Research Guides: Automotive Research Guide: AUTO 200

Welcome AUTO 200 students!

By the end of today's session, you should be able to:

Use library databases to find sources of information about your chosen topics,
Cite sources in MLA Style, and
Know where to get help (on campus or virtually) from a PCC librarian.

Here are the slides shown during the in-person library session:

Research Strategies

WHO or WHAT are you writing about?

Gather some background information using one or more of these databases:

Biography (Gale) is a great database for finding information about PEOPLE
Business Source Elite is a great database for finding information about COMPANIES
Gale Ebooks is a great database for people, companies, and background information in general

What else was going on around the time you are writing about?

Look for resources that describe what things were like around the time that your topic is unfolding. WHEN and WHERE were things happening? WHAT was happening?

Newspapers are a great resource for this! US Major Dailies is a great database for news articles
US History (Gale) is a great database for finding information about historical events in the US
- The Browse Topics button is particularly helpful -- it has an overview of decades beginning with the 1900s
World History (Gale) is a great database for finding information about historical events around the world

Look for examples of impact

HOW and WHY is your topic important? WHAT impact has your topic had?

As you search and browse databases, keep your eye out for examples of IMPACT on society, people, events, and more. For example, make note of any influence on industries such as:

Materials (e.g. metals, glass, raw materials)
Technology & innovation (e.g. self-driving, safety features, solar)
Labor (e.g. the "work week", weekends, labor unions, employment)
Business & economy (e.g. auto industry during the 2008 economic crisis or the Covid pandemic)
Environment (e.g. exhaust, electric cars)
... and more!

ProQuest (Combined) is a great multi-disciplinary, general database that contains a mix of resources on a variety of subjects.

Recommended Library Databases

Biography (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new window
Search for biographies based on name, occupation, nationality, ethnicity, birth/death dates and places, gender, or other keywords.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Large collection of reference books providing background information on a variety of subjects. PCC offers a brief video with instructions for using this database.
Business Source Elite (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
This business database provides full text for over 1,110 business publications. The rich collection of titles in Business Source Elite provides information dating back to 1985. More than 10,150 substantial company profiles from Datamonitor are also included.
US Major Dailies (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Newspaper articles from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and Washington Post. PCC offers a brief video with instructions for using this database.
ChiltonLibrary (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Repair, maintenance and service information cars, trucks, vans and SUVs. Step-by-step tear-downs will facilitate work on the engine, chassis, electrical, drive train, suspension, and more. Includes photos, illustrations and repair procedures.
ProQuest (combined) This link opens in a new window
A combined search of a wide variety of ProQuest databases offering full text access to articles from academic journals, newspapers, magazines and other periodicals covering a variety of subject areas.
U.S. History (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new window
Covers themes, events, individuals and periods in U.S. history from pre-Colonial times to the present. Includes historical (primary) documents, reference articles, journal citations and full-text journal articles.
World History (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new window
Chronicles the rise and fall of cultures and societies across all continents and eras, from nearly 5,000 years ago to recent historical events. Includes primary sources, academic journals and other periodicals, biographies, reference and audio/video.

Looking for more databases to choose from?
Check out PCC Library's full list of databases on the A-Z Database List page.

MLA Citations

MLA Citations - Overview:

Additional MLA resources:

MLA Style Quick Guide from PCC
Includes guidelines and examples of MLA citations.
MLA Formatting and Style Guide from OWL Purdue
Examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, and Works Cited pages.