Physics: Get Started

Reference sources include encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries.  They are a great place to begin your research, since they can help with the following:

• Offer ideas for possible research topics
• Give you background information on your topic
• Define unfamiliar terms
• Suggest keywords to use when searching for books and articles
• Point you to books and articles on your topic, via "works cited" lists

These search tips work in our library databases and Library Catalog:

• Combine keywords using AND and OR.
  • Use AND for searching different ideas within your topic. E.g. astrophysics AND history
  • Use OR for searching with synonyms of your keywords. E.g. (astrophysics OR astronomy) AND history
• Abbreviate words with multiple endings using an asterisk (*). E.g. astrophysic* to search for astrophysics, astrophysical, and astrophysicist 
• Search specific phrases using quotation marks. E.g. "dark matter"
• Change your search terms around to get different results.

Contact the Reference Desk

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