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Welcome to the Course Guide for COMP 100. Below you will find a selection of information and resources that will be helpful when completing assignments for this course.
A helpful hint to remember is that research is exploratory process. Good research means that you will be searching different resources (databases, online, catalog, etc.) and you will search each one multiple times with different keyword combinations.
Understanding the Lingo
Conducting research can be difficult when you are unfamiliar with the terms being used to describe certain types of items. If your instructor asks you to use a periodical, would you know what they meant? If you had to locate the call number in an item’s record, could you? It is important to familiarize yourself with what particular library words mean.
Refer back to some of the handouts received in class. The Definitions handout and Types of Periodicals chart will be particularly useful to keep.
Pick A Topic
If you are stuck trying to decide on a topic for your paper, there are a few ways to generate ideas.
- Scan newspaper headlines
- Browse chapter titles in your textbook
- Check out what's trending
- Use a Topic Idea Generator
- Use the "Browse Issues" section in the Opposing Viewpoints Database
- Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new windowContains a variety of media rich content, including over 20,000 pro/con viewpoints, approximately 19,000 reference articles, interactive maps, infographics, and more. Cross-searchable with Gale In Context: Global Issues. National Debate Topics category provides quick and easy access to content on frequently studied and discussed issues. Educator Resources include a research toolkit with tips on analyzing issues with opposing viewpoints, distinguishing fact from opinion, evaluating information sources, and recognizing deceptive arguments.
Background Knowledge
When you begin a research project, it is a good idea to take a moment to reflect on your prior knowledge of the topic area. How much do you already know about this topic? How confident are you in moving forward with this topic? In most cases, you will need to do a bit of research to get some general information on your topic.
A great way to gather background information is through searching reference materials. Reference materials such as Encyclopedias and Dictionaries are arranged alphabetically and contain a general overview of a term or subject matter. The library has access to encyclopedias and dictionaries in print and online through particular databases. Two great general reference databases are located below.
- Britannica Academic This link opens in a new windowProvides reference sources in almost all disciplines. Also includes historical timelines, multimedia, selected magazine articles, notable quotations, and a dictionary and thesaurus.
- Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) This link opens in a new windowBroad cross-curricular collection of non-fiction titles, supporting science, geography, history, language arts, business and other subjects. Optimized for search and discovery, the Gale eBooks platform enables you to search through multiple nonfiction eBooks within a single search.