1. Library Research
Anthony Valenti
Campus Director Learning Resources

2. Agenda Identify Research Needs Doing the Research
Selecting a topic
Determining research needs
Doing the Research
Library catalog
Library databases
Skills for searching
Using Research Results
Evaluating research results
Citation

3. 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 – Education – How can video games be used for education?
Video Games – Effects on health – Is there a link between playing video games and the increase in obesity?

4. Identifying Research Needs Popular or Scholarly Sources?
Criteria
Popular
Scholarly
Audience
General, no special knowledge of subject required
Scholars, experts, or others with knowledge about subject
Author
Professional writer or layperson
Academic scholar or recognized professional
Content
General interest items: current events, hot topics, etc.
Research reports or comprehensive reviews of specific areas of study
Style
Uses everyday language that anyone can understand
Uses technical language or jargon specific to experts in the subject area
Publisher
Trade publisher for mass market sales
Scholarly or academic publisher for limited interest market
Purpose
To inform the general public about a subject of mass appeal
To share results of new research or to inform other experts of a new discovery or theory.

5. Identifying Research Needs Primary or Secondary Sources?
Primary Sources (original, first hand, or contemporary)
Secondary Sources (removed one or more steps from original item, time, or creator)
Original works of fiction or art: novels, plays, poems, movies. etc.
Reviews or criticism of original works of fiction or art: novels, plays, poems, movies. etc.
Reports of original research by those involved in the research
Summaries or analyses of other peoples research
Manuscripts, letters, messages, diaries, autobiographies, interviews and other first-person accounts
Biographies or articles written about other people (not the author of the work)
News reports of current events
Analyses or histories of past events
Raw data and statistics

6. 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 e-books, etc.

7. Edison College Access to Electronic Resources
Go to the Library website:
Locate the silver box on the right hand side of the page. Find the words Library Databases.
You may select a database from the drop down menu OR click on “All Databases” to see a list of databases by subject
You will see a log in screen. Select Edison as your college if not the default
Enter in your 14 digit number off your library card and your PIN (created by you at Circulation Desk)
Select a database
Begin Your Search

8. 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 Multidisciplinary databases (with searching demonstration)
Academic Search Complete (EBSCO)
Academic OneFile (Gale)
OmniFile Full Text(Wilson)

9. Skills for Online Searching
Subject or Keyword Search
Identify Key Concepts
“video games” and “learning” NOT How can video games be used for learning
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, OR, sometimes NOT
Limits
Full Text, Scholarly (Peer Reviewed), Date, etc.
Truncating –searching multiple variants of word
EX: educat* = educate, educated, and education
Can be different symbols #, $, * etc. Each database will be different. Find Help section of database.

10. Search Results If Full Text If Citation or Abstract
Print, Download, or article
If Citation or Abstract
Click on Find Text? link. Perhaps it is available full text in another database.
Request Interlibrary Loan for article.

11. 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.
You may retrieve outdated information from search engines, since they are not always up to date.

12. Evaluating Research Results
Authority
Who wrote or compiled the information? What are their credentials? Are they experts or scholars?
Currency
What is the date of publication? What time period is covered by the information?
Accuracy
What is the overall reliability of the information? Are the facts and statistics verifiable?
Scope
What is the completeness of coverage? Is it comprehensive or selective? What is the focus and is it relevant?

13. Evaluating Research Results
Objectivity
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?
Documentation
Does the material cite the sources for information presented? Are complete citations provided? Is the information unknown?

14. 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.

15. 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

16. Research Assistance
Anthony P. Valenti Campus Director, Learning Resources