4. Find Sources

Once you've narrowed your topic and thought about keywords, try searching the databases below for potential sources you can use for your project. Try to find sources that provide evidence to support your thesis. If your keywords aren't working, ask a librarian for help!

Before you move on to Step 4: Find Sources, you must have completed the required actions in Step 2: Explore Your Career.

Databases / Articles

The following databases are the best place to start.

Gale Power Search
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A good general database that covers many subjects, especially current new issues. Has magazine, journal, and newspaper articles, as well as some reference material. Full-text content.
EBSCO General Databases
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Search 10 databases at once: Academic Search Premier, TOPICsearch, MasterFILE Premier, Military & Government Collection, MAS Ultra - School Edition, Vocational and Career Collection, Associates Programs Source, Newspaper Source Plus, GreenFILE, and News (AP, UPI, etc.). Proxy Bypass
Find journal, magazine and newspaper articles. Millions of full-text articles, many with images. Updated daily.
Statista
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With access to over million statistics on over 80,000 topics from over 18,000 credible sources, this database specialized in market and consumer data, statistics, infographics, reports, plus company insights to support research and help to find statistics, charts, graphs, and other visuals to integrate into papers and presentations.
Newsbank: Access World News
Includes current and archived news content from more than 12,700 sources spanning 200+ countries and territories including SC Newspapers of Herald -Journal (Spartanburg), The State (Columbia), and The Post and Courier (Charleston).

See More Databases
In addition to the databases listed above, the SCC library has several career-specific databases. You can search the databases by subject, such as Health Sciences, Automotive, Business, Education, and Industrial/Technical.

For step-by-step instruction on searching the library's databases for issues in your field of study, check out the Instruction Module.

Recommended Websites

Career Information

Occupational Outlook Handbook
Up-to-date career information from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Career Onestop
Information and resources to help job seekers, students, businesses and career professionals from the U.S. Department of Labor.
O*NET Online
The O*NET database includes information on skills, abilities, knowledges, work activities, and interests associated with occupations.
South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce has up-to-date information and training to help job seekers and employers.
Occupational Employment Statistics
Find employment data and average wage statistics by region and occupational group.
Projections Central - State Occupational Projections
Projections of occupational employment growth are developed for all States and the nation as a whole. One of the most important uses of the projections is to help individuals make informed career decisions.
SCC's Career Coach
Provided by the SCC Career Services office, take a career assessment, browse careers or SCC programs, build a resume, and more.

Search for Books & eBooks

Use the search box below to search the SCC Library Catalog for physical books (in one of our library locations) and eBooks. You can also open the Library Catalog or use the Advanced Search for more search options.