Always access journals and databases through the library website.

If you run into trouble accessing material in the library collection online, try enabling VPN first.

Play around with the keywords you search with, and remember you can browse by subject too.

Search with Boolean operators like AND, OR, and NOT.

Expand or tighten the scope of your search terms as needed.

Remember that COVID-19 has different names in different languages, and the vocabulary has shifted as the pandemic evolves.

Assess sources for authority and bias!

Need some quick help on how to cite sources? Check out our Citing Sources guide.

For formatting and style guides, we highly recommend Purdue OWL.

To ask a question or schedule an appointment, please email us at ias@library.illinois.edu or complete a contact form.   Each Resources by Geographic Area section in this guide lists that area's librarian. Do not hesitate to contact a librarian if you get stuck and need research help! Assisting students is our job. For simpler and more general questions, we recommend talking to library staff through the Ask A Librarian chat module on the library homepage.