The best way to contact me is by my email (nancy.young@csun.edu). A link is in my profile box above..
Also, please remember we have 24/7 support via the Ask a Librarian services found on this page of the library website.
Choosing a good topic is a balancing act. Not too narrow. Not too broad. How can you tell if you're on the right path?
As a general guideline, topics with 2 - 3 concepts are workable:
Only one concept is too broad:
More than three concepts is usually too narrow:
The above guidelines are based on information from Walden University Library. A brief exercise in choosing the best research question is available from SUNY Empire State College.
This video is published under a Creative Commons 3.0 BY-NC-SA US license. (License, credits, and contact information)
The Scholarly Sources section of the Research Strategies LibGuide gives details about how to find and read scholarly books and articles.
Watch this video to learn how to navigate OneSearch to find materials available through the University Library.
Filtering search results
Once you have a list of results, you can refine them further by using the limiters under Refine My Results. Select the box on the left side to refine your search using that filter. OneSearch won't automatically keep the filters if you change your search. To keep filters locked, select 'Remember All Filters'.
Show Only:
Peer reviewed Journals: Looking for scholarly or academic articles? Use this limiter so your results only list peer reviewed journal articles.
Available Online at CSUN: Use this filter if you want all your results to only include material you can access online.
Available at CSUN: Use this filter if you want all your results to only include physical material available inside the library.
Resource Type:
Include only certain types of information, such as articles or books. Hover over any type and click the red icon to exclude any resource types from your search.
Date: Find only items published within a certain date range. Enter the years and click “Refine” to apply.
Don't lose track of relevant articles or books. Use Pin It feature in OneSearch -- make sure to log in with your CSUN user id and password (same as portal or Canvas). Items you pin will remain attached to your account and appear every time you log in.
More in-depth info about defining a research topic, using databases, and more resources for all Deaf Studies classes and projects is in the Deaf Studies LibGuide.
From publisher's website: "This in-depth encyclopedic collection of articles defines the current state of Deaf Studies at an international level. This new encyclopedia shifts away from the 'Medical/Pathological Model', and instead has the focus on deaf people as members of a distinct cultural group with a distinct and vibrant community and way of being."
When you want resources about a specific subject area or in a specific format (such as newspaper articles or data sets)
Best Databases for Deaf Studies Topics
University Library Databases -- listed by subject, type and name
Database (examples: ERIC, JSTOR, Project Muse)
Is the book you want already checked out? Or perhaps the library does now already own a copy? Watch this video to learn how to use OneSearch to request an item available through another CSU library.
"In-text citation" means that you refer to (or cite) the ideas or words of another as soon as you write about them in your paper. There are several ways to do this: using quotation marks for exact words, summarizing or condensing without changing the meaning, and paraphrasing or using your own words.
Here are specific examples of ways to handle in-text citation in APA format.
APA In-Text Citation Basics (Purdue OWL)
APA In-Text Citations Specific Examples (Purdue OWL)
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