Astronomy
Your Librarian
Spring 2025 Zotero Workshops
Register for one of these "Intro to Zotero: Your Personal Research Assistant" workshops to learn more! All workshops are hybrid - you will be prompted to select In-Person or Online registration.
Tuesday, February 25th, 1:30-2:00pm in-person at the Science & Engineering Library, Learning Studio
Wednesday, March 5th, 3:00-3:30pm in-person at W. E. B. Du Bois Library, Calipari Room
Tuesday, March 25th, 1:30-2:00pm in-person at the Science & Engineering Library, Learning Studio
Monday, April 7th, 3:00-3:30pm in-person at W. E. B. Du Bois Library, Calipari Room
Writing Resources
- Scholarly vs Popular (NC State)
- Developing a Search Strategy (Librarian S.Lucchesi)
- Test your plagiarism skills (Everett Community College)
Get Help!
- Get Help
- For library help
- Database Help
- Email dbhelp@umass.libanswers.com
- IT Help Desk
- For computer help; phone 413-545-9400, email it@umass.edu, or chat with a consultant
Welcome and Overview
Welcome to the Astronomy Research Guide
This guide will give you some ideas for places to start gathering information about topics in astronomy, as well as some tips and tricks for researching your topic.
The tabs on the left have more information about the following topics:
For help with your research, please contact your librarian, Paulina Borrego
Types of Information in Library Databases
|
Information Type |
Content and uses |
Authority |
Audience |
Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Books |
Technical information written by experts Learn about a topic, gather background information, historical and/or technical overviews |
Author's and publisher's credentials | Varies depending on author's intent |  |
| Newspapers and Trade Magazines |
News and journalistic reporting on events, industry developments Follow events, industry trends |
Written & edited by journalists and industry experts | General public, scholars, and professionals |  |
| Scholarly Journals & Conference Proceedings |
Research conducted by experts in a field Content is advanced & technical Read about primary research written by scholars |
Peer-reviewed, edited by experts | Scholars, researchers, and professionals |  |
| Patents |
Legal document disclosing a novel, useful invention Identify new research fronts or learn how something works |
Created by inventors, reviewed by government patent examiners | Innovators and scholars |  |
| Technical Reports | Report on research to funding agency | Created by researchers | Funding agencies |  |
