Research Basics

• Pick a topic that interests you.
• Select important topic word(s) or phrase(s) to search. e.g., TOPIC = Negative effects of cigarette smoking on health, MAIN TOPIC WORD = smoking)
• Choose related words or phrases to find specific information (e.g., smoking and health)
• Search for magazine and newspaper articles in an online database such as MasterFILE Premier or ProQuest-All Databases on campus.
  Also search these databases and others at home using your library card number.
• Search for World Wide Web pages on the Internet using a search engine like Google.

Did you find what you need? If not, first check your spelling. Then try another online database or ask your professor or a librarian for help.

Questions? No problem. Call 281-618-5707, visit the librarians on the library's 3rd floor, or email a librarian.