CCSF Library: Guide to Library Resources: Finding Sources

Source Types

Description

Background sources (also known as reference sources) are tertiary and contain information we "refer" to, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias. These are good sources to use to get started - when you need ideas for how to narrow your topic, or could use more words to describe your needs (such as when thinking of keywords to put into a search box.)

What do they contain?

Entries (though sometimes articles & videos!)

How often are these sources published?

Once, annually, or every few years

Found in:

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Credo Reference offers background information on topics from hundreds of full-text general and subject-specific reference/encyclopedia titles, as well as 500,000+ images and audio files and over 1,000 videos.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
An online collection of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. Small searchable and downloadable collection of electronic books on a variety of subjects.

▶ Check out our video on how to use e-books for research.

Alternative places to look:

Films on Demand This link opens in a new window
While not strictly "reference," this video database is a great multidisciplinary source to find background information.
Opposing Viewpoints (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new window
The "Overview" entries in this multidisciplinary database are very good background sources. Overviews are found at the top of the individual Topic pages.

Description

Books are full length sources that can be on a topic by one or more authors, or anthologies, which contain several chapters/sections written by different authors that are often compiled by an editor.

What do they contain?

Chapters, sections, essays

How often are these sources published?

Once, annually, or every few years

Found in:

OneSearch This link opens in a new window
Used to locate print AND ebooks.
EBSCO eBook Collection This link opens in a new window
A multidisciplinary library of high-quality, unlimited-user e-books from leading university presses such as Oxford University Press, MIT Press, State University of New York Press, Cambridge University Press, University of California Press, and more. Small searchable and downloadable collection of electronic books on a variety of subjects.

▶Check out our video on how to use e-books for research.
Ebook Central This link opens in a new window
Small searchable and downloadable collection of electronic books on a variety of subjects.

To enable Text Only Mode for screen readers, please follow the advice offered by ProQuest.

▶ Check out our video on how to use e-books for research.
O'Reilly for Higher Education This link opens in a new window
Provides access to eBooks & eVideos on technology, digital media, math and science, engineering and business. Must login with ccsf.edu email address. Creating a user account is NOT required. [▶ Watch our video demo on how to access O'Reilly eBooks.]

Description

Magazines, journals, and newspapers, are types of "periodicals" - as in, they are published periodically throughout the year. There are many different intended audiences.
- Magazines are generally intended for a broader, public audience.
  - Examples: Scientific American, Vogue, and The Atlantic.
- Journals are often intended for a scholarly audience (scholars, academics, researchers, etc.) Many articles in these journals go through a rigorous publishing process called peer-review: they are written by an academic, submitted to the journal, and then circulated to experts in the field for checking before being published.
  - Examples: New England Journal of Medicine, The William and Mary Quarterly.
- Newspapers are usually written for a broader, public audience. They share the news of the day.
  - Examples: The New York Times, USA Today, The Guardian, the San Francisco Chronicle.

What do they contain?

Articles

How often are these sources published?

Magazines - usually monthly & quarterly (seasonally)
Journals - less frequently; can be monthly, but more likely quarterly
Newspapers - usually daily

Found in:

America's News This link opens in a new window
Features national, regional and local news content that delivers diverse perspectives on practically any issue, event or person as covered by the U.S. news media. With current content and archives back to the 1980s from more than 3,700 sources. Includes the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner. Hot Topics can be browsed as well.
US Major Dailies This link opens in a new window
Provides access to The New York Times (1980-present), Washington Post (1987-present), Los Angeles Times (1985-present), Chicago Tribune (1985-present), and the Wall Street Journal (1984-present). Available by 8 AM U.S. Eastern time each day. Supplemental website content from these publications may not be included in this text based resource.

OneSearch - Periodicals
Easily locate CCSF subscribed periodicals (newspapers, journals, and magazines) in this particular view of OneSearch.
Journal Browse (BrowZine)
A clickable view of scholarly journals subscribed to by the CCSF Library.

Flipster This link opens in a new window
Easy-to-use digital magazine platform with People, National Geographic, and Archaeology. Pilot subscription runs through end of June 2025.

Description

Media sources come in a variety of audio and visual formats. Some of these can be helpful for research - like podcasts, documentaries, and web clips.

What are some examples?

Audio - such as CDs, MP3s, podcasts, and material on streaming websites
Video - such as DVDs, MP4s, YouTube videos, and material on streaming services (like Films on Demand and Netflix)

How often are these sources published?

Continuously

Found in:

OneSearch This link opens in a new window
Cross-searches most CCSF Library databases. Some resources are excluded. Learn more about searching in OneSearch.
Films on Demand This link opens in a new window
Access thousands of high-quality educational streaming videos and video segments on a wide range of subjects.
SWANK Digital Campus This link opens in a new window
Mediated online access to course-related, recently released, and classic feature films from most major studios (except 20th Century Fox).

Description

Statistics are the result from raw data that have been interpreted and analyzed. They are often helpful when you're looking for a number or percentage to support an argument in your assignments, research papers, or presentations. A statistic will answer "how much" or "how many." Statistics are usually presented in a table, chart, or other visualization.

What do they contain?

Usually an average, a percentage, or a frequency as a result of data analysis
- Examples:
  - The average unemployment rate in the United States in March 2022
  - The percentage of car accidents that occur during a snowstorm
  - The frequency of accidents involving teenage drivers

How often are these sources published?

Current statistics might be a year or older and not necessarily published on an annual basis and are based on how often the information is collected + the time it takes to analyze and process numbers.

Found in:

Websites for
- government agencies (e.g. U.S. Census Bureau),
- private organizations or non-profits (e.g. The American Cancer Society),
- academic institutions, or
- the private sector (for example, marketing firms, pollsters, or trade organizations).
Articles in journals, newspapers, and magazines.

Note: government statistics are free and publicly available, however, many other kinds of statistics require access through library subscription databases.

Library Databases

The databases below are a good starting point to find articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals. Looking for statistics embedded within these articles can be helpful. Search a keyword or two for your topic. For example, "obesity." Then combine your keyword search with a subject search ("SU Subject Term" ) for statistics.

Statista This link opens in a new window
Provides statistics on a variety of topic including media, business and society, and on a number of industries. Data is sourced from businesses, government departments, market research concerns and associations. Data is available in a variety of formats such as ppt, xls, png, and infographics.
Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Access to more than 8,800 full-text journals and 7,700 peer-reviewed journal on a variety of subjects including those within STEM research, social sciences and the humanities. This is a comprehensive multi-disciplinary database.
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection This link opens in a new window
Providing information concerning topics in emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational & experimental methods; offering full text coverage for nearly 560 journals.

Description

Websites are online spaces that host a multitude of content. The collection of content for a website is within the same domain. (In the example below, sfdph.gov is the domain).
- Examples:
  - Website Name: San Francisco Department of Public Health
  - Website Address (URL): https://www.sfdph.org

What do they contain?

Webpages (which contain articles, blog posts, etc)
- Example
  - Webpage: Environmental Health
  - From the Website: San Francisco Department of Public Health

How often are these sources published?

Continuously

Found on:

The "open web." Search engines "crawl" and "index" items found in the open web, such as webpages, blog posts, infographics, PDFs, and other material that people post to the web. The open web contains materials not behind a paywall (such as when an online journal website asks for payment to show you an article). Databases are technically behind a paywall, because they contain material that is accessed after the library pays a subscription fee.

Google Scholar
This search in Google searches only scholarly items. Full-text PDF links are marked on the right side of search results. You can setup linking from items showing in Google Scholar to results in CCSF Library databases by following the simple steps outlined in our video.

OneSearch

Use OneSearch to search for books, eBooks, articles (from magazines, newspapers, and journals), streaming videos, DVDs, CDs, images, and more, all in a single search. OneSearch cross searches most CCSF Library Databases at the same time. OneSearch can be accessed from the Library website! Want to see how it works? Check out our video demo.

Recommended Resources

You can use OneSearch to cross search most library databases at the same time, or search them individually:

A-Z List of CCSF Databases

Some websites that might help you in finding more information, mapping out your project, or writing your paper:

Pew Research
A nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. Subject pages include reports published since 1983. Can search database of polling questions.
Bubbl.us Mind Map tool
Having a hard time brainstorming? Does an outline feel limiting? Play with a mind map! Put down some thoughts on a topic and connect what makes sense to you. Having a visual way to express yourself can help generate research ideas and organize your thoughts.
Microsoft Office for Students
Free software download that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. Sign in with your school credentials for full editing capability.