Getting Started
Following the six step Information Search Process (ISP) will save time and keep you organized through all phases of any research assignment.
| Understand the Assignment: Understand the specifics including length of paper, topic options/instructions, citation style and resources permitted before beginning topic selection, research or any other part of the assignment. | |
| Select a Topic: Think about what the assignment guidelines are and choose something that is interesting to you. | |
| Explore your Topic: Take your topic and narrow it down to what you want to focus on, normally a few main points. | |
| Develop a Thesis/Specific Purpose Statement: Decide your objective so you can inform the readers what you will discuss. | |
| Research: Work within the assignment guidelines to decide on appropriate resources. Keep track of your citations as you go. | |
| Write: Using your research and critical thinking skills, write your paper. |
| Library Cards |
Use your library card to borrow items and for off-campus access to eResources.
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| Subject Specific eResources |
- Issues and Controversies This link opens in a new windowThis resource presents the key facts, arguments, history and current context of today's issues.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
- Points of View This link opens in a new window
- What Everyone Needs to Know This link opens in a new window
- Civil Rights & Social Justice This link opens in a new window
| eBooks available through the CCC Library |
| Start Your Research |
| Citations |
Citation generator to help with your works cited/reference page.
You will need to create your own account (see the NoodleTools Tutorial for assistance).
An active library card is required to access NoodleTools from off-campus.
For citation help, check out the Citation Help page.
| Streaming Videos available through the CCC Library |
Black Freedom Struggles in the United States
The Black Freedom Struggle website includes more than 2,000 documents curated around six crucial phases of the U.S. Black freedom struggle: resistance to slavery by enslaved persons and the abolitionist movement of the 19th century, the end of slavery during the Civil War and the Reconstruction Era, the fight against Jim Crow segregation, the New Deal and World War II, the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement from 1946-1975, and the contemporary Black experience since 1976.
Lawyers Fight for Social Justice (Video Segment)
The lawyers from Legal Services strive to create equal access to the law.
P.S. I Can't Breathe (Video Segment)
This program provides a raw, uncensored glimpse into the Millions March NYC immediately AFTER a grand jury deliberated to not indict the officer responsible for Eric Garner's death.
Free Speech Is Threatened on Campus: A Debate (Video Segment)
Protests have erupted on university campuses across the country. College students are speaking out against racism, bigotry, and offensive language, which, they claim, fosters an unwelcoming, sometimes hostile, learning environment. Opponents, however, charge that their demands have gone too far, creating an atmosphere of intolerance that limits intellectual discourse and silences unpopular points of view. Are the protesters on campus fighting injustice or threatening free speech?
Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland (Video Segment)
On July 10, 2015, Sandra Bland, a vibrant 28-year-old African American from Chicago, was arrested for a traffic violation in a small Texas town. After three days in custody, she was found hanging from a noose in her cell. Bland’s death was quickly ruled a suicide, sparking allegations of a murder and cover-up, and turning her case and name into a rallying cry nationwide.
| Book available at the CCC Library |
