Brainstorming
As with any research project, the first step is generally to select your topic. Reference materials (encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, etc. . .) can be a great way to get started. These resources offer overviews of thousands of topics and will help you launch into your search for the scholarly resources that you will need to use to support your research. On this page you will find some selections to get you started.
When brainstorming, it can also be helpful to browse popular, non-scholarly resources in order to understand the status of general discourse on your topic and explore diverse viewpoints while developing thesis statement that can be supported with scholarly resources.
Credo Reference
- Credo Reference
Credo Reference provides full-text online access to hundreds of multidisciplinary reference book collections, including art, history, law, medicine, psychology, technology, bilingual dictionaries, and encyclopedias through a one-stop search platform. Search results often include articles from a wide array of publications and frequently present subject coverage from multiple perspectives. Using Credo Reference to approach a topic from different viewpoints can be a great way to expand your familiarity with the topic and it can help you develop new arguments and observations for your research.
Running a basic search in Credo Reference is similar to searching in Wikipedia. You can use general keywords and phrases in your search and Credo Reference will return results that include some or all of your keywords.
Clicking the "Advanced Search" button below the search box opens up additional options to control what kinds of results your search returns.
Use the provided Advanced Search boxes to refine your search based on the prompts.
In addition, the Advanced Search box includes drop-down menus that will allow you to limit Subjects, Titles, Publication Dates, and Features by checking the appropriate box.
Credo Reference supplies a visual related topics map that can be a great way to explore your topic and see connections that can further your research. Click the links in the map to jump to articles on that topic and generate a new visual topic map.
Click the Hugo Award and a new series of search results will load:
Credo Reference is equipped with a Research Quick Tips tool for help with research, searching, and topic selection to help you make the most of the database. To access the Research Quick Tips area, click on the three-lined "hamburger" menu in the upper-left corner of the screen and choose "Research Quick Tips":
The Research Quick Tips menu has several helpful guides:
Grove Music Online/Oxford Music Online
- Oxford Music Online & Grove Music Online
An online music reference source, offering comprehensive coverage of music, musicians, music-making, and music scholarship. This platform is a powerful resource for music research with over 52,000 articles written by nearly 9,000 scholars charting the diverse history and cultures of music around the globe.
Running a basic search in Grove Music Online/Oxford Music Online is similar to searching in Wikipedia. You can use general keywords and phrases in your search and Grove Music Online/Oxford Music Online will return results that include some or all of your keywords.
For a list of abbreviations used within Grove Music Online, visit the "Tools and Resources" section that is linked at the top of any page and then select "Abbreviations and Library Sigla". This page provides detailed information on the abbreviations used for general terms, periodical titles, standard reference books and series, libraries and institutions, and instrument collections.
Clicking the "Advanced Search" button to the right of the search box opens up a search results page that includes all items in the collection. From this starting point, you can use the filtering tools on the left side of the results list which has been renamed from "Modify your search" to "Advanced search" for this mode.
Use the provided filtering options included in the "Advanced search" menu on the left-side margin to narrow down the results list form the full catalog.
In related Oxford databases, such as Oxford Reference Premium, item availability is indicated to the right of the result with a green open lock 
, the word Free in a green oval 
, or a red closed lock 
. NSU provides full access to the entire Grove Music Online / Oxford Music Online platform and you should only see the green open lock 
on records in this database.
For a list of abbreviations used within Grove Music Online, visit the "Tools and Resources" section that is linked at the top of any page and then select "Abbreviations and Library Sigla". This page provides detailed information on the abbreviations used for general terms, periodical titles, standard reference books and series, libraries and institutions, and instrument collections.
Grove Music Online/Oxford Music Online has a robust collection of additional resources compiled by Grove Music Online editors that can help with discovery and understanding the materials on the platform. To access this area, click the "Tools and Resources" link at the top of any page and then select "Subject Guides and Research Resources".
- Grove Opera Indexes:
- Grove Opera Indexes includes three indexes (opera incipits, opera roles, and operas under composers) that are intended to help the user locate an opera when they may be starting with limited information, such as a character name or the first line of an aria.
- Grove Opera Indexes includes three indexes (opera incipits, opera roles, and operas under composers) that are intended to help the user locate an opera when they may be starting with limited information, such as a character name or the first line of an aria.
- Timelines:
- Grove Music Online timelines are currently compiled for 100 Operatic Premières, Contemporary Music, and Women in Music. These timelines can be an excellent starting point for an overview of the topic area, a way to visualize the topics, and a convenient access point to the full-length articles in Grove Music Online.
- Grove Music Online timelines are currently compiled for 100 Operatic Premières, Contemporary Music, and Women in Music. These timelines can be an excellent starting point for an overview of the topic area, a way to visualize the topics, and a convenient access point to the full-length articles in Grove Music Online.
- Topical Guides to Grove Music:
- The Topical Guides section provides lists of Grove Music Online content collected by time period or genre in addition to a list of suggested 20th-Century reading with related Grove Music Online content links and two collections of resources on women composers.
Grove Music Online / Oxford Music Online includes two help resources: a general help page for using the database platform and a specific Grove Music Online User's Manual that provides specific details on the structure of Grove Music Online and its content.
- General Help for the Grove Music Online / Oxford Music Online Platform:
- This Help page provides video tutorials, site navigation instructions, and search assistance.
- This Help page provides video tutorials, site navigation instructions, and search assistance.
- Grove Music Online User's Manual:
- The Grove Music Online User's Manual goes beyond the platform help guide to explain the specific composition and style characteristics of Grove Music Online content.
Musicmap
- Musicmap is a visual resource that seeks to chart the genealogy of musical genres. Included in this non-scholarly, but heavily researched resource are descriptions of methodology, definitions of terms, and linked sample playlists to help the user explore the vast array of musical genres. To learn more about the platform and the purpose of this project, visit the introduction
, abstract 
, and methodology 
tabs of the left-side menu.
Source: https://musicmap.info/