1. Education Majors
Thank you for teaching my children because I’d make a horrible homeschool parent.

2. Getting Your Research Right
Databases
Getting Your Research Right
Because I’ve already had a group of students correct my slides, and it stings a bit.

3. Stepping Up The Scholarly Work
What Databases Are
What Databases Are Not
Databases are a collection of snippets of data that make more sense in context.
They grow and evolve overtime
They require decent construction and searching skills
Magic
Wish Granting
A portended giver of answers through a Magic 8 Ball
But seriously, they’re not going to give you want you want without the skill to wield it. They are the Mjölnir of the library.

4. Out With The Old Using Google to find everything
Using .org, .edu, .gov as exclusive sources
Directly quoting all of your sources
No in text citations
Only reading the abstract
Messing with the point or margins to make the length

5. In With The New Using databases
Searching through scholarly peer reviewed journals
Using full text downloads
Paraphrasing
Proper citations
Proper length proportions

6. Databases Are Only Scary Until You Know How To Bend Them To Your Will

7. How To Approach the Databases
Do not start with a database
Start with Wikipedia
Read the article about the general nature of your topic
Write down a list of some of the jargon you find.
Use this jargon when you search in the database
Use quotation marks to help narrow your search
Use Boolean Logic
“Kindergarten discipline” AND “Time outs”
Still can’t find anything? Call a librarian.

8. This Is A Lot of Extra Work…
Why in the world am I asking you to do some extra work?
I’m a grad student, and this is my life
Assignments will only get to be more complex, and learning the basics can only help
But why don’t I show you…

9. EBSCO Discover Search—Saving Books

10. Book Preservation

11. Manuscript Preservation

12. Old Manuscript Preservation

13. Illuminated Manuscript Preservation

14. How Much Time Do You Think I Wasted? Five Slides of Searches…

15. Proper Illumination Page

16. EBSCO Discover—Illuminated Manuscripts XRF

17. Citations and Other Scary Things…
There’s no need to quote everything exactly. It’s better for you to put the concept in your own words and add an in text citation.
This is what it looks like, parentheses included: (author’s last name, year, page)
Failing to give in text citations or end text citations is plagiarism.

18. End Text Citations This is your “Reference List”
Your database articles will likely fall under the “journal article” format.
Use Purdue Owl to help format your citations (
Do not use pre-formatted citations. There’s always something wrong with them.
If you need help citing your sources, never fear. The librarians are here!
Contact the library for help with finding content and framing citations.

19. The Writing Lab
Because I don’t need a turf war with the English Department

20. However, Emergencies Happen
If you can’t work something out with the writing lab or tutors, then contact me for help with content.