ENGL 3722 CliFi (SJ) Guide Ask Us

How do I get started? 

We created this guide to help you work through the research process for your assignment. Use the different tabs to help you at the various stages of your work:

How do I find background information and learn more about a topic?

To get started, it can be helpful to learn more information about a topic before jumping right into searching for journal articles. Doing some background research and reading can save you time and help you find ways to narrow your topic down. Background research can be done through quick Google searches and reading credible websites, looking at e-book chapters, or encyclopedia entries. 

e-Books for Background

• Encyclopedia of global warming & climate change
• Global warming
• Climate change
• Environmental disaster
• Power in a warming world: The new global politics of climate change
• The ethics of climate change: right and wrong in a warming world
• Climate change and philosophy: transformational possibilities
• Anthropocene fictions: the novel in a time of climate change

Articles (popular science magazines)

• National Geographic (UNB subscription)
  • Choose Canadian Periodical Index Quarterly for current access
• Scientific America
• Smithsonian Magazine

Reputable Websites

• Global warming vs climate change NASA
• Environment and climate change Canada Government of Canada
  • Climate change
  • Canada’s changing climate change report
• Climate change The Conversation
• Global warming The Conversation
• Environmental disaster The Conversation

How do I find articles for my assignment?

1. Search the databases or individual journals below using keywords related to your topic to find relevant articles:

• Nature climate change (UNB subscription)
  • Articles about climate change
  • Articles about natural hazards
• Science (UNB subscription)
  • Articles about climate change

2. Scan through the results, reading the title/abstracts to find potentially relevant articles. Redo your search with different keywords if you're not finding what you want. 

3. Find a few articles that look promising and skim read the introduction/conclusion of the full-text to decide if they're useful for your assignment. If a PDF or link to the full-text isn't readily available, click on the  link  to see if we have it in our collection.  

 How to read a scientific paper from the American Society of Plant Biologists. 

 Try this tool, Explain Paper, if you're really stuck on how to read and understand parts of your chosen articles. You can upload the PDF, then highlight text to have the integrated AI explain it; you can customize the explanation to different levels of understanding as needed. If you use this tool, cite it in your paper!

How do I find articles for my assignment?

1. Search the databases below using keywords related to your topic to find relevant articles:

2. Scan through the results, reading the title/abstracts to find potentially relevant articles. Redo your search with different keywords if you're not finding what you want. 

3. Find a few articles that look promising and skim read the introduction/conclusion of the full-text to decide if they're useful for your assignment.

If a PDF or link to the full-text isn't readily available, click on the  link  to see if we have it in our collection.

Style Guides & Helpful Resources

Science sources are typically cited in APA (American Psychological Association) so be cautious of copying citations directly from them.

Use the parts of the APA citation to rewrite them in MLA. 

MLA citation style guides

MLA Handbook

Purdue OWL MLA Formatting and Style Guide

How do I get help if I need it?

The research process and searching for articles can be challenging sometimes. We don't expect you to know everything or "get it" after one presentation from a librarian. Once you start working you may realize you need a refresher or some guidance on your specific topic. Part of our job is helping students, so you're not bothering us at all if you need to reach out. 

You have a few ways to get in touch with us for help. We're available regular work weeks, Monday-Friday between 9:00am - 4:00pm (AST). 

• Book a time to meet with Alex through Teams
• Book a time to meet with Phil through Teams
• Email us at alex.goudreau@unb.ca or philip.taber@unb.ca 
• Send a chat message through Teams

You can also reach out anonymously through UNB Libraries' Ask Us chat. This service is staffed evenings and weekends.