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Frequently Asked Questions
Top 5 Library FAQ's:
Request a Consultation
Work with Dory to focus the scope of your paper, find resources, evaluate the quality of sources, properly integrate source information into your paper, and more. Consultations with a librarian usually last 1/2 to 1 hour.
Email dmshaffe@mtu.edu to schedule a consultation.
Library Session Materials
Key Resources
- Find PolicyAnother custom Google search resource that allow you to narrow down to granular policy topics
- GovSpeak: A Guide to U.S. Government Acronyms & AbbreviationsGuide from UC SanDiego of the litany of acronyms and abbreviations used by the government, incredibly helpful for understanding what you are reading!
- White House Briefing RoomContains up to the minute information on new policy guidelines from the current administration
- HeinOnline: Government, Politics, & Law This link opens in a new windowAn expansive collection of legal materials and government documents. HeinOnline includes law reviews, legal journals, and the full-text of sources including Fastcase Premium, the Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, Serial Set, and more.
- CQ Almanac This link opens in a new windowAnalyses of major legislation and actions of congress from 1945 to present. Information can be tracked by year, topic, or policy issue.
- Congressional Research Service ReportsReports covering a broad range of political topics written to inform members of congress on various policy issues.
- Harvard Think Tank SearchA Google Custom Search of more than 1200 think tanks and research centers. Think Tank Search searches the websites of institutions that generate public policy research, analysis, and activity. These sites are affiliated with universities, governments, advocacy groups, foundations, and non-governmental organizations
Also a helpful section on "Evaluating Think Tanks"
General Resources
These databases contain information on a wide range of subjects and topics and so may contain information relevant to your topic.
Visit the Journals search, Databases A-Z list, and Library Catalog for more resources.
- ProQuest This link opens in a new windowA collection of databases that cover a very wide range of subjects. Find articles, data, reports, magazines, and more.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowSearchable full-text and scanned images of back issues of many of the core research and academic society published journals in almost all subject areas. Its emphasis is in the humanities and social sciences. The majority of JSTOR's content is academic and peer-reviewed. Includes primary source material.
- Web of Science This link opens in a new windowSearches ISI citation indexes for Arts & Humanities, Science, and Social Sciences for articles that cite a known author or work, or search by subject, author, journal, and author address. Based on the Web of Knowledge platform. Covers over 12,000 journals.
Citation Management Tools
- Library Zotero GuideGet all of the info you need to start using Zotero, an open source, all-in-one citation management tool
- Library EndNote GuideInstruction for using the Citation Management software EndNote. This is a fantastic tool that the library pays for you to have access to.