Q. How are some basic steps to start my research?

Essentially, library research begins with these steps:

1. Get a lay of the land first. Here are some other handy resources to start:
   
   - CloudSearch (on the library home page) - searches most of our books, E-books, databases, catalog, and E-books all at once and gives you all your results together.
   - Search by databases instead. Sometimes, OneSearch can be overwhelming. It's all a matter of personal preference.
   - LibGuides (research guides organized by academic subject discipline)
   - WorldCat - search for any book and see what libraries in the area have it if we don't. On the result screen, change the zip code to 77074 (HCU) or your home if you are a commuter or online student. 
      --You can always request a book or request an article that we do not have for free! Articles are emailed to you in 24-72 hours. Books go into a queue used by libraries across the country and we have a list of those who are quick to share and get here fast. Our courier comes twice per week on Tuesdays and Fridays. If you need it quickly, call and ask for a librarian and we can get you a TexShare card (for Texas residents). You may be able to drive to that library for pick up. Please call us before going to Rice University Library.
    
2. Search Strategies - 
   - Maximize your use of language. Use unique terms and synonyms. Why do generic searches with ambiguous terms that yield a lot of useless results to wade through only to discover they are useless?
   - Maximize the database tools. Try using the Advanced Search options. Try searching your terms as SUBJECTS rather than global keywords (anywhere in the record).
   -Be a word detective. As you scan the citations, pay attention to the terms. You might get some new ideas for words you haven't considered yet.
   -Check out the many videos and short tutorials on the link below.
    
3. Evaluate the quality of the resources, especially if you are allowed to use the open Internet (Google, etc.). We do have a LibGuide on how to use Google correctly, if you use it.
    
4. Corroborate everything! You still can't always trust Wikipedia even though it has improved.

If you are interested in more details, there are some slides attached with notes included. I hope this will get you jump-started! Please call the 281-649-3180 or connect with us via our Chat buttons located on all of our web pages if you need more assistance!