Searching for Secondary Sources

Much of this course, you have focused on finding primary sources: the cultural artifacts that illustrate or engage a type of desire.

For your analytical writing and other work, you need to find and use secondary sources. These are articles, books and multimedia that offer criticism and analysis of the topics addressed in your class.

Library databases are tools to help you find your required reference, multimedia and scholarly sources: 

The Holman Library One Search provides a catalog of our books and DVDs, as well as a broad overview of our other resources.

Use reference articles to: 

• get an overview of a topic
• find history, definitions, issues and debates
• find key terminology and leads to additional resources

Use multimedia to:

• find the current popular conversation and analysis in radio, television, and documentary film 

Use scholarly journal articles to: 

• read the scholarly conversation on a topic
• read views from different disciplines (like history, women's studies, sociology, etc.)

Start with Reference Sources

Reference book articles are a good source for quick introductions and overviews of a topic. 

Using Multimedia Sources

Multimedia sources include news, analysis, documentary and educational film. These are a good source to dig a little deeper into a subject. 

Use the library's Films on Demand database to find short educational films in subject areas related to this class - from the American family to sex, advertising and pop culture, to justice and power. 

To search Films on Demand, try a range of simple keywords. Sample titles:

Sample online multimedia sources that engage with culture: 

Step into the Scholarly Conversation related to your Research

Scholarship offers sustained, thoughtful, academic analysis. 

The following interdisciplinary library databases offer scholarship, as well as news sources.

• To find the scholarly conversation, limit to Scholarly (peer reviewed) Journals where the option is available.  

All Holman Library Databases by Subject:

I recommend starting with a library database such as Academic Search Complete to refine your search terms and to search within that specific collection. 

• Use One Search to search across library databases (it does not capture everything). Limit to peer-reviewed journals to find scholarly articles. (Remember that books can be scholarly too.)

Here is sampling of article titles:

Earlier, you searched for primary sources in books; you read poetry, mythology and more. The library also has books that are secondary sources. 

Use the library's online catalog to help you locate these materials.

Using the Interlibrary Loan Service

InterLibrary Loan: No library has it all! But the InterLibrary Loan (or ILL) is a service offered by Holman Library for borrowing books and articles from other libraries. InterLibrary Loan requests are free to current GRC students, faculty and staff.

Search Widely

For your research, it is important to search many places.

• First, start with the books and articles available through the Holman Library.

• Then, If you find books and articles that the Library does NOT have access to, just request them through Interlibrary Loan.

• Using Interlibrary Loan increases the amount of resources available to you and helps you become a more thorough researcher.

Note:

• Books and other items that require mailing may take 1-2 weeks.

• Articles and other digital items may arrive within 2-5 days. Use your email as your contact info and the article will be sent directly to you.

If you need help filling out this form, call the library reference desk at (253) 931-6480.

Other places you can search...

Use the links below to look for books, articles and more beyond our collection:

Books as Secondary Sources

Don't limit yourself to the books listed here! This is just a sample of all the library has to offer.