EDRS681 Orientation How to use library resources effectively? Dr. CSUB

What is needed? References: Format for Online/Hardcopy journals Knowledge/Envision of a particular field Critical thinking/Reflection is required to search and to evaluate search results. Part of research is narrowing and redirecting your topic

Research Material Books & Government Documents Journal Articles 6d10c94d0cff%40sessionmgr13&vid=2&hid=10 Online Resources ( Theses and Dissertations ==&clientId=17830 Inter-library loan?

Understand your topic Be able to state your topic clearly in a single sentence. Include all major components of your topic. For example: ◦ Which childcare system (home-based or center-based) is more effective in facilitating early childhood development?

Find Key Concepts in your topic Combining concepts to find relationships Concepts: ◦ Service types (home-based, center-based, or both) ◦ Child*, kid*, … ◦ Development indicators (gross/fine motor) ◦ Pre-school/family resource center …

Boolean Logic And: focuses the search to combine both concepts in the search results. ◦ Home-based AND center-based Or: broadens the search by allowing either synonym to appear in the search results. ◦ instruct OR teach Not: excludes term from results ◦ Communication NOT verbal

Truncation Truncation makes the database retrieve all words that have the same beginning. For example, Educat* would retrieve education, educating, educate, educates, and educated, etc. ◦ Some words can bring back too many irrelevant results and using synonyms may be more effective An * is used for truncation in most library databases. A ? Is used for truncation in the CSUB Catalog

Synonyms and truncation broaden your search. You must come up with synonyms for your terms ◦ be on the lookout for how scholars refer to what you are interested in studying ◦ Keep notes as you research/read For example, ◦ parent* support* OR parent* involv* to express the first concept. ◦ Academic achiev* OR test score* for the second concept. ◦ Elementary school OR primary for the third concept.

Books & Government Documents Find books and government documents in the catalog on the Library website. Education M.A. projects at CSUB Catalog (Keyword Anywhere) Education AND thesis AND Concept

Scholarly Work ◦ Magazines, journals, and newspapers (hardcopy vs. e-copy) ◦ Journal name search if the article is known ( ◦ Google & title search in a database ( ◦ Dissertations and Theses ( 9Mg==&clientId=17830)

Periodical Databases for Education Research Periodical databases search for articles or article citations. ◦ ERIC: Educational Resources Information Center; A database sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education to provide access to educational literature. ◦ Education Full Text: Indexes 79 journals; can also search other Wilson Databases ◦ PsycINFO: Primary research database in the field of psychology.

Searching in Education Databases You can select the type of source such as peer reviewed journals Search results can be ranked by relevance or most recent items. ◦ Most relevant is necessary when you have 30+ results For education databases you do not need to include terms: school, education wiki/answers.com as the first step?

Finding the Full Text of Articles Option – Full Text in database ◦ Why? (title match, but content irrelevant!) Practice at home ◦ Access individual ID/NetID from home PC ◦ title/year/abstract/... ◦ (...) and/or/not (...) Stop by the reference desk at CSUB Questions?