Skip to Main Content
The University of Massachusetts Amherst

Commonwealth Honors Seminar (Honors 201H)

Find information on topics related to this semester's readings.

About this Guide

Honors Seminar 1: Ideas That Changed the World

This is a library and online research guide for theCommonwealth Honors Seminar, Honors 291A. Here are resources and research tips that will be especially useful for researching topics related to this semester's readings.

Students and instructors are invited to use the comments feature on this site in order to share your own research tips and opinions with others in the Commonwealth Honors Seminar. 


 

Finding Books

TIP: When you look for a particular book on the shelf, make sure to browse the shelf and nearby shelves for related books. Take your time! Open the books!  

To find books at UMass Amherst, you have two options:

  1. Start with the general search box on the library home page, www.library.umass.edu.  
    Advantages:
    • This catalog gives you access to libraries and collections throughout North America and beyond! It starts with UMas,s but does not limit you to our catalog.

  2. Use the Five Colleges Library Catalog.
    Advantages:
    • This catalog lets you search in some very specifc ways, for example, by Library of Congress Subject Heading. Be as specific as possible in your searching. Start with a subject search (use keyword if subject yields no results). Search by author, title, subject, keyword, call number, journal title, etc. For materials on a specific subject, enter your term(s) into the Subject or Keyword search boxes.

Article Databases

Try out these databases, comment on them and rate them too! Over 300 research databases are available through the UMass Amherst Libraries. Here are a few that will be especially useful.

Use RefWorks

Use a citation manager, such as RefWorks to keep track of your research.

Put all your references in RefWorks, create quick and easy bibliographies, build your knowledgebase.

RefWorks

1. Set up your account by clicking on the RefWorks link on the library homepage. From the RefWorks info page, choose "RefWorks Login & New Account Set up." From the login page, choosse "New to RefWorks? - Sign up for an Individual Account." Note: You get to choose your own username and password - make them easy to remember!

2. Get your book citations into RefWorks

Books from UMA WorldCat (a huge combined catalog that includes UMass books)

  1. Go to www.library.umass.edu
  2. Conduct a search and go to an individual item listing.
  3. Click “Cite/Export.” Select "Export to RefWorks" in the pop-up box.
  4. Log into RefWorks.

Books from the Five College Catalog

  1. Conduct a search and go to an individual item listing.
  2. Click "E-Mail/Save" link near the top of the screen.
  3. Under Choose predefined format, select "RefWorks Format." Click "Go."
  4. Click "RefWorks."
  5. Log into RefWorks.

3. Get your journal article citations into RefWorks
Most databases have a way to export citations into RefWorks directly.

4. Print out your bibliography

1.     Click on Bibliography from the menu toolbar.
2.     Select Output Style (APA, MLA, etc.) .
3.     Select Format a Bibliography from a List of References
4.     Select File type to Create (HTML, Word, or text file)
5.     Select the Folder from which the citations are to be taken.
6.     Click Create Bibliography.
7.     Follow the instructions for viewing the file. Remember to save the document before closing. 
Be sure to check the list for accuracy!

 

If you need more help or info on RefWorks, check out the FAQs.