Research Guides: International Students Resources &amp; Services: How to Begin Your Research

What is the research process?

This page will help you get started on your research, but should not be your last stop. Take a look at the subject guides once you know your topic to find sources that best meet your needs.

1: Identify and Develop Your Topic

2: Find Background Information (revise your topic if necessary)

3. Locate More Information

4: Evaluate Your Sources

5: Writing and Citing

Introduction to the Research Process
by Timothy Parker Last Updated Aug 28, 2024 986 views this year

Brainstorm Your Topic

Brainstorm and Concept Map Worksheet
Download this worksheet to brainstorm your topic and identify related concepts to research.

Mind Meister
Use Mind Meister to visualize your ideas and brainstorm topics individually or with a team.

Helpful Tools

These are just a few free tools you can use to manage your research and stay organized.

Zotero
An open-source bibliographic management tool that you may download to your personal computer. Use it to collect, organize, cite and share readings.
Assignment Calculator
From the University of Minnesota Libraries, this tool helps break down research projects into manageable steps with a recommended timeline for completion based on assignment due date.

Find Basic Information

Instead of Wikipedia, use these reliable sites to help you get a basic understanding of your topic.

Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
EBSCO database containing full-text journals, magazines, and newspapers from a wide variety of disciplines, including physical sciences, social sciences, humanities, and much more.
Academic Search Premier contains over 4,000 full-text journals, magazines, and newspapers. This multidisciplinary research database covers a variety of disciplines, including engineering, physics, psychology, religion, philosophy, science and technology, education, humanities, civics, and history as well as the physical sciences. This database provides access to the Chronicle of Higher Education, videos from the Associated Press, and primary source documents pertaining to government and law. For help using EBSCO databases, search SCAD Libraries' FAQ, or use the chat feature to contact library staff.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Weekly full-text publication with unbiased reports on current controversial or noteworthy topics including politics and social issues.
CQ Researcher includes weekly reports on health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy with statistics, pro/con positions, references, and bibliographies. For more information on using CQ Researcher, see this overview.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Database containing full-text articles from scholarly journals and images from institutions around the world covering a variety of subjects.
JSTOR includes digitized articles from back issues of academic journals as well as book chapters, ebooks, abstracts, and primary sources from the humanities and social sciences. For help using JSTOR, search SCAD Libraries' FAQ, or use the chat feature to contact library staff.
Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
An encyclopedic resource covering the history of art with an emphasis on western art.
Oxford Art Online is comprised of the Oxford Dictionary of Art, the Grove Encyclopedia of Art, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and the Oxford Companion to Western Art and includes an image library. This database provides peer-reviewed articles written by experts in the field to introduce key topics, themes, figures, and movements in the history of art. For help using Oxford Art Online, search SCAD Libraries' FAQ, or use the chat feature to contact library staff.

International Students Resources & Services

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Request a Consultation

Follow the link below to schedule a personal, in-depth research consultation with a librarian.

Request a Research Consultation

What is the research process?

Brainstorm Your Topic

Helpful Tools

Find Basic Information