POL 399: Politics of Reconciliation: Start

We all come to this course from various backgrounds. You may be really familiar with using the library to conduct research. Or maybe you've forgotten a few things. No problem.

Here are some key skills you will need to do your research well - along with links in case you need to brush up on some skills. Some of the information is also duplicated in the tabs above but this gives you a quick reference point if needed.

In order to conduct research well for this course, you should be able to:

• Find books on the shelf
• Use ILL (More information can also be found in the Tracking Down Materials tab)
• Search databases appropriate for your topic - this link takes you to our research guides for all subjects. Use whichever ones best apply.
• Know who and when to ask for help

Welcome to your library guide for POL 399: Politics and Reconciliation. Refer to it often, as it covers necessary information at different stages of research.

I can't emphasize this enough - please contact me with any questions you have and/or if you simply want to bat around some ideas about your topic and how you'd research it. There are multiple ways to contact me and they are listed beneath my photo to the right.

Here's a quick overview of what information you'll find on this guide:

• Books: how to search and find books in our library (in case you've forgotten), as well as ways to search for and access books beyond our library. 
• Articles: recommended article databases. Please search these in addition to searching Google Scholar. :)
• Related Fields Links: ideas for doing research in related fields
• Thinking About Sources: contains tips on evaluating and working with sources. 
• Search Tips: various ways to search, including idea mapping and common mistakes to avoid.
• Research as Conversation: outlines a more sophisticated way to think about research 
• Bibliographic Trace: a key technique for exploring the research conversation on your topic 
• Tracking Down Materials: info on ILL and other ways to find hard copies of materials.
• Project Management offers tools and tips for keep track of sources and citation styles.
• In Class Prompts: reflections that we used during the library session; they will be helpful beyond our session.

These are the slides from our library session, in case you need a refresher.