Newspapers and other local news sources are generally the best source for finding information about an area. Sources covering San Diego include both mainstream news, like the Union-Tribune, and alternative (or "alt") sources such as the San Diego Reader.
San Diego Union-Tribune (and its predecessors)
Alt News Sources
Neighborhood News Sources
Local government websites and publications are the best source for official reports, statistics, and other information from government agencies. More information is now published directly to government websites than is published in print format, so websites are the best place to look for the most recent information.
The library does have a rather large collection of San Diego government publications in print format. To find items of interest in this collection: after entering your keywords in UC Library Search, click of the "Location" Filter option and select the locations that include "Documents SD" in their description and click Apply Filters. Hover over a location name and select the checkbox that appears. You can select more than one location as you are setting up your filter.
Your research will likely include some web searching, as you look for organizations, offices, government agencies, news sources, or other material. There are several little "tricks" you can use to search Google more effectively and efficiently -- take a look at this Google tips page and save yourself some time and effort.
Dissertations and theses can be good sources for finding local information, especially if written by students at institutions local to the area of interest (e.g. UCSD, San Diego State). Not only will you find well-researched information in these sources, but you'll also find bibliographies that can lead you to additional sources of interest.
The database called Dissertations & Theses includes works written from 1861 to those accepted last semester. All University of California dissertations/theses should be available as a full text PDF to UCSD users. Others will generally offer a 24-page preview, and you can request the full text of these items through Interlibrary Loan.
