Getting Started - WGST 200 - Introduction to Women's Studies - Simoes - Research Guides at Eastern Michigan University

The Research Process

Overviews, Encyclopedias and More
On the Women's Studies general research guide page, there is an extensive list of print reference books on topics relevant to women's studies. Reference books are a great place to get started with your research, as they often provide a broad overview of a particular topic.

SAGE Knowledge This link opens in a new window
Browse or search the contents of 47 reference books published by SAGE covering the social sciences and education, including such areas as African American Studies, Aged & Gerontology, Anthropology, Communication and Media Studies, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Economics, Education, Gender & Sexuality Studies, History, Politics, Psychology, Social Issues, Social Work & Social Policy, and Sociology.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Search across more than 50 encyclopedias from a wide range of disciplines.

Google
Searching Google may lead you to interesting documents on your topic. Always make sure that you carefully evaluate the source of the information, and attempt to verify what you learn from a general web search in another resource, such as a library database, encyclopedia, or academic journal. Try searching for organizations that are engaged with the topic that interests you. Do this by using the advanced search feature and limiting the domain to ".org"

Make a concept map with Bubbl
"Bubbl.us is a simple and free web application that lets you brainstorm online." You can use this to develop a concept map that illustrates how you currently organize your research topic. The concept map can be used to identify areas of interest and potential research questions.
Choosing a Topic