, electronic databases, subscription databases, free Internet websites, and other resources.

Browse the Library Catalog
Browse the Book Stacks
Look at the Table of Contents in books
Do a Title Browse In SIRS
Leaf through a Magazine
 
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Use the Library Catalog (Athena) (3 computers in the Library)                   
      Books are indexed by Author, Title, and Subject.
Stack Area
       Browse the books in specific Dewey number areas.   For example, if you are looking
       for information on the Civil War, use the Library Catalog to find a book on that
       subject  and note the call number (973.7).   Then go to the book shelves and look
       through the books located in that section.

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Print Encyclopedias
       These are located in the Reference Section.   Remember, the last volume is an index
       to the entire set.  Also, note the publication date of the sets. If you are researching
       a topic where currency is important (e.g., the U.S. space program), use the newest
       set; if you are researching a historical topic (e.g., Abraham Lincoln), the date of the
       set is less important--use the one that gives the most information.  We have the
       following sets in our library:        
       Encyclopedia Americana (1998) --  good information on US history and culture
       Encyclopedia Britannica  (1994)  --  the most scholarly of our sets
       World Book Encyclopedia  (1996) --  has the lowest reading level
      
Electronic Encyclopedias
        Encyclopedia Americana   (Library webpage--Grolier Online)
       Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (Library webpage--Grolier Online)
       Funk & Wagnall's New World Encyclopedia (Library webpage--EBSCO)
       Britannica.com. (Web)      
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Specialized Encyclopedias
       These sets are encyclopedias devoted to one particular subject and are a good place
       to look for general information once you've decided on a topic. The print specialized
       encyclopedias are located in the Reference Section of the library.  Some examples of
       specialized encyclopedias are:
       Encyclopedia of World Crime (REF/364/NAS)
       The New Encyclopedia of Science (REF/503/NEW)
       World of Automobiles (REF/629.20/WOR)
       DISCovering Science  (Library webpage--Gale Group)
       EBSCO Animal  Encyclopedia (Library webpage--EBSCO)

Specialized Dictionaries and Guidebooks   
        Specialized dictionaries and guidebooks are often one single volume rather than a set of
        books like an encyclopedia.  They contain short definitions or articles on a particular
        topic.  Examples  include:
       Dictionary of Battles (REF/904.7/KOH)
       AMA Family Medical Guide (REF/610.3/AME)
       Casselle Companion to the Theatre (REF/792.03/CAS)

Almanacs
        Almanacs are good for statistical information.  The two following almanacs are
        published yearly and are the most well-known:
        The World Almanac and Book of Facts (REF/317.3/WOR)
        Information Please Almanac (REF/317.3/INF)
        InfoPlease Website (Web)

Biographical References
        Biographical reference books contain information about people.  They may be a
        single volume or a multi-volume set.  They may cover a  particular time period
        (e.g., Current Biography REF/920.03/CUR), a particular occupation
        (e.g.,The Great Scientists REF/920.03/GRE), or a particular nationality
        (e.g., Webster's American Biographies (REF/920.03/WEB).

Literary References
        Examples include:
      DISCovering Authors
        Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (REF/808.88/BAR)
      Bartlett's Familiar Quotations Website
        Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase& Fable (REF/803/BRE)
       Shakespeare: An Illustrated Dictionary (REF/822.3/WEL)

Historical and Geographical References
        Examples include:
       DISCovering U.S. History
        Oxford Companion to American History (REF/973/OXF)
        Encyclopedia of   American Facts and Dates (REF/973/ENC)
        Chronicle of the 20th Century (REF/904/CHR)
        Hammond Large Type Atlas (REF/912/HAM)

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MasterFILE Elite (Library Web Page--EBSCO/ Mid-Continent)
        Provides abstracts and indexing for more than 3,100 periodicals, plus searchable
        full text for more than 1,200 periodicals.   Subjects covered include general reference,
        business, health, and more.  Total coverage includes over 3 million articles.

SIRS Researcher (Mid-Continent--SIRS Knowledge Source)
        Full text magazine and newspaper articles on social issues such as Crime, Drugs,
        Alcohol, AIDS, Family, Energy, Technology, Youth, Mental Health, Sports,
        Religion, Work, etc., as well as scientific, health, historic, economic, business, political
        issues selected from over 1,200 newspapers, magazines, and government publications.

Health Source Plus (Library Web Page--EBSCO/ Mid-Continent)
        Provides abstracts and indexing for nearly 500 consumer health, nutrition and
        professional periodicals. Over 200 periodicals are covered in full text as well as over
       1,000 health pamphlets. Also included is USP DI Volume II, Advice for the Patient
        which provides patient-oriented drug information in lay language and 17 health books
        published by the People's Medical Society.

Back Issue Magazines
        Check the Magazine Holdings File to see what magazines we have in the Magazine
        Room.  We keep issues for the past five years; some periodicals, such as National
        Geographic and Newsweek, for much longer.  Magazines may be checked out at
        the Circulation Desk for one week.

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SIRS Researcher (Mid-Continent)
        Full text magazine and newspaper articles on social issues such as Crime, Drugs,
        Alcohol, AIDS, Family, Energy, Technology, Youth, Mental Health, Sports,
        Religion, Work, etc.

NewsBank (Library Web Page/ Mid-Continent)
       Full text coverage of the Kansas City Star, Missouri News, and the
         St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Newspapers on the Web
        New York Times (Current news coverage plus 2-weeks archives)
        CNN.com (Current news coverage)
        USA Today (Current news coverage)

Back Issue Newspapers
        We keep issues of the Kansas City Star and the Excelsior Springs Standard
        for the current year.  Newspapers may be checked out at the Circulation Desk for
        one week.

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EBSCO Animal Encyclopedia (Library Webpage--EBSCO/ Mid-Continent)
DISCovering Science  (Library Webpage--Gale Group)
DISCovering Authors  (Library Webpage--Gale Group)
DISCovering U.S. History   (Library Webpage--Gale Group)

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Selected Websites (Browse by Dewey)
       
Selected Websites (Browse by Subject)

              The Internet can be very time-consuming to use.  You should consider gathering
        all of  your other resources first and then use the Internet as you have time.  If you
        need very current information or certain kinds of information (e.g., facts on a
        company, stock market infomation), the Internet is a great place to look.  You
        should be aware of the Internet Lab Rules and Internet Search Techniques.

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CD ROMS
         CD ROMS on various subjects.   Request at the Circulation Desk.

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