Library Research
VANESSA LAWRENCE – [email protected]
Library research workshop
◦ Why do library research?
◦ Authoritative information
◦ Research starting points
◦ Creating a search
◦ Activity
◦ Searching Summon
◦ Activity
Why do research?
Why do library research?
Different types of research use different types of information
Different types of research need a different amount of information
A good researcher always looks for authoritative information
Authoritative information
Look at the source or author
◦ Who is it?
◦ Why did they write it?
Look for citations or references
◦ Can you search for the reference and find it?
◦ Does it say what it’s supposed to say?
Use library material
Research starting points
Encyclopedia articles
◦ Wikipedia is an encyclopedia
◦ The library has academic encyclopedias
Dictionary articles
◦ Academic dictionaries are subject specific
Library subject guides and course guides
◦ Look on the library webpage
Why use starting points?
Narrow down a research topic
◦ Negotiating
◦  Bargaining with vendors
Find synonyms for search keywords
Creating a search
Search for sources on your topic by deciding what key ideas are important
◦ Research topic  Key ideas
◦ Negotiation tactics for libraries to use with vendors
 negotiation, libraries, vendors
The more key ideas you include, the narrower your topic and search will be.
Narrowing your topic
Creating a search
Search using key ideas in (parentheses), joined together using “AND”
◦ negotiation, libraries, vendors (negotiation) AND (libraries) AND (vendors)
Brainstorm or research some synonyms for your key ideas to search broadly.
Synonyms
http://pixabay.com/p-377117/?no_redirect
Keywords
Use synonyms as keywords to describe each idea, joined together using “OR”
◦ (negotiation) AND (libraries) AND (vendors)
 (negotiate OR bargaining) AND (libraries OR library) AND (vendors)
Some ideas will have many synonyms, while others only use one word
Sometimes words are synonyms in some contexts, but aren’t synonyms for the
topic key idea
◦ In this search, can we use (vendor OR vending)?
Keywords: Tip
If a keyword is one idea but more than one word, use “quotation marks” to
search for the words in the same order you wrote them
◦ “team negotiation”
You can also use quotation marks to find the exact title of a book or article
Activity: Creating a search
Work with a partner to complete the activity
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Pick key ideas from the research topic
Brainstorm synonyms for the key ideas
Look at starting points for more synonyms
Turn your synonyms into a search
◦ Remember to use “quotation marks” around phrases
Searching
Once you have a search created, you can use it in a search engine
◦ (negotiation OR bargaining) AND (libraries OR library) AND (vendors)
Search the library using Summon, which searches the catalogue and many databases
Narrow your search to only show what you want to find
◦ Only books, or only articles
◦ Choose a specific discipline
◦ Adjust the publication date
Search actively
Look at the search results to find things that fit your research topic
◦ Check for good keywords to add to your search
Look at the search results to find things that don’t fit your research at all
◦ Check for keywords to take out of your search
Finding results
The most important part of searching is to actually find information that answers
your question. Look for results that are:
◦ Reliable
◦ Choose sources that are authoritative
◦ Related
◦ Try to choose sources that include all of your key ideas
◦ Readable
◦ Choose sources that you can understand – avoid sources with a lot of technical language
Once you find a good source, write down the information to find it again
◦ To help find it if you lose it
◦ To help other people find it when you cite it
Activity: Searching
Work with the same partner to search for information.
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Run your search in Summon
Look at the results, and change your search if you need to
Find one book and one journal article that match the research topic
Create an APA citation for one of the sources
Remember…
Find authoritative information by searching in the library
Start your research with an overview, to narrow your topic
◦ Wikipedia, encyclopedia articles, or introductory books
Turn your research topic into key ideas
Use synonyms for the key ideas to expand your search
Narrow your search to a specific discipline or type of information
Change your search if you need to
Ask for help
If you need any help with your research, you can always ask for help at the
library
◦ Visit the Research Help Desk or call 613-520-2735
◦ Email me, Vanessa Lawrence: [email protected]