HUMA 1970: Introduction to Library Research Timothy Bristow Research & Instruction Librarian, Scott Library

Class Goals: Learn how to construct an effective keyword search Learn how to use the Library Catalogue and Periodical Indexes to find books and journal articles Discuss ways to assess and cite your research sources Prepare you to work on your assignments

What is the hardest part of the research process? QUESTIONS: When starting a research project, where do you look first?

Scholarly Sources Are: The product of research & analysis; they provide evidence of their research by citing other sources Produced by scholars for scholars and are part of a larger conversation about an issue Often not freely available online, which is why you need to use our library catalogue and databases

Keyword Searching: 1.Prepare your search by writing out your research question and then identifying the key concepts 2.The same concept can often be expressed in multiple ways, so consider alternative keywords: synonyms 3.Construct your search using language that the database understands to get the best possible results: syntax 4.Search, examine the results, and modify your search

Library Catalogue: The Library Catalogue is a database containing records for materials in all York Libraries Use the Catalogue to find books, films, reports, but not journal articles Advanced Search will give you more control and often better results when searching for a topic

Periodical Indexes: Periodical Indexes are databases that contain records of journal articles in a particular subject area Use the Library’s online Subject Guides and the HUMA 1970 Course Guide to identify useful indexes The indexes contain records for many articles that we have at York and for some that we don’t

Thinking Critically: 1 Authority: Who is responsible for producing the source? Is the author or publisher affiliated with an organization? Audience: What is the intended audience of the source? E.g. researchers, students, the general public Purpose: Why was the source created, what is its purpose? E.g. to present research, set policy, inform, entertain, persuade

Thinking Critically: 2 Perspective: Does the source express a particular political or institutional perspective? Currency: When was the source created? Is the information still relevant? Validity: Are the author’s claims supported by evidence and research? Does the research method seem sound?

Why Cite? Citing the research and ideas of others is a vital part of academic integrity Proper citation allows others to trace the development of your ideas Citations create connections within a body of literature and foster conversation between scholars

Getting Help: Visit the Research Questions Desk at the Scott Library Book a Research Appointment Ask a question online Consult the HUMA 1970 Course Guide