Getting Started
Begin your research by brainstorming keywords - the words and phrases you’ll use to search for books, articles, websites, government documents, and other resources. These may include names of people and places or historical concepts like eras and movements. A librarian can suggest “subject headings” to find the most relevant resources.
Example Keywords & Catalog Subject Headings
Database/Online Resources
Library databases are online collections of information, organized for research. Databases contain articles, eBooks, images, maps, primary sources and more. If you don’t have a library card, register online for immediate access to these resources. The following recommended databases are available on our Research and Teen Social Studies pages.
Explora High School (Ebsco)
Look up topic overviews, magazine and academic journal articles, facts and primary sources for research papers, class projects or homework. Get information from trustworthy sources that you can cite in your papers. Designed with students and educators in mind.
Wall Street Journal Collection
- Coverage: 1984 - present
- Full text article searching of the Wall Street Journal newspaper, including today’s issue.
- Search includes these Wall Street Journal publications: Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition, Wall Street Journal (Online).
Wall Street Journal Scanned Newspapers
- Coverage: 2008 - within days of the current issue
- Full-page colored scans of The Wall Street Journal provide investors, researchers and scholars with cover-to-cover access to recent newspaper content. Full-text searchable.
New York Times Database Collection
- Coverage: 1980 - present
- Full-text articles of the New York Times newspaper, including today’s issue.
Search includes these New York Times publications, with various date coverages: The Daily (Podcast), New York Times Late Edition (East Coast), New York Times Book Review, New York Times Español, New York Times Magazine, New York Times (Online), New York Times (Video).
New York Times Scanned Newspapers
- Coverage: 2008 - recent (up to 1-month ago)
- Full-page color scans of the New York Times provides researchers, genealogists, and scholars with cover-to-cover access to recent newspaper content. Full-text searchable.
- Coverage: 1851 - 2018
- Full-text and images in PDF format of the New York Times. Provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, first-hand accounts and coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.
Academic OneFile (Gale)
Articles from over 17,000 scholarly journals and other authoritative sources—including thousands of podcasts and transcripts from NPR and CNN as well as videos from BBC Worldwide Learning. Covers subject areas such as, biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, environmental science, history, marketing, political science, and psychology.
Internet Sources
Before using information you find on the internet for assignments and research, it is important to establish that the information comes from a reliable and appropriate source. The following websites, from government, academic and nonprofit organizations, have been evaluated for authority, accuracy, content and currency.
Contact the Reference Services department for help with your research project
- Phone us, 720-865-1363
- Chat with us online with the Ask Us! Service
- Meet with us in person or online to work one-on-one with a librarian