This guide is designed to assist students enrolled in Journalism courses with locating Library resources for their research paper assignments. The guide is organized into steps that cover the basic research process: identifying a topic, locating relevant sources, and citing sources used to write the paper. For general research assistance other than Journalism, view the links listed under Research Tools.
Books and other Library materials can be searched using the Online Catalog. Books for Journalism are categorized under sections PN 4699 - 5659 of the Library's collection. There are two categories of books in the Library: general and reference. General books can be checked out and are often used for more in-depth research. Reference books do not circulate but can be useful for acquiring an overview on a topic. Reference books are located on the upper floor of the Library and circulating books are in the "Stacks" on the lower floor.
Some selected titles available in the Library's collection include:
The Library subscribes to online databases that provide access to full-text magazines, scholarly journals, and newspaper articles, and eBooks. Since databases are subscriptions that contain copyrighted written materials, off-campus access is password protected. To search from home you will first need to log in using your MyVVC credentials. The following databases are suggested for Journalism related research:
There are of course countless Web sites related to Journalism. Some recommended links are listed below:
The Library maintains a collection of instructor reserve materials. These consist of textbooks, videos, and supplemental course materials that instructors have put in the Library for student use. To find what materials are available for Journalism, search Course Reserves in the Online Catalog. It is best to search by "Course Number" (ex. JOUR 108) in that an instructor other than yours may have placed an item on reserve. Materials can be requested at the Circulation counter and generally must be used in the Library on a two-hour loan period. Photocopy machines are available for 10¢ a copy.