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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
Library Resources & Links
- HU3120 Online Library Module, Fall 2020A ~30 minute module that includes videos and brief activities intended to familiarize you with materials that will be helpful when searching for and writing a white paper.
- Related: HU2600 Information Resources for White PapersMore detailed info on white papers
Sources for Sample White Papers
- FindWhitePapers.comTechnical white papers from across industries
- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development White PapersPolicy and world issues focused
- USA.govSearches across government sites. Include "white paper" as a search term to narrow results.
Technology News & Policy
- Electronic Frontier FoundationA nonprofit organization focused on technology issues such as: user privacy, free expression, policy analysis, and technology development.
- 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.
- Repair.orgSummarizes and analyzes policies related to right to repair.
- 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.
- GlobalEDGE This link opens in a new window
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Created by the International Business Center at Michigan State University (IBC), globalEDGE is a knowledge web-portal that connects international business professionals worldwide to a wealth of information, insights, and learning resources on global business activities.
Statistics & Demographics
These resources can help provide context on who uses the technology you're exploring, how they use it, and it's financial impact.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowStatista provides direct access to quantitative data on a wide variety of areas of interest or markets. Statistics, industry reports, company dossiers, and forecasts are some of the content available for download in multiple formats. It also offers graphical tools that allow users to manipulate data and create infographics for use in presentations and publications.
- 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.
- DemographicsNow (Gale) This link opens in a new window
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Offers a variety of ready-made and customizable reports based on Census data. Use to identify patterns and trends regarding household expenditures, market penetration and location of goods and services. Provides demographic information including population, income, housing, race, consumer and business information, earnings and expenditures consumer earnings and expenditures, and other statistics for states, counties, census tracts, and other U.S. geographic areas.
Industry Publications & Trade Journals
Industry Publications & Trade Journals are intended for people who work in a given field. They are not necessarily academic sources but they are geared towards folks knowledgeable in the topic. They often focus more heavily on hands-on problems or solutions, practical information, market details, etc.
- ACM QueueCovers a wide range of computing topics and is produced by the Association for Computing Machinery. Online access 2003-present
- Microbiology TodayEach issue is geared towards a given theme or topic relevant to current microbiology news. Produced by the Society for General Microbiology.
- Layers MagazineHow-to's, industry news, & product reviews for the design world.
Databases for General Research
- Library's Basic SearchThis is a good place to start your research. Starting with a simple search for "homelessness" will retrieve numerous articles that begin to dig into causes and prevalence. As you learn more, add additional keywords and narrow your search to peer reviewed articles as appropriate!
- ERIC This link opens in a new windowProvides free access to abstracts and records of journal articles related to the education field. When available, links to full text are included.
- Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
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Contextual information, research, and opinions on today's social issues. Features continuously updated viewpoint articles, topic overviews, full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, statistics, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites organized into a user-friendly portal experience. - IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new windowAccess to full-text journal articles, conference proceedings and standards published by IEEE and IEE (Institution of Electrical Engineers). Select legacy content dating back to 1950 is also included.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowArchive includes scholarly journals in a variety of academic disciplines covering African, African-American, Anthropology, Archaeology, Asian Studies, Biology, Botany, Classics, Ecology, Economics, Education, Finance, Health, History, Latin American, Life sciences, Literature, Mathematics, Middle Eastern, Philosophy, Political Science, Population Studies, Slavic studies, Sociology, and Statistics.
- PubMed Central This link opens in a new windowOpen full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM). Includes articles from participating journals and authors’ manuscripts submitted in compliance with funding agency requirements.
- Web of Science This link opens in a new windowThe Web of Science covers a broad range of disciplines with content dating from 1900 to the present day.
