Using the sources below can sometimes be a good place to start if you are unsure of what exactly you are going to discuss in your research paper.  For instance, for your assignment, you are looking for information about monsters within literature and their portrayal.

This is just one example of how to use the sources below to start your thinking about your topic. 

This is an entry from our database CredoReference which contains subject specific encyclopedias.  Encyclopedias are a great place to start your research.

Here is a short example of what you can find in Credo Reference:

Click SEA MONSTERS to get to this entry

from The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters

The ocean environment offers tremendous potential for monstrosity: more unfathomable and mysterious than outer space, even to modern science, the deep sea is an alien world cradling unknown life, sometimes hostile, sometimes profound, sometimes enlightening. Literary sea monsters originate in mythology and folklore, which themselves derive from anecdotal sightings of sea serpents, dragons, and kraken, arguably accounted for by the scientifically confirmed existence of animals such as whales, oar-fish, basking sharks, and giant or colossal squid. In literature and film, sea monsters are often portrayed as aggressive or threatening, represented as reptiles, amphibians, mollusks, or mammals, and sometimes an amalgamation of multiple categories. Thus, the fictional sea monster often possesses biologically plausible origins, blended with fantastical representation and a symbolic narrative purpose. These features exist on a spectrum, with some monsters used purely for horror, for example, and others represented with close attention to known science...

Use this guide to help you get started in the research process. Use the links located at  the side of this page as well as the tab tops at the top. There is also a quick search bar lcoated in the top right hand corner of the guide. You can search using the drop down menu the library catalog or the databases.

Step 1 is creating your topic or research question!

Detailed description of, "Research Process Diagram"