How do I find research or information about a culture or group?

You can find information about a specific population, culture, or group, in a variety of places. Below are some suggested starting points and search terms. 

General search tips

• For your searches,  try the name of the country, population or group and the word culture. For example:

  Native American culture

  LGBTQ culture

  African American culture

• Remember that names of groups change over time as society changes. Try to think of what your culture or group might have been called previously. 

  For example, books are slower to publish, so there might not be as many if you search for LGBTQ culture. Try LGBT or GLBT as well.

• Remember that while you CANNOT use Wikipedia as a source, you might find useful resources in their references for relevant entries.

Database Search Tips

• Databases will only search for the terms you type in. You can brainstorm different names for your group or culture, and string these together with OR.
• For the database search try this search setup:

In box 1, type: hispanic OR latino OR latina OR latinx OR Mexican Americans

In box 2, type: culture

• In the database search results, look at the options on the left side of the screen for ways to limit or filter the results. You may need to scroll down to see all the options. Take a look at Subjects and Databases  to get an idea of other terms to use or databases to check.

Research Starters

The Library has some Research Starters to help you get started. To find these, click on the Start Your Research tab.

Scroll down to the Research by Subject box and click on Research by Population.

You'll see links for a variety of different population groups, including:

• African American Research Starter
• LGBT Research Starter

More Information: 

• Guide: Database Search Skills
• Guide: Subject Terms & Index Searches
• Guide: Evaluating Resources
• How do I find scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles?
• Conducting your own research? Learn more about the Walden University participant pool. 

Do you have other Library questions? Ask a Librarian!