Overview of Library Research
Anthony P. Valenti
Campus Director, Learning
Resources
239-732-3776
[email protected]
Agenda
 Identify Research Needs
– Selecting a topic
– What Sources Should I use?
 Doing the Research
– Library catalog
– Library databases
– Skills for searching
 Using Research Results
– Evaluating research results
– Citation
– -Plagiarism
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 – Effects on behavior –
Does playing violent video games lead to
violent behavior in children?
– Video Games – Education – Can video
games be integrated into School
Curriculum?
Identifying Research Needs
What Sources Should I use?
Reference Books - Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, etc.
•Provides a good overview of a subject. A good tool to use
if you are trying to focus on a specific topic
Print Books and E-Books
•Will provide more in-depth analysis of a subject
Journal Articles – In print and/or available online via
databases
•Current research, reports and studies related to a specific
subject
Internet Resources – Use cautiously! More Later.
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 ebooks, 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 search box on the top of
the page. Click on Articles in Databases
tab.
– You will see a log in screen. Select Edison
as your college if not the default
– Enter your Connect Card Number, (8 digit
Edison ID Number) and your PIN (Default is
last 4 digits SS#)
– Select a database. The default setting is to
display databases by Subject. You may
also click on the Alphabetical button to see
databases listed by name.
– 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 General database (with searching
demonstration)
– Academic Search Complete (EBSCO)
http://www.edison.edu/learningresources/index.shtml
Skills for Online Searching
 Subject or Keyword Search
– Identify Key Concepts
• “Video Games” AND “violence” AND
“children.” Not, “Does playing violent
videogames lead to violent behavior in
children?”
 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” restricts your search results
– “OR” expands your search results
 Limits
– Full Text, Scholarly, Date, etc.
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.
www.google.com
Evaluating Research Results
 Authority
– Who wrote or compiled the information? What are their credentials?
Are they experts or scholars?
 Bias
– 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?
 Currency
– What is the date of publication? What time period is covered by the
information?
 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/library/
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/