SSI2-168: Zen Insights and Oversights: Getting Started

BEAM is an acronym intended to help you think about the various ways you might use sources when writing a researched argument. Joseph Bizup, an English professor at Boston University, outlined the framework in a 2008 article. The idea has since been refined and adapted by many others.

Tertiary sources, such as subject encyclopedias and textbooks, are excellent starting points in your research.  Use them to find:

• Helpful overviews of key facts:  who? what? when?
   
• Bibliographies of especially key scholarly works.
   
• Identification of important primary sources.
   
• Brief descriptions of main scholarly arguments:  how? why?

At Collins Library, you can access subject encyclopedias in a variety of formats: print, ebook, or via larger digital collections.

Print encyclopedias are located on the first floor of the library, across from the Learning Commons.

Specific online encyclopedias can be searched for and accessed via PRIMO, the library's discovery platform.

Large digital collections of subject encyclopedias can be accessed via several publisher-based platforms.

The following subject encyclopedias are likely to be especially useful for this course.

If you have any questions about when or how to cite the sources you are using, consult the library's Citation Tools page.  If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to ask any librarian! We're here to help you!