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HNRS: College Honors Program Thesis Guide

Research sources and strategies for the College Honors Program

The resources on this page are offered as a starting point. Consult with a librarian for more individualized suggestions for your topic! 

Books, Ebooks & More (For all Disciplines)

Catalog Search Tips: 

You can search for books and ebooks at Holy Cross using CrossSearch, the main search box on the library website (also found in the box above).

Usually, the best way to begin searching for books is by using broad keywords. Choose search terms that reflect your topic, but don't get too specific, remembering that book topics and titles tend to be quite broad. If your search is unsuccessful, try taking it one step broader. 

Since CrossSearch contains many different types of sources, you may want to use the Limit To option in the side navigation of your search results and choose Catalog Only to narrow your search to ebooks, books and similar print/physical resources. 

Once you have started to find books relevant to your topic, you can check their records to look for subject tags/headings. These headings are used throughout the catalog -- you can either follow the links to find books with the same tags, or you can use the terms in the subject headings to guide you in revising your search terms. 

Navigating the Library Stacks:
At Holy Cross, we organize our books using a system called Library of Congress Classification or LCC. LCC is based on the subject of the books. Each letter represents a specific subject. Each subject is broken down into more specific letter sections, each of which is further broken down into number ranges for specific topics. Most call numbers have additional  numbers and letters on the end of them, which are used to give each book a unique spot on the library shelves. 

In general:

  • Reference Books are in the Main Reading Room. These books must stay in the library.

  • Books whose numbers begin with letters A through G are on the Mezzanine level (1 floor down from the Main Reading Room).

  • Books whose numbers begin with N or TR are in the Visual Arts Wing on the main level. 

  • Books whose numbers begin with letters H through Z are mostly on the Ground (bottom) level.

  • Books whose numbers begin with M are in the Music Library in Brooks Hall.

  • Books whose numbers begin with Q, R, S or T are in the Science Library in Swords Hall.

Visit our Call Numbers guide to learn more about how call numbers work. 

Use the handouts below to learn more about locating materials in Dinand Library.

Locating Book Chapters: 

Locating book chapters that you may want to read can take a little more time. Here are some creative ways that you might find book chapters: 

  • CrossSearch -- some, but not all, of our books have tables of contents in the catalog that you can check; 
  • Google Books typically have limited previews, but if you can see enough to locate a helpful chapter, we can get you a copy; 
  • Similarly, Amazon.com previews; 
  • Google Scholar sometimes includes citations for book chapters (and searches across Google Books); 
  • Databases (some, but not all, include book chapter citations specifically; America History & Life is one); 
  • Citations in bibliographies of articles, e-books, or other books that you may have checked out before we closed. 

You can also try searching WorldCat, which searches the collections of libraries around the world (including ours!). Sometimes the information about a book is listed differently in WorldCat, allowing you to find sources that you would never have pulled up in our own catalog. 

Each of these strategies can be used to....

(1) Find the titles of book chapters in our own libraries, which library staff can scan and send to you; or 

(2) Find the titles of book chapters held by other libraries, which can be requested on Interlibrary Loan.

Searching for Ebooks:

To search for ebooks owned by Holy Cross, use CrossSearch.

Then, use the Resource Type limiter in the side navigation to focus your search on e-books. 

You may also want to search in our specific e-book collections: 

When searching within a specific ebook collection, you will be able to search the full text of each book allowing more detailed searching. For example, you may search the library catalog and not find any titles on your topic, but a search in ebrary might find a book with one chapter focused on your topic.

Accessing E-Books: 

In most cases, your best option is to use the "Read Online" feature for our e-books. Most academic e-books do not work with devices that you might use to read personal e-books, such as a Kindle or Nook (believe me -- this frustrates librarians too!). There is software that you can download onto a PC or iPad, but this can be difficult to use, so if you have a stable internet connection, I recommend reading online. 

However, if you would like to download the software, or if you are having trouble accessing any particular e-book, please feel free to contact us (libref@holycross.edu) or see our e-books guide linked below: 

NOTE that most e-books do have limits on printing. Each publisher has different functionality and rules for downloading and printing ebooks. 

Other E-Books: 

In addition to our collections, here are some other places that you can look for e-books for your project: 

 Other Libraries

With a BPL eCard, available to all Massachusetts residents and resident students (even if you're currently learning from out-of-state), you can access e-books via the Boston Public Library: 

Requesting Books from Other Libraries: ILL

What is Interlibrary Loan (ILL)?

Interlibrary Loan Services (ILL) is a service provided by Holy Cross Libraries that allows you to request books from other libraries across the state, the country, and even across the world! If we do not own a copy of a book, e-book, or journal article that you need for your research, submit an ILL request. Watch the Video Below for more information

Navigating the Library Website

Navigating the Library Website

The Holy Cross Libraries website is a wondrous place, containing information on visiting and using our different libraries, hundreds of research databases, resource guides like this one, and even more. This can be a little overwhelming or confusing for some people! Watch the video below for help getting the most out of our library website, and be sure to contact a librarian if you have any questions!

Resources for the Humanities & Social Sciences

 

 

 

Resources for the
Humanities & Social Sciences

Recommended for Arts (Visual Arts, Music, Theatre)

Recommended for Classics

Recommended for Education

Recommended for History

Primary Sources: 

We have over 60 primary source databases, so it's impossible to list every possibility here. You may want to review our full list of primary source databases, here. Since each topic is unique, some databases will be better for your topic than others.

Primary source databases are generally focused by one or more of the following factors: 

Chronology, topic, geography or genre

Be sure to note the characteristics of the different databases to determine which ones will provide sources for the topic you are researching.  

Need a recommendation? Ask a librarian! We have a good sense of what's available in the library's collections. 

Recommended for Literature

Recommended for Political Science & Political Philosophy

Recommended for Philosophy & Religion

Recommended for Sociology & Social Concerns

Resources for Natural Sciences

 

 

 

Resources for Natural Sciences

Recommended for Biology

Recommended for Chemistry

Recommended for Math & Computer Science

Recommended for Physics

Recommended for Psychology