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Frequently Asked Questions
Top 5 Library FAQ's:
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
Where can I find Primary Sources?
A collection of databases and links that can help you find primary source data. If you don't see a collection that quite fits your needs, one starting strategy is to search for collection of [your topic] or archive of [your topic] in google.
- Artstor This link opens in a new windowARTstor is a collection of over a million digital images in the arts, architecture, humanities and sciences covering many time periods and cultures. Users can search, view and download images for educational and research purposes.
Access Note: Account needed to download images
- Digital Public Library of AmericaImages, exhibits, documents, and more detailing American life and history.
- Digital Theatre + This link opens in a new windowPerformances of plays, operas, dance, and more available for viewing. In addition to the productions, Digital Theatre explores the roles essential to production such as director, costumer, musicians, lighting and offers a section on theory and criticism.
- HarpWeek This link opens in a new windowProvides electronic access to Harper's Weekly, the illustrated 19th century "Journal of Civilization," for a 56-year period: 1857-1912. Discover the lively news stories, illustrations, cartoons, editorials, biographies, literature, and even advertisements that shaped and reflected public opinion in this era.
- HIstory.com SpeechesCollection of famous speeches
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowArchive includes the scanned images of over 1128 scholarly journals in a variety of academic disciplines.
- Library of Congress Digital CollectionsCollections of images, manuscripts, recordings, film, and more. If you're interested in advertising materials, the printed ephemera collection can be a good place to start!
- ProQuest This link opens in a new windowCovers a wide range of topics and document types. Depending on topic, limit to news, research, data, or images to find primary sources.
- Social Explorer This link opens in a new windowDemographic data visualization and research site allows users to generate vector maps in formats including side-by-side, multivariable, swipe maps, street level and satellite views. Data reports and downloads are easily created and exported from current and historical (220+ years) demographic data.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowStatista integrates data on over 80,000 topics from over 18,000 sources onto a single platform. Statistics, industry reports, company dossiers, and forecasts are some of the content available for download in multiple formats.
- New York Times This link opens in a new windowIncludes all NYT articles from regular & International editions, Book Review, Magazine, web-only articles, videos, etc. Includes content dating back to 1851 (5 article per day per person limit from years 1923-1980). Does not include the cooking section, crossword, or the Athletic. Patrons will need to create an account with your MTU email address and a unique password first before using this link to access content. You will need to log in with your account credentials to save articles.
- IBISWorld This link opens in a new windowIndustry research reports on numerous US industries that offer key statistics and analysis on market characteristics, operating conditions, current and forecast performance, major industry participants, and more. A smaller collection of global industry reports offer similar content, but focuses on industry performance in key regions like Europe, the Middle East, Africa and others.
- Internet ArchiveA large collection of images, sounds, music, etc. Be sure to check the copyright status of any work you would like to incorporate. This site also collects old websites through its "Wayback Machine."
Select Journals
Below is a list of specific journals that might be useful for your research in this course. It is not comprehensive. Depending on your topic, there may be many more in the databases listed above that will have good information you can use!