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HMU111: Introduction to Music and Society

This is a research guide for the course HMU111: Introduction to Music and Society

How to Research

Looking for academic materials to write essays is quite a bit different than doing a Google search. While there is technically no "right" or "wrong" way to start, the quality of your search results will improve significantly by following these few, simple steps.

  1. Pre-research: Give some thought to your topic and decide what areas you need to read up on in order to have an informed opinion for your paper. (Do this before you start researching.) Googling and Wikipedia can be helpful starting places for a quick survey or overview on some ideas related to your topic.
  2. Encyclopedia entries are particularly good at providing a thorough overview and background of your topic (or aspects related to it). Grove Music Online (available through Oxford Music Online) and the Garland World Music are highly recommended for this purpose. The articles are written by experts and you can cite them for your paper.

You are also welcome to browse through the tabs to the left for more resources to guide you in your research. If you feel lost, feel free to contact me!