Research/Writing Tools links

Go to the library and talk to the research librarian

That's right, use your feet and talk to a human being. Watch what they do - ask them what they are doing - take notes, and try later on to do it yourself. Have them guide you through a key word search – show you some slick librarian tricks. They are research ninjas. 

Talk to your professor

Another good place to start? Talk to your professor. Ask her what some of the key journals or databases are in your discipline. Ask her if she knows any journals or academic publications that are particularly good for undergraduates 

SDSU Online Library Resources

• Library Homepage http://infodome.sdsu.edu/
• Article Databases & Electronic Resources http://infoguides.sdsu.edu/
• Research Resources http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/research.shtml
• How to Find Journals http://infodome.sdsu.edu/howto/findperiodicals.shtml
• Search for Journals by Name http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/ejournals/ssolutions/ssolutionsmain.shtml

Internet Research Tools

• Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com/
• Amazon Search Inside the Book http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0385721862/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
• Google book search http://books.google.com/bkshp?hl=en&tab=wp Lets you read the entire text of books in the public domain or see excerpts from copyright books. 

Reference

Dictionaries, Word Usage & Thesauruses

• SDSU dictionaries page http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/vrd.shtml#dictionaries
• Merriam Webster's dictionary http://www.merriam-webster.com/
• Infoplease http://dictionary.infoplease.com/
• Thesaurus http://www.bartleby.com/62/

Encyclopedias

• Columbia Encyclopedia http://www.bartleby.com/65/
• Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org/
• Microsoft Encarta http://encarta.msn.com/
• SDSU encyclopedias page http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/vrd.shtml#encyclopedias