Guides: Graduate Music Program Orientation: Part 2: Starting Points for Research

A. The Research Process

B. Getting Started

B. Background Research & Starting Points
C. Searching NOBLE for Books & eBooks

B1. Background Research Resources

Use background research to familiarize yourself with your topic, define terminology, and more. The following are three examples of online background research resources available at Jenks Library. These resources are online encyclopedias that can be used to search for terms, ideas, concepts, and more.

Search tip: most encyclopedia entries include a bibliography or a "further readings" section at the end of the article. Scan this list to see other potential resources you might want to search, then search for them either in the NOBLE Catalog (if it is a book) or a library database (if it is a scholarly article) so see if Jenks Library has access to this resource.

Grove Music Online
Grove Music Online is the authoritative encyclopedia offering coverage of music, musicians, music-making, and music scholarship. Search GMO's 51,000 articles, 33,000 biographical articles, and 5,000 images to access quality background research on topics of interest. Content for GMO draws from the full texts of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2nd ed.). Also included in GMO is The Oxford Dictionary of Music and The Oxford Companion to Music.
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Please note, access to Grove Music Online allows for 3-simultaneous users per article. If a page you are looking for says it is unavailable, try checking back in a little while. Likely one of your classmates is viewing that page!
Credo Reference
Find quick facts and background information in over 600 reference sources. Then continue searching in the NOBLE catalog and other electronic resources right from the Credo search screen.
Oxford Reference Online
Find facts, definitions, works lists, and more in the Music subject area from Oxford reference titles.
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Please note, access to Oxford Reference Online allows for 3-simultaneous users per article. If a page you are looking for says it is unavailable, try checking back in a little while. Likely one of your classmates is viewing that page!

B2. How do I get started researching?

Watch this video on two tips you can use to get started with research: researching broadly and researching with what you know. Follow-up on some of the strategies discussed in this video by watching the "How do I find articles in specific journals?" video.

Please note: this video was originally produced for students in the Graduate Education Leadership program, but the concepts still apply for Music students. Think about your trade magazines or other popular source music magazines you enjoy reading. Maybe you have a subscription to Hymn or Music Week. Start training yourself to read between the lines of those articles and ask - is there research behind these articles and can I go and find it?

Having trouble playing the video? Watch it here on the Jenks Library YouTube page.

C1. Searching the NOBLE Catalog

Watch this video to learn how to search the NOBLE Catalog to find print books, curriculum material, scores, and more at Jenks Library.

Having trouble playing the video? Watch it here on the Jenks Library YouTube Channel.

C2. Searching the NOBLE Catalog for ebooks

Jenks Library has 150,000+ ebooks available, all searchable within our NOBLE Catalog. eBooks are really useful for distance learners, because you can access them from your device wherever you are. Watch this video to learn how to find and access ebooks within the NOBLE catalog.

Having trouble viewing this video? Watch it on the Jenks Library YouTube Channel.