Research Guide for English 101: Finding a Resource on Islamic Fundamentalism
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Prepared by Elinor Appel NSCC Library (this will open in a new window)
This book is available in the NSCC Library. |
Books
Reference Books - use these books for background information and to look up specific topics. Reference books vary in their approach and content, so consider which angles are appropriate to your research. An example:
- Encycopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, 2 vols.[Ref BP 40 .E525 2004]
Circulating Books - use these books to find more in-depth information on your topic.
Refer to Finding Books for tips on searching the catalog using keywords and subject headings. Click on the subject headings you turn up to find more books on your topic. A perfect subject heading for your topic:
- Islamic fundamentalism. (Note: LC subject headings will rarely correspond so neatly with your topic.)
Once you find a title or two in the catalog, locate them in the circulating collection upstairs (check Location in the catalog record) and then browse the shelves in that area for more books on your topic. If the book isn't available at this library, you can request it from Central or Sout using the link at the top of the record..
Refer to Finding Articles for tips on how to search a periodical database using keywords and topics. Remember to "talk to the database" using Boolean logic or other search symbols. Also consider your keywords, for instance: "illegal aliens" versus "undocumented workers."
- and – for combining concepts/keywords, will narrow the search: fundamentalism and islam
- or – when you are using related terms, will broaden the search muslim or islam
- “ ” – when you are using a phrase: “islamic fundamentalism”
- * – when the terms have related stems: islam* for Islam, Islamic, etc.
- ( ) – to organize your search phrase: islam* and (radical or fundamentalist)
Good periodical databases for your research are:
- ProQuest - general database with articles ranging from news to scholarly
- Academic Search Premier - another general database with a range of articles
Refer to Searching the Internet for tips on searching the Internet effectively using Google. Simply limiting your search by domain (site:edu or site:gov) is often a good way to start. Make sure you can tell whether or not your website is authoritative. And remember: Wikipedia is not an authoritative resource at this time. Wikipedia's anonymous editors have been proved to be biased, and entries can be wrong. Reading Wikipedia is not doing college-level research. While it's an acceptable place to begin your research, don't stop there!
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