Library Research Speech Research Anthony Valenti Campus Director Learning Resources

Agenda 4 Identify Research Needs –Selecting a topic 4 Doing the Research –Library catalog –Library databases –Skills for searching 4 Internet 4 Citation

Identifying Research Needs 4 Select a topic –Within the guidelines given by your instructor. –a subject that interests you. –a real information need that you have. 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 –Vaccinations – Vaccination and risks – Is there a link between vaccinations and autism? –Health Care – Health Care Reform – Should the United States provide centralized health care to all citizens?

Edison College Electronic Catalog 4 Includes Books, Journals, and A/V Titles 4 Searchable by Author, Title, Subject, or Keyword 4 Make sure you select Edison College and Collier Campus for items held at this location 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 box on the right hand side of the page. Find the words Library Databases. –You may select a database from the drop down menu OR click on “All Databases” to see a list of databases by subject –You will see a log in screen. Select Edison as your college if not the default –Enter in your 14 digit number off your library card and your PIN (created by you at Circulation Desk) –Select a database –Begin Your Search

Edison College Electronic Resources 4 Online databases –Indexes to articles, book chapters, thesis or other documents: EBSCO, Gale, etc. –Reference Resources: Online versions of Reference Works: Grove Art Online, Valueline, etc. Restricted to Edison College community Sorted alphabetically or by subject 4 Subject Specific Research Guides 4 Plagiarism Tutorial

Edison College Electronic Resources 4 Recommended Databases –Biographical Information Biography Resource Center (Gale) –Pro/ Con Issues Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center CQ Researcher Plus Issues and Controversies (Facts on File) –General Journal Articles Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) l

Skills for Online Searching 4 Subject or Keyword Search –Identify Key Concepts “Vaccination” and “autism” NOT “Do vaccinations cause autism in children?” 4 Controlled Vocabulary –Different databases may use different terms. Get out your Thesaurus! 4 Boolean Logic –AND / OR 4 Limits –Full Text, Scholarly (Peer Reviewed), Date, etc.

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.

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.

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.