Start Your Research

If you’re starting a research project, here are three good places to start:

• Use a research guide for a specific subject, which recommends databases and other starting points.
   
• Encyclopedias can give you a good overview of a topic, help you identify keywords, and provide bibliographies of sources.
   
• Get help from reference staff in the library. You can contact us by email, phone, or chat.  You can also get in-person help by visiting the Reference Desk in the Snoqualmie Building. (See hours.)

The best way to find articles is to search in a database from the UW Libraries.

• A good starting point is Academic Search Complete. (Limit to "Scholarly (peer-reviewed) articles" on the initial search screen.)
   
• For subject-specific databases, look at the "Find Articles" page on a Research Guide.
  • Most of these databases will also let you limit your results to scholarly or peer reviewed articles.
     
• This guide lays out the steps to finding full text scholarly articles at the UW.

Not finding what you're looking for? Get help.
 

Both books and ebooks can be found by searching in UW Libraries Search.

• To find books in the UW Tacoma Library, search in UW Libraries Search and limit to Tacoma as shown below:

• ebooks can also be found by searching UW Libraries Search and limiting the format to "eBook". For more information on finding ebooks, look at this guide.

Not finding what you're looking for? Get help.

Encyclopedias are great for giving you an overview of your topic, for helping you identify keywords, and even for providing you with bibliographies of sources.

Dictionaries can help you learn the lingo the experts are using to talk about your topic.

Here are two major collections of dictionaries and encyclopedias:

• Gale Virtual Reference Online
• Oxford Reference Online

For specific titles or subject specific resources, the UW Tacoma Library offers:

• Research guide to Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Not finding what you're looking for? Get help.

These materials are the things that can add some strength and pizzaz to your research! They can be found by going to the following research guides:

• Images
• News
• Data & Statistics

Not finding what you're looking for? Get help.

All streaming videos and DVDs owned by the UW Libraries can be found in UW Libraries Search. You can identify an online/streaming video because it will have an “eVideo” resource type icon and it will say “Online access” just below the cataloging information.

Major collections of streaming video from the UW Libraries and freely available on the web can be found on this research guide:

• Streaming Video

If you are an instructor who would like to incorporate video into your classes, please see our overview of streaming video support for classes.

DVDs will have a "DVD Video" format icon, and if held by the Media Collection, they can be checked out at the Snoqualmie Building Service Desk.

There are many ways to get assistance.

• Come to the Reference Desk during its regular hours.
• Call the Reference Desk at 253-692-4442.
• Ask a question or send a comment.
• Chat with a librarian.

Schedule a consultation with your Subject Librarian.