Writing 65 Library Research
for Witchcraft
Tina Hovekamp  - thovekamp@cocc.edu
http://web.cocc.edu/thovekamp/WR65.html

How do I ......

a. pick a specific, "researchable" question to explore about the Salem witch trials?

One way to start your project is by using one of our online or print encyclopedias to explore in general what other people have researched and found about your subject, witchcraft. These sources may also give you ideas on how best to narrow down this big subject to a researchable topic by narrowing it down to a specific question or aspect dealing with witchcraft.  

Online encyclopedias:

Our library subscribes both to individual electronic encyclopedias on different subjects and also to huge online reference collections (kinda like "virtual" big library collections of reference materials...)  such as Credo Reference, Gale Virtual Reference Library  and Oxford Reference Online.  Credo, in particular, is one of my favorite new subscriptions, an award winning database providing access to the full text of hundreds of highly regarded titles!  How to access and explore these wonderful resources? See  instructions below...   

• go to our library homepage. 
• under the category Quick facts: Encyclopedias, stats, etc. click on Encyclopedias.
• under "All disciplines & general" find whole collections of encyclopedias and other reference sources from Credo, Gale, and Oxford.
• try searches such as: witchcraft; Salem witch trials

Print encyclopedias (first floor of our library, Reference collection):

Puritans and Puritanism in Europe and America  REF BX9323 .P85 2006
Encyclopedia of American social history REF HN57 .E58 1993 
Dictionary of American history REF E174 .D52 2003 
Encyclopedia of witchcraft : the Western tradition REF BF1566 .E56 2006 
Witch hunts in Europe and America : an encyclopedia REF BF1584.E9 B87 2003 
Man, Myth & Magic  REF BF1411.M25 1970
McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of science & technology REF Q121 .M3 2007 

b. find books on my topic?

Books will probably provide you an extensive treatment of the subject of Salem witch trials.  Here are two tools (COCC catalog and Summit) you can use to find books on the topic:

    COCC Catalog - use for access to our local book collection

• go to our library homepage. 
• under Books & More: Library Catalogs, select COCC Catalog
• select "Keyword"
• type in: Salem witch trials.  Alternatively, you may try a search by typing in: witchcraft
• click on each of the results/titles of books to get information about their location, call number and availability.  For example:

    Google Books (http://books.google.com/)  - use Google Books to get a preview and excerpts on published books on your topic. This can be a great start for locating additional sources on your topic!  You may use Summit (see below) to actually request and receive these books.

• go to our library homepage. 
• under Books & More: Library Catalogs, select Google Books

 
    Summit - use the Summit catalog to search for and request books from other libraries collections

• go to our library homepage. 
• under Books & More: Library Catalogs, select Summit
• select "Keyword"
• type in, for example: Salem witch trials
• click on a relevant or interesting title of book
• next, click on. 
• Summit provides a quite fast delivery with books you request arriving to our library within 2-3 working days.  You will be notified via your COCC email address when these items are ready for pickup from our library circulation desk.

c. find articles on my topic?

Journal article databases let you search on your topic to locate magazine or journal articles.  The library purchases these databases for you to search--this is different from searching on Google or other "free web" search engines!

• go to our library homepage. 
• under Articles & More: Databases, select "Philosophy, Religion and Ethics"
• Select one of the databases such as Religion and Philosophy Collection.  Give it a try following the search tips below.

updated 11/2010