These academic reference sources are useful for understanding what certain terms or ideas mean in an academic context. They can be helpful for understanding readings, or for beginning research for your presentations. You might find a definition or explanation of a word or idea to help with your midterm presentation in one of these sources.
You can watch this Research with Reference Sources video to learn more about using reference sources.
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures by 
Elgar Encyclopedia in Urban and Regional Planning and Design by Try starting with non-academic popular magazines and news sources, which can be easier to read. The Library's Catalog Search can help you search articles related to your topic. Search with keywords, and then use the "Resource Type" filter on the left side of the page to see only "Magazine Articles" and "Newspaper Articles".
These specific magazines and might have useful articles for your research.
Use the "Search Inside" option to search with keywords, or open one of the databases under "View Online" to search for articles.
If you need an academic source for your research, it can be a good idea to use one chapter from an academic book. Look through the Table of Contents to see the different chapters in the book, and choose one chapter that looks useful to read.
You can find NYU Shanghai library books by searching in the Library Catalog. Search with keywords, and then use the "Resource Type" filter on the left side of the page to see only "Books".
Books from the library can be either academic or non-academic. Check if the book is academic by looking for plenty of in-text citations throughout the book chapter, and search for the author's name to see if they are a researcher. If you aren't sure, ask for help in the library!
Handbook of Smart Cities by If you want to browse through books for a topic, you can click on these links to see books tagged with a specific Subject heading. Check the GPS guide for more information about using subject headings.
If you're looking for an academic source on a more specific topic, journal articles can be a good option. Journal articles can use more complex language, because they're written for academics to understand, so they may be difficult to understand as a new researcher. Try to start your research with other sources first.
You can find journal articles by searching in the Library Catalog. Search with keywords, and then use the "Resource Type" filter on the left side of the page to see only "Journal Articles".
If you don't find what you need in the library catalog, ask a librarian for help, or try searching in these more specific databases.
