• All Research Guides
• Critical Evaluation of Information Sources
• Citing Sources in MLA Style
• J202 library web page

J202 Finding Books

Note: for the J202 project, books from university presses will tend to be academic sources. Books from commercial presses will tend to be journalistic sources. Edited books will not meet the J202 requirement for books but can be used as academic sources.

Use the following steps in finding books on your topic:

1. Connect to the UO Library Catalog, offering access to materials in both print and non-print formats, including books.
2. To find books on a topic, try a Keyword search, entering words that describe your topic (such as: wetlands and development).
3. In the list of results, click on the title to see complete bibliographic information on the book, including:
   • which of the five libraries on campus has the book you want (e.g. KNIGHT or SCIENCE)
   • the information needed to cite the book in MLA style
   • the call number of the book (e.g. KNIGHT HF 5321 .V28), which you will use to find the book
     
   • the book's status (e.g. AVAILABLE or DUE ...)
4. If you get insufficient results from the UO Library Catalog, try Summit (Orbis Cascade Alliance), a database which includes the holdings of over 30 Pacific Northwest libraries. Use the Request this Item link to obtain a book within 2-3 working days.
5. A further source for books is WorldCat, a huge database composed of library catalogs throughout the Western world. WorldCat is the standard database for interlibrary loans.

Finding Information on Authors

Finding Information on Authors, Publishers, and Periodicals will help you in writing your source analysis. It will give suggestions for locating biographical information on authors.