Compiled by Jamie Schmid, M.S.L.I.S.
Reference Librarian and English Liaison Librarian
Updated December 12, 2008

This is beginning research guide for SLU students in ENGL-150, ENGL-190, and ENGL-192. Resources listed are available in print in Pius XII Memorial Library, provided electronically by Pius XII Memorial Library, or freely available on the Web. Remote access to library databases is available only to SLU students, faculty, and staff.

Finding Books in the Saint Louis University Libraries Tutorial (3:58)
Learn how to find books in the SLU Libraries by watching this video.

Finding Articles on a Topic Tutorial (3:26)
Learn how to find articles on a topic by watching this short video.

Pius XII Memorial Library Tour
Get help finding your way around Pius Library by checking out this online tour.

Assignment Calculator
Plan your research assignment using the SLU Assignment Calculator.

Browsing Aid to Library of Congress Classification

How to Read Call Numbers in an Academic Library

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Sometimes choosing your topic feels like hardest part of writing your paper. Pius Library has resources that can help you find a great topic.

CQ Researcher
Each issue of this resource explores all sides of a "hot" current topic in some depth. Use it to find research topic ideas, refine a topic, or get background information on a topic.
Print Equivalent: Ref. H 35 .E35 - Index Table 1 in Reference Room on Level 1

Issues and Controversies on File
Ref. JK1 .I77 - Index Table 1 in Reference Room on Level 1
Twice monthly publication summarizing current issues and controversies in political, economic, social, and scientific areas.

Opposing Viewpoints Series - Each book is shelved with its subject.
Series of books presenting pro and con positions on various topics, i.e., animal experimentation, violence, genetic engineering, gangs, etc. Link from the title to see a list of many books in the series.

Taking Sides - Each book shelved with its subject.
Book series presenting pro/con positions on various topics. Link from the title to see a list of books in the series.

Editorials on File
Ref. D 839 .E3
Reprints editorials on selected topics from newspapers across the U.S.

Congressional Digest
JK 1 .C65 (Recent issues in Current Periodicals on Level 2)
Provides overviews of topics debated by the U.S. Congress. 

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Another option is to browse the section of the Reference Collection that fits your topic. Consult the Browsing Aid to Library of Congress Classification to find the appropriate call numbers.

Gale Virtual Reference Library
This is a collection of over 400 reference books that are searchable together or title by title. Subjects covered include history, philosophy, religion, science, business, information & publishing, literature, law, medicine, education, technology, and biography.

Oxford Reference Online
There are currently over 180 reference titles available. Titles include many of the Oxford Companion to... series, subject dictionaries, foreign language dictionaries, and illustrations from the Visual English Dictionary. Another feature is timelines drawn from many of the sources.

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To find books in the Library use the SLU Libraries Catalog (which includes the holdings of all SLU Libraries).

Location Information

Click on the SLU Pius link in the LOCATION section of a book record to view a map and see where the book is located.
Note: SLU MCL = Medical Center Library. SLU Law = Omer Poos Law Library.

OR

Use this Location Guide to locate books in Pius Library. Fit your book's call number into the ranges on the guide to figure out which floor of the library to go to.

Borrowing Books from Other Libraries

If you are unable to find a book that you need, search MOBIUS, a library catalog that contains the holdings of over fifty college and university libraries in Missouri. You may request books from other libraries using the MOBIUS Library Catalog or check out books at MOBIUS Libraries in person with your SLU ID card.

If you are not able to find a book you need in the SLU Libraries Catalog or MOBIUS, please use Pius Library's Interlibrary Loan service.

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Some databases include full text articles; others only include citations and you must find the journal in another library database or in print or microfilm in the Library.  Try searching the following databases which cover a broad range of topics.

Academic Search Premier
This multidisciplinary database provides indexing and abstracting for 8,040 journals with over 4,060 in full text.

JSTOR
This archival journal resource provides access to the full-text of over 500 journal titles. Note that the last 1 to 7 years of each journal are not available in this resource.

LexisNexis Academic
Provides online access to full-text national and international news sources (newspapers and magazines) as well as legal, business, and government information.

Search additional Subject Specific Databases.

Location Information

As with books, the call number determines the location of periodical publications in the library. There are four possible locations for each periodical title.

• Browsing Area /Cafe Libros (Level 1) - most current issue of high-interest publications such as Time, Newsweek, New York Times, etc.
• Current Issues (Level 2) - current year of most periodical publications received by the library.
• Circulating Book Stacks (Lewis Annex plus Pius Levels 2-5) - back issues of most periodicals are bound with a hard cover and shelved with the books by call number. Use the Location Guide to figure out which floor to go to.
• Microfilm (Level 2) - back issues of most weekly and daily periodical publications are kept on microfilm, as are some volumes of other periodicals.

Obtaining Articles from Other Libraries

If an article you need is not available in print or electronically from the SLU Libraries, please use Pius Library's Interlibrary Loan service to request it.

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Avoiding Plagiarism

MLA - Citation Styles (The Center for Writing Studies, UIUC)

MLA Formatting and Style Guide

Using MLA Style to Cite and Document Internet Sources

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2003.
     Reference Desk LB2369 .G53 2003

See also: Style Guides and Manuals (MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian, etc.)

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