WRIT 1301: College in the Schools Trend Analysis Assignment

Useful for College in the Schools students in WRIT 1301 getting started on the Trend Analysis assignment.

Welcome to the University of Minnesota Libraries

Do you have your UMN Email (also called Internet ID or x.500)?

Initiating or claiming your account  will give you access to thousands of online journals, magazines, newspapers and ebooks at the University of Minnesota Libraries. Your teacher may need to provide information to complete this step. Ask them. 

Setting up DUO

You also need to set up Duo Authentication to get access to things like your UMN email and to use many of the research tools on the U Library website. The IT Technology online help can answer questions on this. 

Tip: If you are unable to initiate your account you can find scholarly articles with Academic Search Premier, find background information on your topic with Encyclopedia Britannica Academic Edition and find Pro/Con on current issues with Points of View Reference Center.

Getting Started: Exploring a topic

These online sources can help you to choose and refine your topic. They will also provide you with the background information necessary for your research.

Find Sources with Article Databases

Find Statistics and Public Opinion

Find Market/Consumer/Business Trends

Search and find newspapers and magazines

 

Guide for reading magazines, current news, commentary, and opinion

This guide is a selected collection of current journals and magazines of news, commentary, and opinion. Here is a sample of what is sometimes called 'Long form journalism" -- longer, in-depth articles written by journalists but usually about or with experts like researchers or professors. They are written with less jargon then scholarly journal articles and are great sources to consult as you learn more about a topic. They feature stories about current or controversial topics. You can "browse" and read current issues or search. 

Tutorial: Creating an effective search strategy

Creating an effective search strategy tutorial video. 3 minutes 24 seconds.
After completing this tutorial, you will be able to:
  • Use meaningful keywords to find the best sources
  • Apply search strategies like AND and OR to connect keywords

Library research guides for current issues and topics

Doing research about current topics can challenging because the facts and stories continue to evolve. They are also impacted by the long and complex issues and histories underlying all events.  

The following guides might be helpful to you as you do research on your topic. 

Maps and Mapping Data

Citing your sources (e.g. MLA, APA, etc.)

Many article databases (e.g. Academic Search Premier, Google Scholar) will create a citation for you. After you found the item, look for "cite" or "quotes." Here are examples:

In Google Scholar:

Click the "quote" below the item in Google Scholar.

In Academic Search Premier: 

Click cite in Academic Search Premier.

 

Learn more about on annotated bibliographies 

Annotated Bibliography from UW-Madison

An annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources, each of which is followed by a brief note or “annotation.”

Get help from the U Libraries - Online!

Last Updated: Jan 24, 2024 11:21 AM