Miller Library LibGuides: *Getting Started on Your Research: Finding Sources

The library's discovery tool OneSearch gives you the chance to search for books, ebooks, and online resources (such as research, newspaper, and magazines articles) at the same time. You can search for a specific title, author, or publication, or you can do a broader topic search.

You can immediately limit your search results by selecting "Full Text" or "Peer Reviewed."
By selecting "Catalog Only," you are limiting your search to only those materials owned by the library.
More filters are available on the results page once you submit your search!

Common Types of Sources

Research articles are found in Academic Journals. These report on original research done by the author(s).

The "Peer-Reviewed" search limiter in OneSearch will only give your results from journals that have an established peer-review process.
- Peer-Reviewed articles are carefully read and vetted by other experts in the field.
You can find details about a journal's peer-review process on their website or by asking a librarian!
To only get content from Academic, Peer-Reviewed journals you can use both filters on the left of the OneSearch results page.
Learn more using NC State Libraries Anatomy of a Scholarly Article Tutorial.

The Miller Library's collection contains both ebooks and physical books.

eBooks can be accessed at any time as long as you have been authenticated as a Washington College user.
Physical books in the library's collection can be borrowed for up to one semester.
- Each book in the library has a Call Number, which tells you its location in the building.

Miller Library uses the Library of Congress Classification system. Each physical book record will have a LoC Call Number (ex. Q180.55 .M4 B66 2014). Call numbers starting with A-M are on the second floor of the library; call numbers N-Z are located on the ground floor. Call number ranges are displayed at the end of each shelving unit.

Catalog entry for the book The Craft of Research with call number Q180.55 .M4 B66 2016

How to Read a Library of Congress Call Number

News articles are written to provide information to a broad audience.

They usually cover current events or provide in-depth background information on topics of importance or interest to the general public.
Sometimes sources are cited.
News articles can be produced faster than scholarship, so be mindful if you have a current topic about what information is available.

Examples of news sources available through Washington College:

Access World News This link opens in a new window
With access to more than 13,000 sources from over 200 countries and territories, researchers can easily discover multiple perspectives, track issues over time and identify the impact at the local, national, or global levels. The ability to explore multiple perspectives is also an essential element in the development of critical thinking and information literacy skills.
New York Times, The This link opens in a new window
To activate your online NYT subscription:
Step 1: Navigate to www.accessnyt.com and search for and select "Washington College”
You will be redirected to the NYT registration page.
Step 2: Click "Create Account" and complete the fields; you must use your washcoll.edu email
Step 3: Verify your account (you will receive a confirmation email) *
* The confirmation email may be routed to your spam folder. You must click the link in this email to complete the registration.

If you have previously registered your washcoll.edu email address on The New York Times site, you will click the "Already have an account?" link found below “Create Account” and log in with the same school-issued email address and password previously registered.
ProQuest National Newspapers Core This link opens in a new window
Includes abstracting, indexing, and comprehensive full text for The Baltimore Sun, (1990-present with some exceptions); The Christian Science Monitor, (1988-present with some exceptions); The New York Times, (1980-present); The Wall Street Journal, (1984-present); and The Washington Post, (1987-present).
Wall Street Journal Digital Editions This link opens in a new window
-Sign up for your individual account
-You will be prompted to sign into the Washington College portal using your email address and password.
-From there you will be directed to the WSJ’s activation page to set up an individual account. (The email and password used does not have to match your WC account.)
Content goes back 4 years.

Magazines are designed to entertain the reader or provide a general overview for a wide audience.

They are usually shorter articles and written in simple, easy-to-understand language.
Magazines usually do not cite sources and do not go through an academic peer-review process.
They are often colorful and attractive in appearance and contain advertisements.

Examples of digital magazines in the library's collection include: