ENC 1101 Professor Martinson -- Informational Essay 

PSC ebooks and databases are available to all currently enrolled students as well as PSC faculty and staff. 

Students use their student ID as the Borrower ID and the last four digits of the ID as the PIN.

Faculty and staff members use their PID as the Borrower ID and as the PIN.

As you may already have discovered this is often the hardest step in the research paper writing process. It is also a very important step. If you choose a topic that is very broad - "Poverty" - you will be overwhelmed with information and you will have difficulty organizing your ideas and findings into a manageable, cohesive paper. If you choose a topic that is very narrow - "Gifted Children Living in Poverty Benefit From Having Pet Fish" - obviously, you will have trouble finding enough sources to support your paper. Take time to focus your topic.

If you can, try to choose a topic that truly interests you. The tables of contents and indexes of some of the general social science resources are good places to look for ideas (this also gives you an idea about the availability of information). CQ Researcher  lists the most current topics in the news today. Browse CQ to get an idea of a topic that is of interest to you, then use the instructions on this guide to further narrow your choice.

Here are some guidelines for working on your assignment.

 Not finding what you need?  Well, that's why we are here.

The librarians at PSC can help you find resources at the library or online and obtain resources from other libraries if necessary.  You can call the library and receive assistance over the phone -- WH Campus Library  297-1040 or LK Campus Library 297-1042 -- or you can stop by and ask for assistance in person, or you can e-mail the library (if you're shy).