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ENGL 101 // Exploratory Essay // Lamb

Get Started
  • Carefully review the assignment.  What types of sources do you need?  How many?
  • Think about your topic.  Choose a topic that is interesting to you, something you would want to read or research.  You may need to narrow down your topic to something you can cover in 5-6 pages.  
  • Remember!  This paper is all about your exploration of the issue or problem.  Be sure to document your research process and reflect on what you've learned or how your thoughts on the issue have changed.

Find Background Information
To find the most useful books and articles you may need to learn more about your topic first.  Reference materials, like encyclopedias, dictionaries and handbooks give you a general overview of your topic and can point you to more specific research.
  • Browse the Reference Shelves to find encyclopedias, dictionaries & other books on your topic 
  • Remember! think of your topic in broad, general terms 
  • Find more reference books using the Library Catalog
  • Gale Virtual Reference Library contains more than 50,000 reference articles from subject-specific encyclopedias across all major disciplines.  Browse under a general subject area or conduct a basic keyword search.  To get to the Gale Virtual Reference Library from the Pierce College Library homepage:
    •  Select the link for “Articles and Databses” under the FIND heading on the left side of the screen
    • select the link for “Gale Virtual Reference Library” under the heading E-Books

Find Books & EBooks
The library owns many print books and has access to electronic books (Ebooks) on your topic.  Books are good for providing more in depth information, but remember to check how current the information is.  Remember:  you don't need to read the ENTIRE book, just the chapters and pages that are relevant to your topic.

Ebrary contains contains nearly 20,000 electronic books covering all subject areas.  Browse by table of contents and read selected pages and/or chapters.  Read these books on your computer screen or print off selected chapters.  To get to Ebrary from the Pierce College library homepage:
  • Select the link for “Articles and Databses” under the FIND heading on the left side of the screen
  • Select the link for “Ebrary” under the heading E-Book
Use the Library Catalog to search for books at Pierce College.  Do a keyword search for the main concepts of your topic.  Once you find a book you like, use the subject heading links to search for similar titles.  Don't forget to request the book!

Advanced Search Tips


Find Articles
The Library’s databases contain thousands of articles from the newspapers, magazines, trade journals and scholarly journals.  Journal articles may be more more specific and current than books, but have less in-depth information

Proquest Research Library - on databases page under General Periodical Databases section, select Proquest Research Library 
Broad subject coverage with articles from thousands of newspapers, journals and magazines. Has several "sub-databases" to choose from, including the "Washington State Newsstand" for the major Washington newspapers

Academic Search Complete - on databases page under General Periodical Databases section, select Academic Search Complete
Broad, multi-disciplinary subject coverage, including both scholarly journals and popular periodicals for thousands of titles. Search results can be limited to only peer-reviewed scholarly journals


Find Websites
Use the website credibility checklist below when evaluating websites for use in your research.  The more boxes you check the less credible the website is for your research

Authority?
  • No author information
  • Author has no qualifications
Sponsor/Publisher?
  • No information on sponsor/publisher of website
  • Sponsor/publisher not reputable 
Accuracy?
  • Spelling and grammar errors, sloppiness 
  • Information differs from that found in print sources 
  • Overly decorative or useless graphics 
  • Links to outside sources broken or outdated 
  • Coverage 
  • Information lacks depth 
  • Information lacks relevance 
  • Information offers nothing beyond what print sources do 
Objectivity? 
  • Appears to persuade rather than inform 
  • Appears to be selling something 
  • Angry or extreme language; presents the other side as irrational 
  • Attempts to pull one in emotionally 
  • More than minimal advertising 
Domain? 
  • .org? 
  • .com? (anyone could have created this website) 
  • .edu – educational institution 
  • .gov – government

Citing Sources
You need to cite your sources in MLA (Modern Language Association) style, using footnotes and a bibliography.  The library can help!
Try these resources:
Get more citation help in the Writer's Center or ask a librarian

Get HELP!
Emily Wood is your librarian for the class.  She can help answer questions specific to your research project.  Visit Emily's Help Page.

If you need immediate assistance, ask a librarian! There are 4 ways we can help you:

1.  In Person @ Library Reference Desk
Cascade 421 – Performance Lounge 
  • M-Th: 8 AM – 8 PM 
  • F: 8 AM – 2 PM 
2.  Phone: 253.964.6555 
  • M-Th: 8 AM – 8 PM 
  • F: 8 AM – 2 PM 
3.  IM/Chat Reference 24/7
4.  Email: library@pierce.ctc.edu

photo cred:  flickr user austinevan