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Research Guides

Education: Get Started

Ask a Librarian

Contact the Reference Desk

email Email askanselm@anselm.edu
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Reference Desk Hours

Sunday 2:00PM - 10:00PM
Monday 11:00AM - 10:00PM
Tuesday 11:00AM - 10:00PM
Wednesday      11:00AM - 10:00PM
Thursday 11:00AM - 5:00PM
Friday 11:00AM - 3:00PM
Saturday 12:00PM - 5:00PM

Start Your Search Here

Reference Databases

Didn't find what you were looking for in the books above? Try searching through one of our e-Reference database collections. Browse topic ideas and get background information:

Search Tips

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. youth AND homelessness
    • Use OR for searching with synonyms of your keywords. E.g. (youth OR teen) AND homelessness
  • Abbreviate words with multiple endings using an asterisk (*). E.g. homeless* to search both homeless and homelessness
  • Search specific phrases using quotation marks. E.g. "Runaway and Homeless Youth Act"
  • Change your search terms around to get different results.

Use these tips to help you choose a research topic:

  • To brainstorm ideas to research, try browsing:
    • News in your subject area. (Google sociology news to find websites to browse.)
    • The table of contents of a book or encyclopedia in your subject area.
  • Do some initial searching on one or more topic ideas, using our main library search box or Google.
  • Refine your topic based on what you find:
    • Maybe you found a slight variation or different direction you want to go in.
    • Tons of results? Consider narrowing your topic to focus on a smaller aspect of it.
    • Hardly any results? You may need to broaden your topic and make it less specific.
  • In the end, choose something you're interested in.

If you want to discuss topic ideas, stop by the Reference Desk to chat with a librarian.

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