If you need additional help with your research, try:

• Ask a Librarian (email reference)
• Research Assistance Program (RAP)
• Visit the Information Desk on the 1st floor of the Library or call 208-885-6584

The reference section can be the best place to start your research.  Use reference works to:·         Get an overview or background information on a topic 

• Get ideas for focusing your own researchFind bibliographies of more in-depth sourcesFind quick facts and statistics
• Find biographical information

The reference section is located on the 1st floor of the library. Because it is a fairly small area, browsing the shelves in the general area of your topic is a quick way to look for relevant material. Books are shelved using the Library of Congress classification scheme. Reference works (both print and electronic) can also be found by searching the library catalog. Remember to make your search terms general as reference works tend to have broad coverage. For example, a keyword search using "music" and "encyclopedia" finds a variety of sources, including The American history and encyclopedia of music (9 volumes) published from1908-1910. For some topics, this older publication date might be very helpful in giving a historical perspective. Also, for this project you might want to find background information on a specific period of history or aspect of U.S. culture, so don’t limit your searching to musical terms only.

Selected Reference Works for Feel the Groove: The Generations of Jazz from Blues to Hip Hop

• Books on a broad topic may contain chapters or essays on your topic. Often these are not indicated by the title. When searching, think both broadly and narrowly. Check the index of a book to find your subject.
• The bibliography in a book can be a great place to find additional sources.

How To Find Books

Books located at the UI Library, the UI Women's Center (in Memorial Gym) the UI Law Library, NIC (North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene), and LCSC (Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston) can be found by searching the Library Catalog. “Request” books at those other libraries and they will be delivered in just a few days to this library for your use.  Use the link at the top of the detailed record for any book to “Request” it.For more information on searching for books in the library catalog, see the library guide, Searching for Books in the Library Catalog at http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/instruction/lib_guides/libguide2.pdf

For this project, the following subject browse proves quite useful:

• Music—20th century. There are a number of subdivisions under this subject as well.

If you use a keyword search, try more specific terms such as “harlem” and “renaissance.”

Selected Books for Feel the Groove: The Generations of Jazz from Blues to Hip Hop

Because you will be looking for books specific to your topic, only a few general titles are suggested below. Some areas in the library’s book collections are also suggested for browsing

Articles are found in periodicals.  Examples of periodicals are magazines, journals, and newspapers. Scholarly (also called peer-reviewed or refereed) journals are one of the primary means of disseminating ideas in academic scholarship.  If you are unsure how to differentiate between a scholarly journal and a popular magazine, two helpful websites are:

• http://www.skidmore.edu/library/reference/scholarlypop1.htm
• http://www.cumberlandcollege.edu/library/course/journals.html

How To Find Articles

Articles are located by searching for your topic in an article database (sometimes called an article index). First, select an appropriate database from the Library Find Articles page. Clicking the  symbol next to the database title gives information about the coverage of the database. 

After selecting a database to search, type in search terms. Articles are generally more specific than books and may require a narrower search. For more help see the flash tutorial How to find articles on a topic.

Sometimes, you will be required to use primary and/or secondary sources in your research. It can be difficult to know the difference. The same source might be a primary resource for one topic and a secondary resource for another. The two websites below will help you to locate and understand the difference between the two types of sources.

• http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/infosrv/lue/primary.html
• http://www.bergen.edu/pages/2443.asp

You will need to cite your sources properly in MLA or APA style. Here are some links that will be helpful.

The ease of cutting and pasting from electronic resources can lead to putting your name on a work that is not really yours. This is both illegal and unethical. The following websites will help you understand how to avoid plagiarism and how to properly cite the work of others.

An annotated bibliography gives more information than merely a list of the authors, titles, publishers and dates of the works. For guidance on what you can choose to include in your annotations, see the following websites:

Cornell University, Olin & Uris Libraries, How to Prepare An Annotated Bibliography:http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill28.htm
OWL, Purdue University Online Writing Lab, Annotated Bibliographies: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_annotatedbib.html