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Finding Books
Books may provide a comprehensive overview of your topic. Locate the most relevant portions by scanning the index and the table of contents. Read bibliographies to find additional sources.
- Coates Library CatalogYou know it, you love it: the good old Coates catalog. Item records contain helpful information such as book summaries, subject keywords, and tables of contents.
- WorldCatUse WorldCat to borrow books that Trinity doesn't have (i.e., request an interlibrary loan). WorldCat is also a powerful way to discover books on your topic.
- Google BooksUse Google Books to find full-text previews of scholarly monographs. You can assess a book's relevance by reading your keywords in context. See the right-hand column for more information on KWIC.
Keywords in Context
Google Books often contains generous previews of academic books, the full text of which can be searched. By searching topical keywords and phrases, then reading them in context, you'll gain a more definite sense of a book's relevance to your research. You'll also save the time otherwise lost in skimming. Use this technique to expand your working bibliography or to determine which books merit deep investigation.
You can search Coates Library's e-books in exactly this way, then download only the portion you need. For help using our e-book collection, see the Tips and Tools tab of this research guide.