Think of Credo as "academic Wikipedia." Credo is an easy-to-use tool for starting research. Gather background information and facts on your topic from hundreds of credible sources such as: full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, quotations, and more.
1. Select Credo Reference from the library webpage by clicking on "C" from the A - Z Databases List or by selecting "Credo Reference" under Quick Links heading.
2. Credo Reference is a collection of encyclopedias and dictionaries. Like searching in Wikipedia, use single a keyword or simple phrases. After you enter your topic in the search box, click the magnifying glass to see your results.
3. Some topics will have a topics page that appears above your search results (black square). This is usually a brief overview of your subject. Many subjects include a "Mind Map" where you can explore related topics or significant people related to your topic (red circle). Browse "Articles" to explore more detailed information on your topic (red square). Watch the video posted above for more information about the Mind Map.
4. You can limit your results using the drop-down choices in the toolbar (red boxes). Some important limiters are "Type" to limit to reference articles, definitions, and Pro/Con and "Length: to limit to medium or long articles. You can also tell article length by looking at the word count (green box).
5. Click on the title to read the article.
6. Every article contains helpful tools for citations, emailing the article (share), or printing. These are highlighted in the purple square. Each article also provides links to related searches (red box) and related articles (green box). Citation information is also at the bottom of the article.
