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Manchester Campus Library

Manchester CCS 1001: College and Career Success

About this Guide

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This research guide is designed for students in the CCS 1001 College and Career Success courses. Use this guide to  distinguish between source types, get tips for searching, and find books, scholarly articles, films and videos, career resources, evaluate websites, and get citation help for your CCS 1001 research assignments. If you get stuck, ask a librarian. We are available during library hours by appointment (in-person or virtual), at the reference desk in the library, and via chat, text, email, and phone. 

Types of Resources

What are Articles?

Articles are shorter written works that are contained or published within a larger work such as a newspaper, magazine, or journal.

When should I use Articles?

In general, articles are best used when you are looking for current, reliable information. 

Articles May be Useful When... Articles May NOT be Useful When...

 Your topic is very recent
Articles, especially in newspapers and magazines, are intended to keep people up-to-date on the latest development in various issues, so they are very useful if you are tracking new developments and progress of a topic.
Example: The most recent debate and developments surrounding the issue of gay marriage and civil unions

 You need background or overview information
You cannot trace the whole history of an issue in one magazine or journal article!
Example: Causes of the civil war in the United States

 Your topic is very narrow in scope
Sometimes you are interested in something so specific that there will not be whole books written about the topic!
Example: The correlation of SAT scores to college success in the tri-state area

 Your topic covers a long time span
When something has a long history, you may only find one aspect discussed in a magazine or journal article
Example: The impact of Brown vs. Board of Education on the public school system in the US

(Table content from WCSU Libraries "Research Basics" guide, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License)

What are Books and eBooks?

Books are typically longer works written by experts that are self-contained or published as themselves.

eBooks are "electronic books" that have been published in a digital format.

When should I use Books?

In general, books are best used when you are looking for in-depth background information. 

Books May be Useful When... Books May NOT be Useful When...

 You need a broad overview
There are times when you want someone to explain everything to you - beginning to end. Books are very appropriate for this.
Example: An overview of the legal, moral and medical issues surrounding right-to-die

 The topic is very recent
Books take an awfully long time (years!) to get published, purchased and put on library shelves. If the issue you are researching is constantly changing, a book may be outdated by the time it arrives in the library.
Example: The latest information about the parental consent debate for underage abortions

 Your research topic is historical
Books lend themselves to topics in which the facts don't change much over time.
Example: A detailed account of the development of the civil rights movement in the United States

 You have a fairly narrow topic
Sometimes books just cover too much and offer too many perspectives.
Example: The theme of isolation and desperation in Charlotte Perkins Gillman's "The Yellow Wallpaper"
 You want several opinions from one place
You will find there are books with "collected essays" that will give you several points of view in one compact source.
Example: Commentary and criticism on Shakespeare's Hamlet		  

(Table content from WCSU Libraries "Research Basics" guide, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License)

What are Films & Videos?

Films and videos are visual recordings that usually include audio and cover information related to a specific topic.

When should I use Films & Videos?

In general, films and videos are best used when you need a broad overview or introduction to a topic or subject. 

Films/Videos May be Useful When... Films/Videos May NOT be Useful When...

 Your topic requires witnessing real events or situations
Films and videos provide visual records of historical events, cultural practices, or natural phenomena. They allow viewers to witness situations that may be difficult or impossible to experience in real life.
Example: Analysis of delivery techniques used by Martin Luther King Jr. during his "I Have a Dream" speech

 You need credible or scholarly information
While some films and videos like documentaries or educational videos can provide factual information, they do not go through the same rigorous review process and are less reliable.
Example: Impact of social media on mental health

 Your topic includes personal testimonies
Films and videos can feature interviews with experts or individuals who have personal experiences related to your topic. This can provide valuable insights, perspectives, and storytelling elements that enhance your understanding and engagement with the subject.
Example: Impact of climate change on people living in certain areas

 Your topic covers a long time span
When something has a long history, you may only find one aspect covered in a film or video
Example: The impact of Brown vs. Board of Education on the public school system in the US

 Your topic is a comparative analysis of different forms or adaptations of a specific work
Films and videos may be relevant sources if you are comparing a written work with a film adaptation or two films telling the same story from different eras.
Example: Comparison of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night with the 2006 movie She's the Man

  Your topic is on a complex issue requiring in-depth information
Films and videos generally have a limited runtime, which restricts their ability to cover complex or expansive topics comprehensively.
Example: Benefits and challenges of establishing universal healthcare in the United States

 

 

Tips for Searching

How to Identify Keywords

Library databases differ from Google in that you cannot  type your entire research question into the search box and get results. Follow the steps below to break your question into keywords for better searches:
  • Take your topic or research question and break it into keywords or phrases.

Ex.) Why should the United States have universal health insurance?

  • Think of synonyms or related terms to come up with additional keywords you could use. Use your Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How questions to come up with additional keywords for more specific searches.

Ex.) 

Main Keyword 1
Main Keyword 2
Additional Keywords
Additional Keywords
Universal health insurance United States Pros Cons
Universal health coverage United States of America Rationale Cost
Global health insurance U.S. Public health Funding
Global health care U.S.A. Equity  
Obamacare America    

Hint: Use a thesaurus or the Credo Reference topic web to help you come up with additional keywords.

 

Combine Keywords to Form a Search

  • Put the keywords and phrases you came up with together to form a "search string."

Ex.) "Universal Health Insurance" AND "United States"

or... "Global health care" AND "United States" AND "Equity"

or... "Universal healthcare" AND US AND (Cost OR Funding)

 

Notice how key phrases are grouped together with quotation marks.

Ex.) "Universal Health Insurance"  /  "United States"

 

This tells the database to search for the words together as a phrase instead of searching for each word independently.