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Dance 101: Introduction to Dance

Explorations and Innovations

Background information in the research process

Background research is vital for developing a foundational understanding of your topic. It will also help you narrow and focus your research question, choose relevant keywords and search terms, and shape research direction.

In addition to general searching on Google or Wikipedia, you may also review newspaper or magazine articles, and longform journalism. Subject encyclopedias can also be useful places to look for information because they are written by experts in the field and will also include references that will direct you to further reading on a given topic.

Set up access to the New York Times

The New York Times is one of the few national newspapers with dedicated dance critics. Find dance news and reviews, interviews with artists, and video content by setting up your student account to the online newspaper.

CSUSM Library provides current access to the New York Times online for all CSUSM students, faculty and staff. In order to login to the New York Times website, you will need to complete a one-time setup process using your CSUSM email address.

Once your account has been created, you can access complete New York Times content from NYTimes.com through the account you created with your CSUSM email.

Step 1: Go to the New York Times Institutional Access website

New York Times Institutional Access

Step 2: Create Your Account

Use your CSUSM email address to create your account.

For security, we recommend that you pick a password other than your CSUSM account password.

New York Times login screen showing an email address field with username@cougars.csusm.edu entered as an example.

Step 3: Confirm Your New Account

The first time you login, you'll be asked for a few details:

Please submit your details to redeem your pass - are you a student, or faculty / staff? Survey form as part of New York Times setup process.

When you've completed the setup, you'll get a confirmation with your account expiration date:

New York Times Start Your Access sign up screen showing Pass will Expire on a certain date at which point you can renew

Step 4. Login directly to https://nytimes.com with the credentials you just created.

From this point forward, you can use your personal account to log in directly to the New York Times website and access all published content.