Understanding the Research Process (2:33) 
This tutorial looks at ways of creating a research project that answers a researchable question, rather than just collecting a lot of information about a topic and handing in what you found.
Pre-research Strategies (3:17)
This tutorial looks at ways of getting a working knowledge of a topic that will aid in further research.
The following presentation will help you get going with research design:
Preparing a Research Question for a Database Search (3:16)
Looks at how to move from a research question to a search string that will return excellent results.
Finding an Electronic Article from a Reference
Access an electronic journal article from a reference (1:10)
Ways of searching databases and organizing results that will help you to become a more efficient researcher.
Boolean Search - Boolean search uses AND, OR, and NOT to help focus search results.
Search History - Using a database search history to manage your searches.
Other Search Techniques
Google Scholar when accessed through the TWU Library website, will do forward citation searches of both Google Scholar and Web of Science. Forward citation searching is looking for newer articles that have cited an article you already have. It's a good way of building a set of newer references on various aspects of a topic.
Primary sources are pieces of information that come directly from the time, place or people you are studying. Secondary sources are studies that analyze and interpret primary sources. Primary sources may be letters, diaries, published writing by some historical figure you are studying, and so on.
Most tutorials related to finding primary sources are specific to individual libraries. This guide - https://libguides.uvic.ca/primary - offers you definitions and suggestions for finding primary sources.
Our History research guide has an extensive collection of links to primary sources online: https://libguides.twu.ca/c.php?g=284734&p=1897394 (use the links in the left column to specify regions and topics.
Google can be useful. Enter your topic and add the term "primary sources" to your search.
A book search in Library OneSearch with your topic plus the word "sources" may provide primary sources in book form..
Use Google Scholar to access articles in library databases (1:54)
Assessing Online Resources (5:19)
Formatting Book References (1:55)
Shows how to use WorldCat to format most book references in one of these styles: APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA, or Turabian.
For those using EndNote to manage your references, see our EndNote Guide.
Land Acknowledgement
Trinity Western University's Langley campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Stó:lō people. We are grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and learn on this land.
