Garfield Campus | Student Success Center (ABSE)

Library Resources for Your English 9B Research Project

The resources featured on this page will help you find credible, authoritative information about Greek mythological figures. All of these resources are FREE to registered Garfield Campus students!

Select from the menu on the left to find out more about how to use academic sources responsibly and how to cite your sources using MLA format.

Choose Your Topic
One of the most difficult things when getting started on a research paper can be coming up with a strategy to begin exploring a topic. Some topics are too broad, and need to be broken down into smaller parts, which can help a lot. Some topics are too narrow, and need to be expanded.

A just-right topic will reflect the length of a research paper (how many pages are you required to write?), the amount of time you have to complete the paper, and the number of sources you're being asked to incorporate into your paper.

Background Research

One way to come up with a topic is to do background research. This includes reading encyclopedia articles to learn more about a broad subject. Once you know more about the subject, you can make connections between topics and sub-topics. Then write a short summary of what you have learned from your background research.

It helps to think of your main topic as a starting point for your research, not a destination. 

Your Works Cited Page

You'll be using MLA format to cite each of the sources used in your paper. MLA format has two primary functions:

• In-text Citations: In-text citations are presented in the text of your paper when you directly cite or paraphrase from a source. 
• Works Cited List: The Works Cited list includes all of the sources you use in your paper, arranged in alphabetical order by the author's last name. 

MLA also provides guidelines on formatting your paper, from what to include on your cover page, where to place your page numbers, what size font you should use, and more! 

The websites below offer detailed information on how to use MLA. And you're always welcome to ask a GCC librarian for help with MLA - or anything else!


 

Recommended Databases

The databases listed below are FREE to students enrolled in classes at Garfield Campus!

Databases are frequently the best place to begin your research and often have more reliable and authoritative information than what you'll find in Google. 

When searching in databases, it's important to use the right keywords or phrases to describe your topic. A keyword is a single word that defines what you are seeking. A phrase is two or more words that define what you are seeking.

Here are a few examples related to your assignment using Apollo as a main topic.

Begin with "Apollo" to find the most information. Then add another term, using AND to join them together and narrow your results to a specific topic based on your essential question. Use OR to find sources that use similar terms. Here is one example of a search term combination for the topic of Greek Mythology.

Apollo AND Greek Mythology 

Begin your research by exploring the databases below and see where they lead you!

Credo Reference provides access to many different types of sources, including dictionary and encyclopedia entries and other reference works. These sources help define and explain general topics of study. Credo Reference can be used to search many of GCC's other databases for newspaper and magazine articles, too.  

To get started, type your keywords in the search box below. For example, for information about Greek mythology, type the phrase "Greek mythology" and click the search icon to the right of the search box. 

Britannica Academic provides access to background information on a variety of sources and helps you gain an understanding of your topic. Click on the "Images & Videos" and "Related" tabs to find images and other related topics.

To view Kanopy videos, first click on the video above to open the GCC Sign-In portal. Once you have signed in using your Canvas username and password, Kanopy will open. To view videos, you can create a Kanopy account using your GCC student email address. Click on the red "Log In To Glendale" button. Clicking on the video image above will open the database log in page. After logging in, Kanopy will open. Once you have created your account, you can search for the video by title and view it or save it to watch later.