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Sources

Guest1
edited March 2009 in General
Where do you go when you go looking for information for a paper?

For some reason, I always go to Central library. I have yet to check out a book at Burnaby.

For some odd reason, it's really hard for me to find good online academic sources. I've only used Proquest (recommended by the friend) but it's not that great.

I need 10 sources for each of my papers (two papers this semester, so 20 sources)and I haven't found enough books and have found no academic online sources ='(

*Honestly I don't know why I need 10 sources, I have 6 books for one paper and it's more than enough.

Comments

  • GoGoGo
    edited March 2009
    sfu lib
  • Student0667
    edited March 2009
    Hey Summerheaven,

    I often get most of my sources from the SFU Library. Depending on topics, the SFU Library can either be a gold mine or a dead zone. What I like best about our library is that it is so organized and, depending on topics, so well stocked that you may find more than what you are looking for in a trip. There is this one trick a profs taught me that you may find helpful. After finding the book you are looking for, take a step back and look at the other books next to it. I used this trick for my HUM-130 paper and I found at least 8 different sources for it.

    As well as the SFU library, I also visit other libraries in case there are not enough sources for my topics. For example, I rented out 6 books for my Operation Paperclip paper from Richmond Public Library because SFU, being a left wing university, doesn't have much stuff on ballistic missiles, German Military Technology, and American Missile Program, or any fun stuff.

    Regarding your concern about the lack of online academic sources, try using JSTOR. Back when I was first year, I tend to avoid JSTOR because I found it hard to navigate and has nothing that I wanted. However, after I discovered a few tricks and tips, I now use JSTOR quite often. Give it a shot, you may fall in love with it like I have.

    That 10 sources thing is just a magic number that most profs like. Once you hit upper level, they will be asking for things like 2 different primary sources along with 7 other sources. :)
  • buflibufli
    edited March 2009
    http://scholar.google.ca/
  • randomuser
    edited March 2009
    ive never used a real book for any sources for a paper ever
  • Nikolai
    edited March 2009
    I've used scans of real books. Does that count?
  • xxk1nky
    edited March 2009
    Use journal articles found in the SFU Library databases.
  • Student0667
    edited March 2009
    Nikolai;49876 said:
    I've used scans of real books. Does that count?
    I don't see why not. In fact, this practice is quite common for scholars dealing with ancient texts, and by ancient texts I don't mean the 2009 version of the Illiad published by Penguin Classics. I am talking about things like Ancient Egyptian papyrus, Dead Sea scrolls, and Carolingian manuscripts, where the text is very delicate and only trained personnels can handle it. The rest of us can only use scans of the real book.
  • simplespectre
    edited March 2009
    Ask a reference librarian at the Bennett Library. It's their job to be good at helping people find material on any given subject.
  • Student0667
    edited March 2009
    I almost forgot. If you are writing any papers on social change, environmental protection, or anything you think a "hippy" would be concern about, SFPIRG is a great place to find sources. For example, when I was writing a paper on ocean pollution along the Georgia Strait in CHEM-192, I got over 50% of my sources from the SFPIRG library.
  • JayDub
    edited March 2009
    You can cite me.

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