A) Pick a general topic! What is the assignment, and what types of related things are interesting to you?
B) Find some background/reference sources on your topic in Garver (silent study!) through Reference Universe, or use one of the online reference sources on the next page.
C) Take good notes and narrow your topic down. What do you know about it? What else would you like to know?
Using your notes, highlight or underline some keywords you might be able to use. People, places, events, and time periods are useful keywords to note.
D) Search in the OWHL Catalog for books and databases for scholarly articles. Find out more in the Finding Secondary Sources tab of this guide.
Are you accessing the library's online resources from off-campus? All you need to do is to sign in when prompted, with your blue card ID number. Your password will be the last four digits of your ID number, unless you've logged in before and specifically changed it.
Example:
User ID: 1234567
Password: 4567
Pierre-Ambrose Richebourg, Barricades de la Commune, avril 71. Coin de la place Hotel de Ville & de la rue de Rivoli, 1871. Albumen silver print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Gift, through Joyce and Robert Menschel, 1998, 1998.334.1. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/284087
If you need help getting started or getting unstuck, you can drop by the Library Welcome Desk any time for help or book a research appointment with a librarian for a one-on-one consultation.
