Be realistic about the size of the topic that you can tackle. Consider the limitations of your timeline and available materials. It's better to address a focused topic well than to address a broader topic poorly because you are trying to cover too much material.
Begin your research early. Well-done research is an iterative process; leave yourself time for this process to occur! This has the added benefit of extending your resources to excellent sources outside of Holy Cross Libraries through Interlibrary Loan!
Be efficient. Use the strategies we will discuss (such as: choosing appropriate and multiple research tools; making use of advanced search features; thoughtful choice of keywords; following your sources) to conduct your research in a targeted, effective and efficient manner.
Critically Examine your sources. Examine the context of those sources (i.e., the scholarly conversation they participate in) and allow that context to lead you to other sources. For example: what else has this author written? What other useful sources are referenced? What other sub-conversations might I want to participate in?
Ask for help as needed. Research librarians are available to assist you -- it's literally our job! Sometimes this may mean making a research appointment; other times, a quick e-mail conversation will suffice.
Critical Race and Ethnic Studies is a little different than other academic disciplines in that it does not have just one section of the library where it can be found. CRES materials can be found all throughout the social sciences, fiction, and even science and mathematical materials. There are still a few ways you can browse for CRES topics however:
The Library of Congress call number system not only helps you find specific resources within our collections, but can also help you browse titles in different subject areas. We encourage you to explore the stacks frequently, because you never know what you will find! At Dinand, call numbers A through G are on the upper (Mezzanine) level. Call numbers H through Z are on the lower (Ground) level, with a few exceptions. Call numbers beginning with "M" are located in the Music Library and “Q, R, S, T” are in the Science Library.
Each letter in the call number system covers a subject area. For example, P is the call number range for Language and Literature. Each letter is then broken down into subclasses. For example, the call number range for P has subclasses from PA to PZ. This includes PR for English literature and PS for American literature. PN is the subclass for “Literature (General)” which includes important works, such as resources for literary theory and history.
For more information about Library of Congress Classification, please see the Library of Congress' Classification Outline.
Watch this video to learn how to find and check out library books in Dinand
What is Inter Library Loan?
Inter library loan (ILL) is a completely free service where you can request books from other libraries to be delivered here for you to check out! Both physical resources and e-resources can be ordered through this system, and again it is completely free of charge. Watch the video below to learn more about how it works.
