University of Southern Indiana

            Students frequently need to find reputable resources and information about topics. How should you go about this?  The process of finding information and doing searches is also a learned skill.  Throughout the program, you will be asked to search for current and relevant information about topics.  The following information should provide assistance in doing that. 

Selection of Resources 

Students will be asked throughout the program to utilize scholarly references.  What makes a reference scholarly?  Different disciplines may define this differently, but generally a scholarly journal may include peer reviewed articles which are based on research or other evidence. The link below has excellent information about evaluating sources. 

http://www.usi.edu/library/documents/Scholarly%20vs.%20Popular%20Journal%20Articles.pdf

http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/eval.html

Doing a literature search

There are many things you can do to help you find information about a topic.  The Rice Library at USI provides excellent support for students who are seeking information and that is not limited to on-campus students.  The link to that site is one you should bookmark and will use frequently during your education.

The link below provides guidance on steps which might be helpful as you begin to search or a topic or for information for a writing assignment. 

http://www.usi.edu/library/documents/Search%20Strategies.pdf

http://www.usi.edu/library/documents/Research%20Process%20Flow%20Chart.pdf