Research Tools

Whether you're writing a paper or just want to satisfy your curiosity, you’ve come to the right place. The library’s research tools will help you learn about any topic.

Hope Primo

Enter search terms for Hope Primo:Go

Advanced Search | My Library Account

Hope Primo is a discovery service that searches the library’s databases, repositories, catalog and other online resources in one fell swoop. It’s a good place to begin your journey.

But even though Hope Primo is a powerful gizmo, it does not find everything. For deeper research, be sure to utilize the other tools available on this page.

Library Catalogs

The Books + Media search scope in Hope Primo is a great way to find specific books, films, music scores, etc. Search by title or author, then note the call number so you can locate the item in our stacks.

Choose a search type: Title begins with Author Keyword Subject LC Call Number ISBN/ISSN Enter search terms for the library catalog:Go

Advanced Search | My Library Account | HopeCATx Alt-Search

Other library catalogs:

• MeLCat – request physical books, DVDs and CDs from libraries throughout the state of Michigan (please allow up to two weeks for delivery)
• WorldCat – search the collections of thousands of libraries around the world and place requests (please allow up to two weeks for delivery)
• Center for Research Libraries – an international consortium of university, college, and independent research libraries
• Herrick District Library – Holland, Michigan’s public library. All Hope students are eligible for Herrick library cards
• Western Theological Seminary – find books and media in Cook Library

Article DatabasesA-Z List of Databases Arranged by Title

Our databases are a gold mine of journal articles, ebooks, scientific papers, maps, images, films, streaming music, data sets, book reviews, historical artifacts and many other sources. If you’re serious about learning more about your topic, this is where to do it.

Search for Databases

Search by database name or subject:Go

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Browse by Title

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• R
• S
• T
• W

If you already have a citation or DOI and want full text, try Citation Linker 

Research Guides

In partnership with your professors, we've developed guides to assist with courses that demand in-depth research. You'll find curated lists of resources related to your course topic, as well as tips to help you investigate more effectively.

Browse by Subject Browse guides by subject: - Choose a subject - General Research (All Subjects) Art and Art History Biology Chemistry Communication Computer Science Dance Economics and Business Education Engineering English Ethnic/Multicultural Studies Geology and Environmental Science History Kinesiology Mathematics Modern and Classical Languages Music Nursing Philosophy Physics Political Science Psychology Religion Sociology and Social Work Theatre Women's and Gender Studies Go

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Search Guides Search subject guides:Go

Journal Finder

Use our Journal Finder to locate journals, magazines and newspapers. To browse current issues of scholarly publications, try BrowZine for an easy-to-navigate interface.

Enter search terms for Journal Finder:Go

If you already have a citation or DOI and want full text, try Citation Linker 

Newspapers

Use our newspapers research guide to learn more about campus access to digital editions of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, search our newspaper database, or learn more about our current print newspaper collection.

Newspapers Research Guide 

Online Reference Shelf

Google isn't as reliable as you think. To find authoritative answers, try these tools.

• Credo Reference Collection
• Gale eBooks
• Encyclopedia Britannica
• Oxford English Dictionary

See also: Reference Sources and other research starting points

Citation & Plagiarism Resources

Need help with citations? The library has you covered!

Citations and Style Formatting

• MLA and APA Help: Tips on citing sources and formatting research papers in MLA or APA format
  • MLA Handbook (print version at Research Help Desk)
  • APA Manual (print version at Research Help Desk)
• Chicago Manual of Style Online: Covers all aspects of academic writing and publishing, including citation guides for notes and bibliographies
• NLM (National Library of Medicine): Style Guide
• ACS (American Chemical Society) Guide to Scholarly Communication
  • ACS Style Quick Guide
  • Print version at Research Help Desk
• Excelsior OWL: Support for APA, MLA, and Chicago documentation styles
• KnightCite: For quickly generating single MLA, APA, or Chicago Style citations

See all writing style guides available at the library (print versions at Research Help Desk)

Organizing and Keeping Track of Your Sources

We recommend Zotero. Zotero is a free citation management tool that can help with creating citations and storing sources as well as organizing your research through a tagging system, relationship building and note taking.

• EndNote Web: A cloud-based bibliographic management and source documentation system to help you collect, organize, and use citations (account required using 1Hope email address)

Plagiarism Information

• Online Plagiarism Tutorial
  • Plagiarism Tutorial Text
• Hope College’s Academic Integrity Policy
• For Faculty: Plagiarism Procedures

Digital Repositories

Hope College Digital Commons collects, preserves and shares the scholarly and creative work of the Hope community. It serves as the college's institutional repository and promotes discovery and research by providing open access to a wide range of digital resources created by Hope faculty, students and staff.

Digital Commons 

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Artstor Public Collections provide access to documents, images, videos and audio. These collections, some of which are publicly available, include materials from Hope College Archives and Special Collections, as well as faculty and student works. Many of these collections are also browsable in JSTOR Open Community Collections.

Artstor Public Collections 

Local History

Archives and Special Collections collects the institutional records and personal papers of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, as well as local history materials related to the greater Holland area.

Visit the Archives 

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The Van Raalte Institute is a research center focused on Dutch American history, the history of Holland and the history of Hope College.

Explore the Van Raalte Institute