- University Libraries
- Research Guides
- First-Year Composition
- Getting Started
First-Year Composition
Hodges Chat Box
Contact Your Librarian
Welcome!
As you begin to think about your assignment, consider how you find and evaluate your supporting materials. This research guide walks you through the basics of the research process, and how to find library resources to support your assignment. Give yourself time to search on your own, ask a librarian for guidance, and go back to your instructor if you need help.
Using Sources
When determining sources that will be good for your research topic, remember to ask these questions:
1. What type of source does my instructor want me to use (i.e. primary vs. secondary, popular vs. scholarly, etc.)?
2. What type of source is appropriate for my argument? (For example, can you support a statement such as "college graduation rates have increased over the past several decades" by citing a scholarly article or government statistics source on the topic?)
3. Where do I find the type of source I need? (See the Primary Sources or Secondary Sources tabs)
4. How do I search using the UT Libraries databases? (See the General Search Tips and Strategies guide)
5. How do I use my sources appropriately? (See our tutorial on Citing Sources)
Tutorials
General Search Tips and Strategies
This guide provides tips and strategies for the research process. It includes keyboard shortcuts, search tips, and search strategies.
Text-Based Guide
Tutorial Information
- Tutorial completion time.
- Time varies depending on need.
- Which device types will tutorial work on?
- Works on all major devices.
- Which browsers will tutorial work on?
- Works on all major browsers.
https://tiny.utk.edu/search-tips
PowerNotes
This video guides users through downloading and using the PowerNotes extension, which is an academic research tool.
Video-Based Guide
Tutorial Information
- Tutorial completion time.
- Takes less than 10 minutes.
- Which device types will tutorial work on?
- Works best on desktop / laptop or tablet.
- Which browsers will tutorial work on?
- Works on all major browsers.
https://tiny.utk.edu/powernotes
Reference Materials
The following resources are the online equivalent to reference books like encyclopedias. They can be helpful as a starting place for general information on a variety of topics.
- Credo ReferenceA collection of subject encyclopedias and handbooks that serves as great source of background information on a variety of topics to start your research.
- Britannica AcademicExtensive reference material across multiple disciplines from Encyclopædia Britannica and Merriam-Webster's dictionary. Explore through articles, videos, primary sources, biographies, and more.
- SAGE KnowledgeA large collection of social sciences content published by SAGE and CQ Press. Contains e-books, reference materials, videos, and business cases.
For more information on the process of research and scholarly writing, visit our Writing Center for more guidance.