Guides: FYSE 1463 Scholars Communicate Meaning: Research Basics

Not Sure Where to Start?

Summon
Summon searches almost all of our library resources including MIDCAT, full-text newspapers and journals, and most of our library databases.

Start your research with these resources.

MIDCAT This link opens in a new window
Search books, ebooks, journals, DVDs, and digital equipment at the library.

Quick-Start Guide to Library Research
Starting points and next steps for doing research at the Middlebury Libraries. (PDF)

Start with subject-specific Research Guides for a customized introduction to library resources.

Scholarly vs. Popular Material
How to tell what's scholarly, and what's not.
Evaluating Information Found on the Internet
Provides tutorials for evaluating information found on the internet, social media, and more. From Johns Hopkins University Sheridan Libraries.
Anatomy of a Scholarly Article
A visual introduction to the basic features of scholarly articles.
Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Learn to distinguish between primary and secondary sources, with lots of examples.

History Research Worksheet
Step by Step Research Worksheet & Research Log
Searching for Primary Sources - Questions to Ask
Types of primary sources and how to search for them.
Finding Primary Sources in the Library Using MIDCAT
Examples of subject headings to use and more search examples.