HSS 1000: Introduction to Research
Use this guide to help you figure out your research needs. Please don't forget that librarians are here to help you - so if you get stuck, reach out to us!
- 1. What is Research??
- 2. Choosing a Topic
- 3. Types of Information SourcesToggle Dropdown
- 4. Information ages... how does that affect my source?
- 5. Evaluating Your SourcesToggle Dropdown
- --> 6. Library Resources for Research
- 7. Writing and Presenting Your Research
- 8. Citation Help This link opens in a new window
- Information Literacy Tutorials This link opens in a new window
- Class Assessment
- I Need Help!
Special Collections at LSU
The LSU Libraries Special Collections' offers resources for original research in many fields, ranging from the humanities and social sciences to the natural sciences, agriculture, aquaculture, the fine arts, and design. Below are some links to aspects of the collection that might prove useful in your research!
- Louisiana Digital Library Subject GuidesThe Louisiana Digital Library houses digital version of items held by libraries across the state, including LSU Libraries Special Collections. These guides offer a quick overview of some of topics covered and can be used to offer students an entry into archival research.
- University ArchivesSpecial Collections houses the University Archives, covering all things related to the history of LSU.
- Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley CollectionsThe Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collection is the largest accumulation of materials on Louisiana and the lower Mississippi Valley in existence. It includes a comprehensive collection of books, periodicals, maps, prints, pamphlets, Louisiana state documents, microfilm of Louisiana newspapers, historical manuscripts and photographs.
- Rare Book CollectionsSpecial Collections holds roughly 150,000 books from the middle of the fifteenth century to the present. We have a particularly strong collection of natural history collection, but also hold significant works of history, literature, science, and art.
Background Information
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowCredo Reference is a general reference solution for learners and librarians. Offering 551 hundred highly-regarded titles from over 70 publishers; Credo General Reference covers every major subject. Credo Reference is an online reference service made up of full-text books from the world's best publishers. Whether you're working on a research paper, trying to win trivia or just curious, Credo Reference has something for you.
- CQ Researcher Plus Archive This link opens in a new windowA database of in-depth, authoritative reports on a full range of political and social-policy issues extending back to 1923. Each report is footnoted and includes an overview, background section, chronology, bibliography and debate-style pro-con feature, plus tools to study the evolution of the topic over time.
- The ConversationThe Conversation is an independent, nonprofit publisher of commentary and analysis, authored by academics and edited by journalists for the general public. We publish short articles (800-1000 words) by academics on timely topics related to their research.Their mission is “to promote truthful information and strengthen journalism by unlocking the rich diversity of academic research for audiences across America.”
Scholarly Information
- DiscoveryDiscovery is LSU Libraries' Google-like search box for information sources: it will search for print books housed in LSU Library and Hill Memorial Library, scholarly journal articles in databases such as Academic Search Complete and JSTOR, and newspaper and magazine articles in the NexisUni and Access World News, all in one search.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowAcademic Search Complete offers an enormous collection of the most valuable full-text journals, providing users access to critical information from many sources unique to this database. In addition, this database is the leading source of peer-reviewed, full-text for STM research, as well as for the Social Sciences and Humanities. This scholarly collection offers unmatched coverage of information spanning a broad range of important areas of academic study, including anthropology, engineering, law, sciences and more.
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new windowBusiness Source Complete provides full text from 11,200 sources, including more than 1,100 scholarly business journals. This database offers information in virtually every area of business including accounting & tax, banking, finance & insurance, construction, computer science, economics and many more.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowJSTOR is a not-for-profit organization and a shared digital library archive of critical scholarly journal literature. Louisiana State University currently participates in the following JSTOR Collection(s): Arts & Sciences Collections I-XV, Ireland Archive Collection, Life Sciences Collection, University of California Press Collection, University of Chicago Press Collection, Business IV Collection, Lives of Literature Collection, and the Sustainability Collection.
- Project Muse This link opens in a new windowProject MUSE is your trusted source for the highest quality books and journals in the humanities and social sciences from over 200 of the world’s most distinguished university presses and scholarly societies.
- PsycARTICLES This link opens in a new windowPsycARTICLES is a database of full-text articles from journals published by the American Psychological Association, the APA Educational Publishing Foundation, the Canadian Psychological Association, and Hogrefe Publishing Group.
- ScienceDirect This link opens in a new windowScienceDirect, published by Elsevier Science, serves as a web information source for scientific, technical, and medical (STM) research. It offers access to thousands of journals in many fields of science, including the social sciences.
PLEASE NOTE: Excessive printing and downloading, even through available functionality on ScienceDirect, is not permitted under our license and will result in loss of access and possible disciplinary action.
News Articles
- Access World News This link opens in a new windowAccess World News is a comprehensive resource that includes a variety of news publications worldwide. These sources include major national and international newspapers, as well as local and regional titles as well as newswires, blogs, web-only content, videos, journals, magazines, transcripts and more.
- New York Times This link opens in a new windowHow to Activate an LSU New York Times Account
1. Select the link above
2. Select from the search Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College - Baton Rouge, LA
3. Enter all of the requested information and use your LSU email on the registration form and click Sign Up.
4. Once you create your log-in credentials, you will be able to log in using nytimes.com where access is unlimited.
5. Faculty and staff must register every four years. Student access reflects the estimated graduation date.
LSU's access includes New York Times InEducation which provides curated reading lists across several disciplines of study. To access the InEducation tool, users must activate their News subscription and log in using the same account information.
Funding for LSU's New York Times access was provided by LSU Student Government and LSU Libraries. - Nexis Uni This link opens in a new windowOffers full-text online news, business, legal, legislative, and regulatory information, updated daily.
- Wall Street Journal + This link opens in a new windowLSU Libraries is excited to announce that The Wall Street Journals premium digital products including WSJ online and smartphone and tablet apps are now available to all students and faculty. For over a century, WSJ has sustained a legacy of journalistic excellence and is the #1 most trusted newspaper for the 27th consecutive year, according to the Pew Research Center.
All users will need to create a WSJ+ account.
Remote PC/Mobile access:
1. Click on the WSJ+ link
2. Login to MyLSU
3. Create a WSJ+ account using your LSU email address
4. Select account type
5. Set up account preferences
6. Agree to terms and click create
7. Your personal WSJ+ login and password are now active. Access is available through the WSJ app or at WSJ.com.
8. Note that WSJ+ accounts that are inactive for 90 days expire. Expired accounts can be reactivated at LSU's WSJ+ page.
Funding for LSU's Wall Street Journal access was provided by LSU Student Government and LSU Libraries
- Last Updated: Feb 4, 2025 2:26 PM
- URL: https://guides.lib.lsu.edu/HSS1000_intro_to_research
- Print Page