This might sound stupid, but I genuinely don't know how to find academic sources. Like, at all.
I'm a first-gen student. My parents never went to college. In high school, we just used Google for everything. Teachers didn't care where you got stuff as long as you cited it. Now I'm in university and my professor wants "peer-reviewed academic sources" and I don't even know what that means or where to find them.
I have a 10-page history paper due in 3 weeks. Topic: the impact of railroad expansion on indigenous communities in the 19th century. I'm actually interested in the topic! I want to do well! But every time I try to research, I end up on random websites that don't seem legit or I get overwhelmed by jargon I don't understand. I tried using the library database but it's so confusing. So many options. So many filters. I typed in my topic and got 12,000 results. How do I even start? I spent two hours yesterday and found maybe one article that seemed useful. At this rate, it'll take me months to get enough sources.
I'm not asking anyone to write my essay. I actually want to write it myself. I just need help learning HOW to find good sources. Like, what databases should I use for history? What search terms work? How do I know if a source is actually "academic" and not just some random person's blog?
Also, is it okay to use sources that are a little old? I found a book from 1975 that seems perfect but my roommate said that's too old and I need recent stuff. Is that true for history? History is about the past, so aren't old sources okay? I feel so stupid asking these questions. Everyone else seems to know this stuff already. I'm embarrassed to go to office hours and admit I don't know how to use the library. But I'm more scared of failing because I can't find good sources.
If anyone has tips, resources, or even just a simple step-by-step guide, I would be so grateful. I just want to do this right.
I'm a first-gen student. My parents never went to college. In high school, we just used Google for everything. Teachers didn't care where you got stuff as long as you cited it. Now I'm in university and my professor wants "peer-reviewed academic sources" and I don't even know what that means or where to find them.
I have a 10-page history paper due in 3 weeks. Topic: the impact of railroad expansion on indigenous communities in the 19th century. I'm actually interested in the topic! I want to do well! But every time I try to research, I end up on random websites that don't seem legit or I get overwhelmed by jargon I don't understand. I tried using the library database but it's so confusing. So many options. So many filters. I typed in my topic and got 12,000 results. How do I even start? I spent two hours yesterday and found maybe one article that seemed useful. At this rate, it'll take me months to get enough sources.
I'm not asking anyone to write my essay. I actually want to write it myself. I just need help learning HOW to find good sources. Like, what databases should I use for history? What search terms work? How do I know if a source is actually "academic" and not just some random person's blog?
Also, is it okay to use sources that are a little old? I found a book from 1975 that seems perfect but my roommate said that's too old and I need recent stuff. Is that true for history? History is about the past, so aren't old sources okay? I feel so stupid asking these questions. Everyone else seems to know this stuff already. I'm embarrassed to go to office hours and admit I don't know how to use the library. But I'm more scared of failing because I can't find good sources.
If anyone has tips, resources, or even just a simple step-by-step guide, I would be so grateful. I just want to do this right.
