First, identify the Disciplinary Focus. What subject areas (beyond your main subject and PPA) are involved? To help identify the areas, brainstorm keywords for your research question/thesis.
Second, what General Sources might help you with your thesis? This includes:
- General web sources to give you a background knowledge of elements of the subject that are not familiar to you
- Research Guides which contain information on identifying key terms, finding books, journal articles, websites, and more (this links to our guides but many libraries publish guides. If you can't find a CCL Research Guide on your topic, do a Google search for "your topic" AND "Research Guide".)
- Finding books using Library Search or Advanced Library Search on the topic
- Searching in general databases like Academic Search Premier and JSTOR which can help you identify disciplines that may be discussing your topic that you were unaware of.
Third, explore the Topical Databases (right column) in your subject area. Don't forget about resources available via the open web such as organizations, NGOs, and governmental bodies as well as legislative sources.
Fourth, tie this research together by exploring the PPA Databases available via the "Secondary Sources" tab on the right.
