For most research use ASU Library Online:

• For an online introduction to using library resources for research, go to the Instructions and Tutorials page.
• A note on using library sources: if you are unable to visit the ASU library physically, you will find that you can nonetheless find many research materials online. This includes books as well as articles, primary as well as secondary sources. The online catalog will tell you whether or not the material you are seeking is available online. First search for the book you want through the online catalog. When you pull it up, under the "Status" heading it will say "Online" if the book is available online. Sometimes you will be referred to another database such as NetLibrary from which you will be able to access the book.
• Many articles are available online to ASU students. Follow the "articles" link off the main ASU library page and pick a database to use. The database most frequently used for literary research is the MLA Bibliography; for historical research, the Historical Abstracts. Type in the database name. You will be taken to a search page in that database. Enter your search terms and find the article(s) you want. If they are available in full text through an online database, you will be told how to retrieve them, usually through one or more of the most frequently-used full-text journal databases such as JSTOR. Make sure that you go through the "articles" link to then search and retrieve the article from JSTOR by entering that database's name in the search field. By entering through the "articles" link you will be validated as an ASU student and will be allowed to access the article.
• Databases such as Literature Online contain significant collections of primary texts. Databases such as the Literature Resource Center provide access to primary texts, biographical articles, and critical articles on a wide range of well-known authors. The Nineteenth-Century Masterfile is a useful bibliographic database for nineteenth century sources. Access these through the "articles" link. These databases and many more are available to registered ASU students.
• See also the links at http://www.public.asu.edu/~dbivona/Links.html.

For general searches, you can start with Google:

• Google is the best general search engine and will give you access to resources on the Web. However, you should keep in mind that you have to critically evaluate the material you find on the open Web. It may be authoritative or it may be full of erroneous information. For guidance on evaluating information found on the Web, visit the ASU SunTutor site.
• Google Scholar can provide you with an easy way to pull together a bibliography of information sources on any particular topic by eliminating the need to go to multiple bibliographic databases such as MLA Bibliography. If you are seeking information for a research paper that has an interdisciplinary focus (say, "Jane Austen and the manners of the gentry class in the early nineteenth century"), you might want to use a bibliographic database that is broader in focus than the MLA Bibliography. You can search through multiple bibliographic databases (say, MLA Bibliography AND Historical Abstracts), or you can search through Google Scholar. Just keep in mind that once you find the articles you need you will need to go through the ASU Library's "articles" link to get online access to many of the articles you find. Few good journals allow open online access to their articles through the Web.