In your classes at UNT, you will be expected to use scholarly or peer-reviewed research to complete your assignments. 

Often this will mean your will need to find articles in databases. They work differently from Google, but they will provide your with better resources than a Google search so making the effort to use them will benefit your research. Librarians, like myself, are here to assist you in using them. We have agreements with vendors to make them available to you. 

First steps!

1. Pick a Topic. 

2. Decide if you need journal articles and/or books for your project.

3. Use the UNT Library Website to access online resources like databases or our article search feature.

4. If you need books, either search the online catalog or visit one of our libraries in person.

5. Revise your topic as your progress with your research.

6. If you need help, contact me, a subject librarian, or one of the library service desks.

Finding Research Materials

Many of our librarians have wonderful guides on how to do research at UNT. Below you will find a list of guides from our librarians that will help you do research on any topic as well as some internet resources. Many of our systems (like databases) work in similar ways so these tips will be useful for you to learn and will help you as you advance through your classes.

• Searching in Library Systems. It's different from Google.

• Finding Books in our Catalog.

• Finding Articles

• More on Finding Articles!

• Popular Resources for Research (including Government Documents, Newspapers, Literature Reviews, Open Access, Primary Sources, and Argumentative Papers)

• Google Scholar (Google Scholar is great to use when starting your research. It is useful for advance research methods like citation chaining. Don't ever pay for access to something you find here though. The library can get it for you through ILL.)

• Purdue OWL Writing Lab: Conducting Research (Purdue OWL will be your best friend while you are in college.)

Don't understand how to use something? Don't worry. Librarians are here to help you learn how to use it. 

The tutorial has been designed to give you a foundation in information literacy and critical thinking. Topics have been divided among six modules; each includes videos, tutorials, and quizzes.

These modules cover why information literacy skills matter and how to get started with a research project, including understanding the process, choosing a topic, and beginning research.

Here's the link to access the information literacy modules. We also have a separate library guide for the tutorial.

If accessing off-campus, enter your UNT EUID and password. Use the column on the left side of the screen to navigate the modules.

The modules are divided into the following six topics:

• Getting started with research
• Sources of information
• Searching for information
• Evaluating information
• Presenting research and data
• Citations and academic integrity

Under each module is a combination of tutorials, videos, and quizzes. Also, there is a pre-test and a post-test available.