Introduction
This page serves as a guide for the English Language Studies program.
This guide will support you as you prepare for academic research, develop academic language and writing skills, and find books to gain reading proficiency. You'll learn how to use library resources to find accurate information to support your assignments.
If you need additional help, the COD Library is here for you! Use the "Live Chat" button to talk to a librarian any time we're open, or you can make an appointment to meet with one of our librarians in person or online. Walk-ins are always welcome!
You can borrow the printed books with your COD Library card and access digital resources (ebooks, streaming films, and articles) by signing in with your COD username and password.
Getting Started with Research
Selecting a topic can be the most important and most difficult step of your research project. An ideal topic:
- Is interesting to you. You'll be spending some time with this topic, so pick something you're curious about. Consider researching a special interest, a hobby, an issue you're passionate about, or a topic you've always wanted to know more about.
- Meets the requirements of your assignment. Are there topics you cannot use? Is there a theme or subject area you should choose from? Does your instructor want to approve your topic first?
- Is researchable. Keep source requirements in mind when you select a topic. If your instructor requires you to use books, you may not be able to use a local current event, for example, as your research topic. Try a quick search in Google or a library database to ensure that resources are available.
Material in this section is adapted from the Research Skills Tutorial by the Librarians at Empire State College. It has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Sources for Background Reading
Gathering some general information on your research topic by doing background reading is always a great way to begin the research process. Background reading involves reading works related to your topic, in order to get a bigger picture before diving into the deeper research. Begin your research with an overview of the topic—this will give you a better understanding of the topic and help you develop a focused research question.
Google can help you narrow down your topic, brainstorm subtopics and identify keywords. Keep track of any new vocabulary.
Wikipedia is a great place to start (take a look at the table of contents to get ideas for subtopics), or try one of the databases below:
- Credo Reference
Credo Reference provides access to a broad selection of dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, quotations, and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific titles. Includes a built-in mind map to help students brainstorm search terms. Credo is a great place to start your research.
- Gale in Context: College
Gale in Context: College provides support for papers, projects, speech assignments, and presentations. Including thousands of overview essays, critical analyses, biographies, timelines, and multimedia elements in five core subject areas: history, literature, biography, science, and social studies. This is another great place to start your research.
Search the Library Catalog
Use our catalog to find books, videos, and other resources in our collections. Books can be a great place to find background information on your topic. You can also use the table of contents to come up with subtopics for your speech.
Additional Resources
Use one of our pro/con and controversial topic databases to acknowledge opposing viewpoints:
- CQ Researcher
CQ Researcher contains in-depth articles on selected current and controversial issues. Topics range from social and teen issues to environment, health, education, and science and technology. This database is great for speech assignments, research papers, and debate preparation.
- Issues & Controversies
Issues & Controversies provides accurate, accessible, and authoritative information about current issues, exploring more than 800 hot topics in business, politics, government, education, and popular culture. This is an excellent database to explore pros/cons and multiple sides of an issue and is great for research papers and debate preparation.
Use one of our General databases for full text articles on your topic.
- Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new window
Academic Search Complete provides both popular and scholarly journal coverage and video clips for nearly all academic areas of study including: social sciences, humanities, education, technology, engineering, physics, chemistry, language & linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences and ethnic studies. Academic Search Complete is a great starting point for most general research.
- JSTOR
JSTOR provides electronic access to major journal titles, eBooks, and images. Subjects covered by this database include art, biology, business, ecology, botany, general science, language, literature, mathematics, sustainability, security, music, and more. JSTOR is a great resource for general research. A personal account can be created to store and organize resources.
Citing Sources
Need to cite your sources? You do, trust us!
Although every citation style is different, there are some standard elements to record:
- Title (of book or article and journal)
- Author
- Publication Date
- Publisher or source
- Start and end pages (for articles and book chapters)
For electronic sources such as Web pages, you should record this additional information:
- The date you accessed the site
- The digital object identifier (DOI) if there is one
- The URL (Web address) if there is no DOI
Use the Library's Guide to Citing Sources!
Speech Assistance from WRSA
Writing, Reading, Speech Assistance (WRSA)
Writing, Reading, Speech Assistance offers coaching sessions for COD students who are working on assignments in any COD course.
Professional and peer coaches help students develop and strengthen writing, reading and presentation skills.
A coach will assist you with topic selection, research, outlining, and organization of ideas. WRSA offers a non-threatening environment in which to practice your presentations.
WRSA Video Tutorials:
- Compelling Power Point Slides
- Creating Effective Visual Aids
- Making a GoReact® Appointment
- Fear of Public Speaking
- Oral Citations
- Recording Voice-Over Narrations in PowerPoint
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