Cognitive Science  

BOOKS (Use this tab to explore):

Using the OASys Catalog to search Oxy's Collection.

Trying other library catalogs to find materials outside of Oxy.

Learning how to locate books on the shelves (called "stacks").

Using LC and MeSH subject headings to execute more precise searches.

Finding new publications owned by Oxy and partner libraries.

ARTICLES (Use this tab to explore):

Using databases to find scholarly article citations and full text.

Identifying major Cognitive Science publications.

Locating online and print journals accessible through Oxy.

Beginning your Cognitive Science Research

• Follow your interest AND pay particular attention to the assignment you have been given. Make sure you understand what your Professor is asking for before diving into your research. Be sure to note any date or material type restrictions. (Example: Using peer reviewed journals, locate articles from the past three years that explore . . . )
• Note some topics that interest you and then brainstorm ways these concepts could be worded. Is there a common term for a concept as well as a medical/scientific term? (The MeSH thesaurus can help you find medical terminology.)
• Using the tools for initial exploration listed below, try to locate a few resources that address your topic. Once you have looked at a source, ask yourself the following:
• Does this resource provide you with any new terms or concepts that should be incorporated into your research?
• How does this resource address your subject and when was this published? Is there anything newer on the same issue?
• What do you want to know more about after having read this? For example, does this resource problematize issues that seemed settled before? Or does it raise new areas and avenues of exploration entirely?
• How does this resource fit with what you know about this topic? How does it add to the pool of material you have already examined?
• Look for ways you can situate your research within the broader range of scholarship that exists on your topic. Can you expand upon an earlier discussion? Or provide a counterpoint?
• Realize that the scope and focus of your topic will change the more information you locate, read, and analyze. Your preliminary research should help you figure out which aspects of your broader topic you are truly interested in focusing on; in later research, you can hone in on this narrow topic. 

Initial Exploration

• Encyclopedias that focus on cognitive science and related disciplines including the online/print reference sets listed on this page.
• Annual Reviews: Allow you to see the types of research that have been done on a subject within a given time frame. Oxy has access to numerous Annual Review titles that are relevant to cognitive science including the Annual review of neuroscience and the Annual review of psychology. From the Annual Review list you are taken to, look for the Annual Review title that is the most applicable to your topic.
• Google (Scholar, Web, Images, Books)
• OxyWorldCat