Once you have collected some general background information related to your research idea using encyclopedias and other reference sources, you may begin by searching the Classic Catalog for related print or e-books. 

Books and e-books are a great resource for a more in-depth look at your research idea.  They may also provide more specific information relating to your subject such as, historical perspectives, collections of previously completed writings/research, and/or differing opinions on the subject matter.

Broadening/Focusing
If you are having problems finding information related to your research, consider broadening or focusing your idea by applying the strategies found in Step 1: Exploring an idea.

Subject Terms
Look at the subject terms you find in Classic Catalog records or article citations in order to locate synonyms or other applicable concepts.  In the catalog, subject terms are located toward the bottom of an item's record and hotlinked, making it easy to try a different search.

Citation searching
When you find a helpful book, article or author you can search for it (instead of a subject heading or keyword) to see who has cited that work in their own reference lists.  

There are several databases with citation searching available at the University Libraries.

You might be familiar with the Dewey Decimal Classification from grade school or the public library.  At WashU, and at many academic libraries in the United States, we use an organization system developed by the Library of Congress.  This system works to organize materials by subject. 

Tip: 

• Since we organize materials by subject, browsing becomes extremely easy.  Once you find a book that looks relevant to your research idea, it is a good idea to browse the nearby books on the shelf, as they will be highly related.

For more information on this organization schema, please see the Library of Congress Classification Outline. 

Here is a hypothetical shelf of books with the call numbers explained. If you are unable to see the image, the same information is presented below the image.

• Call Number LA2301.M37 would come before LB2327.M3 because LA alphabetically comes before LB.
• Call Number LB2327.Y53 would come before LB2328.B37 because 2327 is smaller than 2328.
• Call Number LB2327.B37 would come before LB2328.C34 because B comes before C.
• Call Number LB2328.C34 would come before LB2328.C55 because .34 is smaller than .55.
• Call number LB2328.C55 would come before LB2328.C554 because .55 is smaller than .554.
  • For this one think of .55 as being .550 and .550 is smaller than .554.
• Call number LB2328.C554 would come before LB2328.C63 because .554 is smaller than .63
  • For this one think of it as .554 is smaller than .630.
• Call number LB2395.C65 1987 would come before LB2395.C65 1991 because 1987 comes before 1991.