Learn on Your Own
Want more help? Our expert staff are able to provide assistance through our Ask Us services and individual research consultations. We also provide in person and online instruction on many
topics through our workshops program.
More in depth information on certain topics and resource formats can be found in our research guides, and course specific recommendations through our course guides.
Choosing a Research Topic
![Student and rainbow cat in front of the computer](/sites/default/files/perfect-source%20thumbnail.png)
One Perfect Source? (2:08)
Understanding Scholarly Articles
![From idea to library](/sites/default/files/From%20idea%20to%20library%20thumbnail.png)
From Idea to Library (2:28)
![Happy and smart superhero](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_16_9/public/oembed_thumbnails//1287400083-1f1566a0132a4a4c63a509912a61f6298cbdf50c191884632_640.jpg)
Smarter Than the Filter (3:30)
![Searching Google Scholar](https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/sites/default/files/Searching%20Google%20Scholar.png)
Searching Google Scholar (3:11)
![Peer review in 3 minutes](/sites/default/files/peerreview%20thumbnail.png)
Peer Review in Three Minutes (3:15)
![Getting to Article Databases](https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/sites/default/files/Getting%20to%20Article%20Databases%20%281%29.png)
Getting to Article Databases (3:06)
![Getting Articles in Summon](/sites/default/files/wysiwyg-uploads/Untitled-1.jpg)
Getting Articles with Summon (3:04)
![What is a Literature Review](/sites/default/files/2024-06/thumbnail-1.jpg)
What is a Literature Review? (4:56)
Finding Sources
![Discovering books](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_16_9/public/2024-02/ThumbD.png)
Discovering Books (3:01)
![Getting books](/sites/default/files/getting-books%20thumbnail.png)
Getting Books (3:41)
![Searching Google Scholar](https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/sites/default/files/Searching%20Google%20Scholar.png)
Searching Google Scholar (3:11)
![Getting to Article Databases](https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/sites/default/files/Getting%20to%20Article%20Databases%20%281%29.png)
Getting to Article Databases (3:06)
![Getting Articles in Summon](/sites/default/files/wysiwyg-uploads/Untitled-1.jpg)
Getting Articles with Summon (3:04)
![What is a Primary Source?](/sites/default/files/wysiwyg-uploads/thumb2prmt.jpg)
What is a Primary Source? (4:14)
![Happy and smart superhero](/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_16_9/public/oembed_thumbnails//1287400083-1f1566a0132a4a4c63a509912a61f6298cbdf50c191884632_640.jpg)
Smarter Than the Filter (3:30)
![From idea to library](/sites/default/files/From%20idea%20to%20library%20thumbnail.png)
From Idea to Library (2:28)
![Student and rainbow cat in front of the computer](/sites/default/files/perfect-source%20thumbnail.png)
One Perfect Source? (2:08)
![Keywords for Searching](/sites/default/files/2024-04/Screenshot%202024-04-17%20101453.png)
Keywords for Searching (2:23)