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Graduate Leadership Program Orientation

Guide for Graduate Leadership students on how to navigate Jenks online and other resources.

The Research Process

1. Look at general resources about your topic (e.g. Education Leadership magazine)
2. Gather information and look at the bibliographies of the general resource articles
3. Use library databases (e.g. ERIC or ATLA) to find peer-reviewed articles on your topic
Repeat steps 1-3!

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 Library 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.


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.

Searching the Library Catalog

Watch this video to learn how to search the Library Catalog to find print books and other material at Jenks Library.


Searching the Library Catalog for ebooks

Jenks Library has 150,000+ ebooks available, all searchable within our Library 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 Library Catalog.