Need writing assistance? See the SCU Writing Center - known as The HUB.
At the beginning of the research process, it's very useful to get an overview of your topic. Encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference sources are a great way to get started and to find background information on your topic from various perspectives.
If you are researching a contemporary topic related to modern slavery and unfreedom (such as human trafficking, LGBT or Transgender rights, mass incarceration, etc.), try the CQ RESEARCHER database. It covers the most current and controversial issues of the day complete with summarieis, insight into all sides of the issues, bibliographies, and more.
The SlaveVoyages websites is a collaborative digital initiative that compiles and makes publicly accessible records of the the largest slave trades in history. Search these records to learn about the broad origins and forced relocations of more than 12 million African people who were sent across the Atlantic in slave ships, and hundreds of thousands more who were trafficked within the Americas. Explore where they were taken, the numerous rebellions that occurred, the horrific loss of life during the voyages, the identities and nationalities of the perpetrators, and much more.