Book Sources

“A room without books is like a body without a soul. “
-- Cicero (106-43 B.C.)

Books can cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction. Books can be lengthy and give detailed information or they can be short and concise. They can cover one subject or many. They can give real-life examples or provide research findings. Books almost always have a table of contents, with or without an index, to help you locate information or specific chapters. When doing research, you will be looking for books that can provide in-depth coverage or an overview of a topic.

Libraries organize and store their book collections on shelves called "stacks." E-books are available electronically on the Web. Libraries may have e-books in their collections relating to your topic as well as print books.

Use a Book

• to find in-depth information on a subject
• to put your topic in context with other related issues
• to find historical information or “the classics”
• to find summaries of research to support an argument

Examples

• Nash, Gary B. ed. The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society, 1990.
• Coupey, Eloise. Marketing and the Internet, 2001.
• Smith, J. T. Roman Villas: A Study in Social Structure, 1997.

Select a Type of Information source Magazines Journals Newspapers Encyclopedias Databases World Wide Web Online Library Catalogs Or click the Next Arrow to go to the next type of information source

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Encyclopedias