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HUM 101 - Ancient to Medieval

This guide is full of resources and tips for researching humanities topics in the ancient to medieval world.

Google or Library Resources?

You're probably used to using Google to find information. However, when you are asked to do academic research, your instructor will expect you to go beyond Google and use the library. Why?

The Library Google

Library resources are carefully reviewed and chosen by librarians for things like reliability, relevance, and value. 

Use the library to:

  • find articles in scholarly journals
  • find articles in magazines and newspapers
  • find books on your topic
  • get help with your research: from choosing a topic, to search techniques, to putting it all together

Information found on Google does not go through a consistent review process. Anyone can publish to the web, which makes it hard to determine credibility, relevance amd value. 

You can also be asked to pay for information (like newspaper, magazine, and journal articles) you find using Google. 

Use Google or another search engine:

  • For information on specific non-profits, corporations or other organizations
  • For current information such as news, weather, stock quotes
  • To research a well-known event or individual
  • For online job postings, shopping auctions or travel services
  • Breaking News: News Websites, News Blogs, Twitter

Adapted from UC Santa Cruz Nettrail, University of California, Santa Cruz NetTrail Development Team

Google Tip - Domain-Specific Search

If you decide to use Google to research, knowing how to do a domain-specific search might lead you to better information on your topic.  A domain-specific search lets you search exclusively in whichever domain you choose (.org, .gov, .edu). This quick video shows how it works:

SIFT - Four Moves for Evaluating Online Information