SDCC Library: Philosophy: Getting Started

What is Philosophy?

The first objective of the philosophy program is to teach students how to think critically emphasizing analytic reasoning. In addition, students are prepared for university-level philosophy courses. The study of philosophy acquaints students with the nature of philosophical activity and helps them increase critical thinking skills about fundamental philosophic concerns such as the nature of correct reasoning, the scope and limits of human knowledge, characteristics of reality and questions of value and obligation. Philosophy relates to many other academic disciplines and stresses systematic and abstract thought.

-- Description from Philosophy program website, accessed 07/24/13

Picture: public domain

Key Terms to Try

Before you start searching, you must identify relevant key terms for your topic. Below are a few examples of key terms to try for philosophy:

Logic	Religion	Metaphysics
Critical Thinking	Epistemology	Existentialism
Ethics	Feminism	Idealism
Reasoning	Identity	Realism

Here a few examples of philosophy related search terms that you can use to find items in the library catalog. Note that adding the word "AND" will combine the key terms to give a narrower set of results:

persuasion (rhetoric) AND ....
critical thinking AND ....
ethics AND .....
women AND philosopher* (* allows you to search for philosopher, philosophers)
philosophy AND Chin* (searches for China, Chinese)

Tips and tricks:

In general, search using one or two nouns, combined by AND or OR.
Do more than one search, using different words that cover the same concept.
If you find too much information, add a word. If you don't find enough, take one out or use a broader term.
Use an asterisk (*) to search for variations on a word. For example, searching for student* will bring up records on student and students.

Need some help with figuring out a research topic or the research process in general? We have guides for those too!

For help with your research topic, see our Develop a topic guide
For more information about how to do research, see our Research Step-by-Step guide

Start Research Here!

Advanced Search A-Z Databases | Research Guides | Videos | Journal Finder | Browse Search

Search Tips:

*OneSearch doesn't show you everything! Some databases, like those from EBSCO, are not included so you will need to search them separately.

To find Books, e-books and reference materials --> Use SDCCD Books+, A-Z Databases, or OneSearch
To find Textbooks for your class--> Use Course Reserves
To find Articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers --> Use A-Z Databases, EBSCO Articles, or OneSearch
To find Periodicals by title --> Use Journal Finder or OneSearch
To find Videos and media --> Use Videos link, A-Z Databases (choose Films on Demand, Swank, or Kanopy), or OneSearch

Off-campus Access Link

To get access to library resources from off-campus:

Students: When you click on a database/ebook link, you will be prompted for your CSID number and last name. Type it exactly the way you registered. You must be taking at least one City College class and have paid your tuition and fees. Problems? Email citylib@sdccd.edu.
Staff: You are not automatically added to the system from Peoplesoft. To request a login, or if you are having problems, email citylib@sdccd.edu.
Faculty: If you are currently teaching, you are automatically added to the system from ISIS. If you aren’t, or you are having problems, email citylib@sdccd.edu.

Common issues:

Some databases require that your browser be set to accept all cookies.
Security software may interfere with a database's user authentication protocol. You may have to temporarily disable it in order to connect to a database.