Hartness Library. "What's a Library Database?". YouTube. Published January 2014.
Web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqR63gLBQe4
Books cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction, and can be a terrific source for your assignment.
They give a broad and comprehensive view of a topic. They also help:
TIP: Skim the table of contents or the index to find the sections of the book or ebook that might be most useful for you.
Consider using the library's databases as a starting point for research and for locating background information. Get started with resources like Britannica Academic Edition or Opposing Viewpoints. Below are just a few of the many databases Union College subscribes to:
Credo Reference offers self-paced tutorials on researching and citation, Accesses Credo reference sources, Topics Pages, and interactive "mind maps" to aid in the exploration of topics.
Do some exploratory searches in a database like Academic Search Complete. Look at the abstracts or summaries of the articles that interest you; they may give you ideas for topics. Also, look at their subject terms for possible keywords.
Start with your broad topic area that interests you (example: immigration, diabetes, cloning, Iraq War, depression, Hinduism, air pollution, punk rock...etc.)
A simple Web search can be a great way to find basic information on your topic. You can find organizations or professionals who are experts in the subject.
Sometimes a bit of browsing will allow you to gain some knowledge of your topic so that you can further focus on your search.