UTEP Connect Library Quick-Start Guide

The easiest way to find a source that gives background information is to search using these steps:

1.Search for your topic using the library's search (if it's a big topic, try searching for the largest, most general ideas for the best results)

2. Look for a "Research Starter" at the top of the results list-- if there is one for your topic, it will be an encyclopedia entry (note that not all topics will have a "Research Starter"-- if that happens to you, see the next tab, "Suggested specialty sources")

3. Click the title of the "Research Starter" to view its contents, and use the "Cite" tool on the right side of the screen to create a reference to use in your work.

Step 1

Go to the UTEP Library's home page. Scroll down to the middle of the page, and find the box on the left side. Click the tab that says Articles & Databases.

Step 2

Know the name of the database you're looking for?

Use the alphabetical list; click the letter that the database you're looking for begins with.

On the next page, from the list of databases that begin with that letter, find the name of the database you're looking for, and click on it.

The next page is not the database yet; click on the name of the database one more time to access it.

Want to find a database to use that is related to a specific subject or discipline?

Use the dropdown menu to choose the subject you need a database for. Click search when you've chosen one.

*NOTE* These lists contain databases that are potentially relevant to the subject. Make sure you read the description of the database to see what it contains.

When you find one that sounds promising, click on its name to access it.

Step 3 (optional)

Ask a librarian for database recommendations for your particular research topic or interest. We're happy to help!

1. Search for your topic using the library's search (for best results, type the big ideas of your topic, connected by the word AND)

2. If you are looking for current, up-to-date information on a topic, check the Publication Date filter for your search's results; change the earliest publication date to a more recent year to see results from that span of time only; this is a must for most topics, especially ones that change with new developments in policy, science, or medicine.

3. Choose which kind of article you want to see in your results using the "Filter by Source Type" option on the left side of the screen.

>>tips on choosing an article type to use:

>>news and magazine articles can help you get concise amounts of information as it is understood when it is published (if you want to know what's going on with a topic right now, create a small publication date range before choosing these article types)

>>scholarly or research articles have advanced-level information-- not for beginners or for the faint of heart; use scholarly articles to get focused, detailed information about an expert's experiments or research related to your topic

4. To read an article, look for full-text links below the title in the result list.

5. Click the title of the article and use the "Cite" tool on the right side of the screen to create a reference to use in your work.