1. INST 2980
Research Guide
Laurel Crawford
UNT Libraries

2. Online Research Guide
Scan or click on the code to the left to go to the
UNT International Programs Research Guide
at http://guides.library.unt.edu/international
On the Introduction tab, you’ll find links to
recommended databases, websites, books and
e-books, and other resources.
You may find more information on your country
on the other tabs, categorized by continent.
Get a QR Code reader at http://redlaser.com/

3. Agenda
• Research Basics
• Finding Sources
• Get Help! UNT Library Details

4. Research Basics
• Keep a working
bibliography! Don’t depend
on a print or electronic copy
of an article to contain the
whole citation.
• Don’t cite anything you
didn’t actually read.
• Scholarly works add more
weight to your research.
Photograph : Writing, 2012, by Pascal Maramis, is
used under a Creative Commons Attribution license

5. Push through popular articles to the
scholarly work they cite
Garifuna people
Wikipedia entry
(found by Googling)
Anderson, Mark. "When Afro
Becomes (Like) Indigenous:
Garifuna and Afro‐Indigenous
Politics in Honduras." The
Journal of Latin American and
Caribbean Anthropology 12.2
(2007): 384-413. Print.

6. Types of Resources
Scholarly sources
• Library databases
• Books
• Peer-reviewed journals
Popular sources
• Newsmagazines
• Newspapers
Non-authoritative sources
• Wikipedia
• Answer sites

7. Finding Sources Step #1
Search the Online Catalog for books
• Broad, background supporting information
• Maps, charts
• Review history, culture
• Also useful for getting in-depth analysis

8. Finding Sources Step #2
Search the library databases to find:
•
•
•
•
Journal articles, books, and professional magazines
Case studies
Explanation of controversies or debates
Focused information and news on specific events

9. Which databases should I choose?
Go to the Research Guide and see the list of Key Databases
Good databases to start with:
Academic Search Complete
A large database with a large number of
academic, full-text sources across all areas
of study
CountryWatch
Provides critical country-specific profiles and
intelligence briefing. Find data, background
information, news, maps, and more.
Remember: Click the “Find
Full Text” or “PDF Full Text”
to get online access

10. Search Tips ‘n’ Tricks
If you know what article you’re looking for
Paste the title into the “Online Articles” box at
http://www.library.unt.edu/ to jump directly to access
How to use InterLibrary Loan (ILL)
• If UNT Libraries doesn’t have something you need, you can borrow
other libraries’ items—from around the world
• Have it delivered to any UNT Library for pickup
• Visit http://www.library.unt.edu/services/interlibraryloan/interlibrary-loan-borrowing for more info
To get off-campus access to online library resources
• Go through UNT Libraries’ website and enter your campus ID and
password when prompted

11. More Search Tips ‘n’ Tricks
Search Tip
Example
Use correct spelling—some databases
don’t autocorrect
independent
Try different keywords, synonyms, and
larger or smaller category terms
Economic = fiscal, monetary
Enclose phrases in quotes
“global village”
More search words = fewer results
Honduras results in more results
Honduras economic stability -- fewer
results
Search in specific fields by using the
Advanced Search
Depending on the database, you can
search by author, title, institutional
affiliation, even journal title
Filters are your friend!
After searching, use filters to narrow
results by publication date, language,
type of publication, and more.

12. Citing Your Work
• Citing your work is crucial to maintaining your
professional reputation. You must cite everything that
is not common knowledge, including:
–
–
–
–
Free government publications (ex: www.state.gov)
Websites
Unpublished works
Images, graphs, and maps from books or articles

13. Take-home points…
• UNT Libraries can help you get information. If
we don’t have it, we can get it.
• Searching well and staying organized is
essential.
• Be ethical! Cite anything and everything that
isn’t common knowledge.
• Ask for help…that’s what we’re here for.

14. Get Help!
Laurel Crawford
(940) 565 - 3956
laurel.crawford@unt.edu
http://www.library.unt.edu/
http://guides.library.unt.edu/international