Research & Course Guides: Human Ecology: A Guide to Research: Overview

Ask a Librarian

Email Me

Contact:

Milne Library 120

1-607-436-2703

Subjects: Affordable Learning Materials, Biology, Criminal Justice, Fashion, Food, Foreign Language General, French, German, Human Development and Family Studies, Human Ecology, Italian, Japanese, Nutrition, Scholarly Communications, Sociology, Spanish

Attribution

This guide was created by a former Milne Librarian.

In 2021, it was adapted by Jennifer Jensen with ideas from guides by Michelle Hendley, Heather Statler, and Sarah Rhodes.

Welcome

Welcome to the Human Ecology Research Guide! Use the tabs at left to navigate. This guide contains information about library resources (and how to use them) for Human Ecology students. (Image from SUNY Oneonta CANTO collection)

Research process

The Research Process

This library guide is designed to help you along each step of the research process as you prepare and write papers for your classes. For general Research Paper Help, try this guide, too.

Each section of the guide connects with one step of the research process:

Pick a topic with ideas from the news, library databases, and more.
Find Research Sources by searching for reference items, articles, books, and other library resources to help you learn about your topic.
When you are ready to get writing, the Write & Cite page has helpful links to citation and writing/revising resources.

Pick a topic

Pick a Topic

Looking for ideas? Here are a few ways to generate ideas for a research paper topic:

Consider adapting a topic you are studying for another class -- get a new perspective on it, and use your research twice
Browse chapter titles in your textbook or unit titles in your class syllabus
Scan newspaper headlines (see "News and Topic Databases" below)
Check out what's trending in social media sites you like
Use the "Browse Issues" section in the library's Opposing Viewpoints database (see link below)
Watch a film or documentary and explore the film's ideas further with your research paper

News & Topic Databases

Newspaper Source Plus
Includes over 850 full-text U.S. and international newspapers as well as over 800,000 television and radio news transcripts.
Google Newspapers Archive This link opens in a new window
Provides free access to scanned archives of newspapers and links to other newspaper archives on the web. It contains more than 2,000 scanned newspapers, including The Afro American (1902-1992), The Pittsburgh Press (1819-1992), and The Village Voice (1955-2004).
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
Contains about 2000 viewpoint articles, 1000 topic overviews, 700 court case overviews, and 30 full text periodicals and newspapers. The Research Guide provides tips on analyzing issues with opposing viewpoints, distinguishing fact from opinion, evaluating information sources, and recognizing deceptive arguments.