Examples and Case Studies
Once you have an idea of your overall topic, it may be helpful to find examples of your topic to write about and analyze. This kind of information can often be found in books (ex: a book covering the history or background of a conflict) or in newspaper articles (ex: an event that is part of a particular conflict and reported on). A general search in either the catalog or a newspaper database will help you compile relevant examples.
Be sure you are evaluating the validity and use of your resources, especially if they are originate from a non-scholarly source! Remember for your papers, you need AT LEAST THREE (3) scholarly sources.
PRO TIP: Evaluating Sources
There is an overwhelming amount of information to be found online and it is important as ever to be mindful of the information you come across before deciding to use it in your own work.
Review the tips for evaluating resources on the right side of this page for reminders on what makes a source credible and to determine whether a source is scholarly.
Newspapers in Databases
- ProQuest Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search the full text of these newspapers: The Baltimore Sun, Christian Science Monitor, New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.
- America's Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search and browse American newspapers published across three centuries.
More LibGuides
The Virtual Newsrack is a compilation of access points to all of the newspapers to which SU Libraries currently subscribes, online as well as any print.
The "How To Find..." guide is a great thing to reference if you can't seem to find exactly what you're looking for in the library. If you're specifically focused on cases/examples right now, you might benefit most from the News or Primary Source pages.
Evaluating Resources: Scholarly VS Popular Articles
Reminders to help you figure out if a source is scholarly or popular.
Click the image to expand, or you can find a complete description of the image.
Evaluating Resources: CRAAP Test
This checklist of criteria can help determine the credibility of a source.
Click the image to expand or here for a complete description of this image.