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General Arts & Science

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This guide provides resources for students studying topics in the General Arts & Science (GA&S) programs. Below, you'll find lists of resources that are available through the Sheridan Library, or on the web.

Doing Research

As you get started on your research, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Start by brainstorming:

  • Review your assignment criteria. What topics are acceptable? How many sources do you need? What types of publications are acceptable?
  • Plan your Research. Decide on a topic, research question, and keywords.
  • Consider Types of Sources. What type of publications would have information about your topic? Books? Journals? Websites?
  • Choose a Database. Decide on the best place to look for sources on your topic.

Pay attention to the results:

  • Were there too many results? Too few?
  • Where did your keywords appear? What keywords did you use that are working? What keywords are confusing your results?
  • What vocabulary are the authors are using? Are there any new words that you could add to your list of keywords?

Modify your search strategy and search terms as needed.

Reflect on your search:

  • Did you find enough sources to meet your assignment requirements?
  • Were you satisfied with the relevance and quality of the sources you found?
  • What strategies worked well? What strategies were not helpful?

Be sure to Chat with Us if you are still struggling to find sources for your assignment.

If you're struggling to find useful results, try a few different search strategies.

Search the Library

Search a Database

The library provides access to digital collections through subscriptions to research databases. Each database holds a unique collection of sources suitable for your research assignments.

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