Sources to get started

1. Sources to get started

If you need to frame a topic of which you have limited knowledge, you can use:

• Encyclopedias, Wikipedia
  
• Handbooks and manuals
  
• Libraries catalogs
• Web sites

2. Sources to get started: encyclopedias and Wikipedia

Encyclopedias and Wikipedia

They provide an overview of the subject, from general to more detailed aspects, from different perspectives. They are perfect for a quick and easy consultation. They are useful starting points, but do not cover topics in depth and are not as up-to-date as periodicals. 

They can be in print and electronic format.

3. Sources to get started: manuals

Manuals

They are basic texts, generally adopted for teaching. They are usually indicated on the teachers' page accessible from CercaChi - or in the list of courses on the Course of Study site - under the heading "Recommended textbooks".

They deal with one or more topics in an introductory and general way and provide a bibliography that can be a useful starting point for further study. 

Thanks to indexes and summaries they are easy to consult. They can be in paper and electronic format (e-books).

4. Sources to get started: libraries catalogs

Libraries catalogs

They collect bibliographic information and are used to let people know if a library has a particular document and where it is located. 

They are essential for finding information sources.They can be in print and electronic format.

5. Sources to get started: web sites

Web sites

They allow simple, fast and immediate access to information, even if they do not offer answers to everything and it is necessary to verify the authoritativeness and reliability of the contents.

Not all sites are free to access and the sponsored ones may contain biased information, as we will see later.

If, on the other hand, you need to frame a topic of which you have in-depth knowledge, you can consult:

• databases
• specialized books
• Scientific magazines
• doctoral and graduate theses