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If you are researching from off-campus, please remember that you will need to log in through Blackboard to access the databases. 

Use of Google Chrome is strongly recommended for Blackboard.  Once you are logged in, look for My Courses, then find the class CAC Library Resources.  On the left menu, select All Articles and eBooks, then find the databases below on the list.

APA Formatting Handout (correct format for AGS122 papers)

2015 Citations APA.docx

Some books, websites, and resources to start with

This Excel list, organized by paper topic, may provide you with some starting points for your research.  There are many additional resources to be found in the catalog and databases, so don't forget to check them out, too!  If you have any questions about finding these materials, please contact the library for assistance.

AGS122 Geldmacher booklist.xlsx

Online Journal Articles

Academic Onefile

Academic OneFile searches millions of articles for your keywords or subject.  The default search is a keyword, finding any word(s) you type in the box anywhere in an article.  To get broader results in a keyword search, use an asterisk to search for variations on a word:  energ* will find energy, energies, energetic or any other word beginning with the letters energ

Subject searches are more specific.  You must use defined terms that are already in the system, but the benefit of using subjects is that you will find articles where that word or phrase is a main topic of the article.  To find articles on a subject, click on the dark gray "Subject Guide Search" button below the search box. 

OmniFile

You can search OmniFile (EBSCOhost) with the same phrases that are listed above.  Because Academic OneFile and OmniFile search different journals and resources, you will find articles in OmniFile that are not available through OneFile.

The Thesaurus function in OmniFile is similar to the Subject Search in OneFile.  For the best results, change the browsing box to relevancy ranked, and then type in the word(s) to search.  Click on a listed term to see related topics.  To search, put a checkmark in front of one or more subject terms and click the Add button.  Your terms will appear in the top-most box with a DE to denote topic.  Click the green Search button to run the search and find all articles with your selected subject(s).

Online Essays 

Issues & Controversies

This database provides essays to give you great background information on a topic, including timelines, legislation passed, and key players to know.  If you find that you get too many resources on your results list, you can narrow this down to the best essays by going to article type and checking the "article" box. You can also try "by the numbers" to see statistics, "primary sources" to read original sources (like the laws as written and passed), or chronologies to see timelines and major events.  Newspaper articles are also available; click any of the boxes in the Reuters news feed section to see current or older newspaper articles on your topic.  (Reuters is a news agency that writes many of the stories published in newspapers.  They are an excellent and reliable source for the most current information.  See Newsbank below for other ways to find more news stories.)

Issues & Controversies in American History

Newspaper Articles

Newsbank

Newsbank provides (non-scholarly) coverage of topics from newspapers around the world.   For the most recent, up-to-the-moment coverage of a topic, search here for articles.  Begin by selecting United States news (unless you are discussing how another nation handles a particular issue/topic: national parks in Britain or natural resources in Japan.)  A keyword search will go through the full text of all articles in the database, which may give you too many results.  You can retrieve more precise results if you change the "all text" drop-down box to "lead/first paragraph" or "headline."  There still will be a lot of articles, so it can be helpful to limit to source type --> newspaper, and to select the most recent year, unless you are looking for historical information.  You can also change the article ranking in the upper-right from "most recent matches" (which are current but may only mention your topic) to "best matches first" (which gives you the most relevant information, regardless of date.)

Books

Gale Virtual Reference Library (full-text online)

Consider doing a basic search for keywords to find the largest number of results; narrow results by changing the dropdown box from "basic search" to "subject" for a subject search.  You can also look for particular book titles, such as the ones below; next to the search box, click the more icon (three bars), then select title list.  All the ebooks in Gale Virtual Reference are listed alphabetically.  Select a book and use "search within publication" to find your topic in a specific book. 

eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) (full-text online)

This collection has thousands and thousands of books online.  You can try a keyword search but you may get too many results.  The following titles might be an easier place to look for information; search titles either in the advanced search section, or by typing them in the title box that appears in the "limit your results" section.

Online Catalog for finding printed books in the library or DVDs.  This will also search for ebooks containing your words or search criteria.

If you find you are getting too many ebooks in your list, you can change the settings to show only books or only movies, etc.  Use the limit by format dropdown under the search box.  Come in and check with a librarian if you are having trouble finding materials; we may be able to suggest terms that are more likely to find useful material.

Websites

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

http://www.epa.gov/

     A government agency website that provides information on environmental issues.

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal

http://www.usa.gov

     Find federal and state government webpages on almost any topic.

The U.S. Government's Topic Guide to Environment, Energy and Agriculture

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Environment-Agriculture.shtml

     A shortcut to federal information on Environment, Energy and Agriculture topics.

Arizona Cooperative Extension (through University of Arizona)

 http://extension.arizona.edu

     Provides current information on many Arizona agriculture, natural resources, and water issues

National Resource Conservation Service

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/national/home/

     Provides current information on national issues, initiatives and resources.  Use the Topics tab to find relevant information.