REM 100 Term Paper Research Mark Bodnar: Ask a Librarian:

REM 100 – Spring Steps of Library Research 1. Identify your research question 2. Define your information needs 3. Brainstorm terminology 4. Select search tools 5. Apply power searching techniques 6. Evaluate search results 7. Track your citations Then… write / re-start / write…

REM 100 – Spring 2009 Hurricanes and Haiti  “Waterlines up to three metres high on the town's buildings marked the worst of a storm that sent water gushing down denuded hills, destroying homes and crops in the Artibonite region that is Haiti's breadbasket. Floodwaters receded, but half the community was still swamped with contaminated water four days after Jeanne passed. Not a house escaped damage.” Verma, Sonia. (Sept. 22, 2004). Haiti awash in death, hunger. Toronto Star. Retrieved February 23, 2006, from

REM 100 – Spring 2009 Hurricane Jeanne Hurricane Jeanne  “Haiti’s vicious circle” BCC News 24 on Tuesday, 21 September, Haiti’s vicious circleHaiti’s vicious circle

REM 100 – Spring 2009 Identify Your Research Question  Environmental problems caused by human institutions, attitudes, behaviors  Analyze issue from a social sciences / social theory perspective  SOCIAL THEORY EXERCISE

REM 100 – Spring 2009 Define Your Information Needs  Analyze the parameters of your topic:  WHAT (main topic, what about that topic)  WHY (significance)  WHEN (currency)  WHERE (geographic)  HOW (perspectives, type of information)  WHO (significant people, organizations)  Develop an outline – refine as you research

REM 100 – Spring 2009 Brainstorm Terminology  Keywords  Synonyms / broader / narrower / related  Names of people, organizations as search terms  TERMINOLOGY EXERCISE

REM 100 – Spring 2009 Power Searching Techniques  “Phrase searching”  Truncat*  Logical operators: AND, OR, NOT  Keywords => subject headings  TRY IT! TRY IT! TRY IT!

REM 100 – Spring 2009 Scholarly Journal Articles  How do you recognize a scholarly or research journal article?

REM 100 – Spring 2009 Potential sources? You judge!  Hosier, Richard H. and Bernstein, Mark A. (1992). Woodfuel use and sustainable development in Haiti. Energy Journal. 13 (2), Woodfuel use and sustainable development in HaitiWoodfuel use and sustainable development in Haiti  Inundated. (2004, September 25). Economist, Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database. Inundated  Aide, T., & Grau, H. (2004, September 24). Globalization, Migration, and Latin American Ecosystems. Science, 305(5692), Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database. Globalization, Migration, and Latin American EcosystemsGlobalization, Migration, and Latin American Ecosystems  Ostapiak, Mark. Haiti’s storm damage compounded by poverty and neo-colonialism. Socialist Action. Retrieved February 24, 2006 from Haiti’s storm damage compounded by poverty and neo-colonialismHaiti’s storm damage compounded by poverty and neo-colonialism

REM 100 – Spring 2009 Last Steps  Organize your information and write your paper  Help? Student Learning Commons Student Learning CommonsStudent Learning Commons  Cite your sources, e.g. APA APA  Additional questions? AskUs AskUs

REM 100 – Spring 2009 Final steps  How do you know when you’ve done enough research? Good luck with your research!  Ask a Librarian: