Ask Us
Librarians are available to answer your questions. Click on the Ask Us bubble for FAQs and contact options (chat, email, text, phone).
Frequently Asked Questions
Top 5 Library FAQ's:
Library Session Materials
Other Useful Guides
Tutorials: Getting Started with Research
These interactive tutorial videos will introduce you to the basic skills and knowledge you need to get your research started. (Note: Tutorials have video and audio components)
- Selecting Library ResourcesWhere do you even begin searching for articles, books, and other resources? Learn about the basic research resources that the library offers.
- Understanding Citations (APA style)Get a quick overview of APA style citation and begin thinking about the reasons why researchers cite.
- Searching Library DatabasesAdvanced strategies for searching databases.
- Evaluating ResourcesHow to evaluate the quality of your resources based on purpose, authority, and currency.
- Primary & Secondary SourcesExamine key differences between primary and secondary sources.
- More tutorials...Find additional tutorials on using the library catalog, reading call numbers, and renewing materials on the library website
Starting Resources
Basic Background Info
Search through these reference sources for brief overviews of an author's life or times. Many also have concise definitions of rhetorical and philosophical terms you may find helpful.
- Biography Index Past and Present (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowAbstracts to biographical information and articles dating from 1946.
- Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of PhilosophyE-book, use "View Online" links on catalog page. Contains brief definitions of key concepts and terms. Cites related articles for more info.
- Encyclopedia of RhetoricBook - Third Floor, PN172 .E52 2001. Contains entries detailing key ideas and people.
In-Depth Background Info
These sources typically provide a little more depth for topics you might want to explore. For example, you might check them for chapters or longer articles on time periods.
Some are more likely to contain articles that use and apply theories in the ways you are interested in also doing. Many of these articles may also have brief backgrounds of the authors or theories in their introductions that you can use to gather contextual information.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowArchive includes the scanned images of over 1128 scholarly journals in a variety of academic disciplines.
- MLA International Bibliography (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowIndex of scholarly books and articles on modern languages, literatures, folklore and linguistics which has been compiled by the Modern Language Association of America since 1926.
- Philosopher's Index This link opens in a new windowA bibliographic database with informative, author-written abstracts covering scholarly research in all areas of philosophy. The literature covered goes back to 1940.
- Project MUSE This link opens in a new windowAn online collection to a comprehensive selection of prestigious humanities and social sciences journals.
- Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and CompositionBook - Third Floor, PN172 .E53 1996. Entries examine current interpretations and applications of rhetorical theory.
Browsing Print
The following sections of the library may have relevant resources. Look for these numbers on the labels at the end of the shelves. You can find books in the Main Collection and journals (also known as serials or periodicals) on the Garden level.
- B Philosophy
- BC Logic
- BL Religions, Mythology, Rationalism
- D World History
- P Language and Literature
- Linguistics
- P301 Style, Composition, Rhetoric
- P302 Discourse Analysis
- PN Literature (General)
- PN172-239 Technique, Literary Composition, etc.
- Linguistics
You can also search the catalog and use the "Subjects" in each record as a jumping off point to find more resources.