Library Research Anthony Valenti Campus Director Learning Resources

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

Identifying Research Needs Select a topic assigned by your instructor. a subject that interests you. a real information need that you have. 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 Video Games – Education – How can video games be used for education? Video Games – Effects on health – Is there a link between playing video games and the increase in obesity?

Identifying Research Needs Popular or Scholarly Sources? Criteria Popular Scholarly Audience General, no special knowledge of subject required Scholars, experts, or others with knowledge about subject Author Professional writer or layperson Academic scholar or recognized professional Content General interest items: current events, hot topics, etc. Research reports or comprehensive reviews of specific areas of study Style Uses everyday language that anyone can understand Uses technical language or jargon specific to experts in the subject area Publisher Trade publisher for mass market sales Scholarly or academic publisher for limited interest market Purpose To inform the general public about a subject of mass appeal To share results of new research or to inform other experts of a new discovery or theory.

Identifying Research Needs Primary or Secondary Sources? Primary Sources (original, first hand, or contemporary) Secondary Sources (removed one or more steps from original item, time, or creator) Original works of fiction or art: novels, plays, poems, movies. etc. Reviews or criticism of original works of fiction or art: novels, plays, poems, movies. etc. Reports of original research by those involved in the research Summaries or analyses of other peoples research Manuscripts, letters, email messages, diaries, autobiographies, interviews and other first-person accounts Biographies or articles written about other people (not the author of the work) News reports of current events Analyses or histories of past events Raw data and statistics

Edison College Electronic Catalog Includes Books, Journals, and A/V Titles Searchable by Author, Title, Subject, or Keyword Make sure the default is Edison College 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. http://www.edison.edu/learningresources/index.shtml

Edison College Access to Electronic Resources Go to the Library website: http://www.edison.edu/library/ 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 Online databases Indexes to articles, book chapters, thesis or other documents: EBSCO, ProQuest, etc. Reference Resources: Online versions of Reference Works: Grove Art Online, Opposing Viewpoints Online, etc. Restricted to Edison College community Sorted alphabetically or by subject Your topic will determine what database to use Recommended Multidisciplinary databases (with searching demonstration) Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) Academic OneFile (Gale) OmniFile Full Text(Wilson) http://www.edison.edu/learningresources/index.shtml

Skills for Online Searching Subject or Keyword Search Identify Key Concepts “video games” and “learning” NOT How can video games be used for learning Controlled Vocabulary Different databases may use different terms. EX: “Senior Citizens” or “Elderly Persons” Look to see if database has a thesaurus Boolean Logic AND, OR, sometimes NOT Limits Full Text, Scholarly (Peer Reviewed), Date, etc. Truncating –searching multiple variants of word EX: educat* = educate, educated, and education Can be different symbols #, $, * etc. Each database will be different. Find Help section of database.

Search Results If Full Text If Citation or Abstract Print, Download, or E-mail 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 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. http://www.martinlutherking.org/

Evaluating Research Results Authority Who wrote or compiled the information? What are their credentials? Are they experts or scholars? Currency What is the date of publication? What time period is covered by the information? Accuracy What is the overall reliability of the information? Are the facts and statistics verifiable? Scope What is the completeness of coverage? Is it comprehensive or selective? What is the focus and is it relevant?

Evaluating Research Results 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? Documentation Does the material cite the sources for information presented? Are complete citations provided? Is the information unknown?

Citing Research Results 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. Why do we have to cite Materials? To allow others to locate these materials if they are researching the topic. To give proper credit for works, ideas, etc. to the people who created them Citation guides are available on the library’s web page. http://www.edison.edu/learningresources/index.shtml

Citing Research Results 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 http://www.edison.edu/library/

Research Assistance Anthony P. Valenti Campus Director, Learning Resources 239-732-3776 apvalenti@edison.edu