Library Research English Composition Anthony Valenti Campus Director Learning Resources

Agenda 4 Identify Research Needs –Selecting a topic –Determining research needs 4 Doing the Research –Library catalog –Library databases –Skills for searching 4 Using Research Results –Evaluating research results –Citation

Identifying Research Needs 4 Select a topic –assigned by your instructor. –a subject that interests you. –a real information need that you have. –something discussed in class about which you want to know more. 4 Start with broad subjects and then focus on a more specific aspect of the broader topic. Sometimes it helps to phrase it as a question –Adoption – Transracial Adoption – Should adoptive parents be allowed to adopt a child of a different race? Why or why not? –Video Games – Effects on behavior – Does playing violent video games lead to violent behavior in children?

Identifying Research Needs Popular or Scholarly Sources? PopularScholarly Appearance Exciting pictures, many advertisements, glossy cover Dense text Serious appearance Audience General PublicScholars and students Well-educated public Author Professional writer or laypersonAcademic scholar or recognized professional Content Simple discussions of news, entertainment or other popular subjects In depth analysis, research reports or extensive overview of a topic Examples Journals: Newsweek or Sports Illustrated Books: Gardening for Dummies or Astrology for the Soul Journals: American Journal of Sociology or New England Journal of Medicine Books: The Oxford Companion to the Garden or The Cosmos: A Historical Perspective

Edison College Electronic Catalog 4 Includes Books, Journals, and A/V Titles 4 Searchable by Author, Title, Subject, or Keyword 4 Make sure the default is Edison College 4 You do not need to log in to search; However, you do need to log in to view fines and fees, place holds, access e- books, etc.

Edison College Access to Electronic Resources –Go to the Library website: –Locate the silver search box on the top of the page. Click on Articles in Databases tab. –You will see a log in screen. Select Edison as your college if not the default –Enter your Connect Card Number, (8 digit Edison ID Number) and your PIN (Default is last 4 digits SS#) –Select a database. The default setting is to display databases by Subject. You may also click on the Alphabetical button to see databases listed by name. –Begin Your Search

Edison College Electronic Resources 4 Online databases –Indexes to articles, book chapters, thesis or other documents: EBSCO, ProQuest, etc. –Reference Resources: Online versions of Reference Works: Grove Art Online, Valueline, etc. 4 Restricted to Edison College community 4 Sorted alphabetically or by subject –Your topic will determine what database to use 4 Recommended General databases (with searching demonstration) –Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (Gale) –Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) –OmniFile Full Text (Wilson)

Skills for Online Searching 4 Subject or Keyword Search –Identify Key Concepts “transracial adoption” and “China” not “What are the racial issues involved in adopting a child from China?” 4 Controlled Vocabulary –Different databases may use different terms. EX: “Senior Citizens” or “Elderly Persons” –Use database thesaurus. 4 Boolean Logic –AND, OR, sometimes NOT 4 Truncating –searching multiple variants of word –EX: adop* = adopt, adopted, and adoption –Can be different symbols #, $, * etc. Each database will be different. Find Help section of database.

Search Results –If Full Text Print, Download, or article – If Citation or Abstract Click on Find Text? link. Perhaps it is available full text in another database. Request Interlibrary Loan for article.

Using the Internet for Research 4 The Internet can provide information; however, proceed with caution! –Anyone can post anything at anytime on the Internet. The Web is populated with an abundance of unreliable and inaccurate information. –People who publish on the Web have an agenda. Be particularly suspicious of.com sites, which are trying to sell you something. –Most scholarly sources are not on the Internet. Only a small percentage of all journals and an even smaller number of books are available on the Internet. –Navigating the vast amount of information available on the Internet can be overwhelming. Only a small percentage of search results generally are relevant. –You may retrieve outdated information from search engines, since they are not always up to date.

Evaluating Research Results 4 Authority –Who wrote or compiled the information? What are their credentials? Are they experts or scholars? 4 Currency –What is the date of publication? What time period is covered by the information? 4 Objectivity –What is the point of view taken in the material? Is there an obvious bias? Does the author provide factual information or are they expressing an opinion? 4 Documentation –Does the material cite the sources for information presented? Are complete citations provided? Is the information unknown?

Citing Research Results 4 A citation is the basic information about a source that identifies it and allows others to locate it. The citations used in a research paper or other work is usually compiled into a bibliography or list of references at the end of the paper or work. Citations are also commonly called references or cited works. 4 Why do we have to cite Materials? –To give proper credit for works, ideas, etc. to the people who created them –To allow others to locate these materials if they are researching the topic. 4 Citation guides are available on the library’s web page.

Citing Research Results 4 Plagiarism –Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work—words, ideas, images, etc.—as your own, and not citing the source. –Plagiarism Tutorial on Library Web Page

Research Assistance Anthony P. Valenti Campus Director, Learning Resources Instruction Evaluation – Please take some time to complete the online evaluation on Library’s Web page.