1. PAF 101
Module 2, Lecture 1
“An educated person is one who has learned that information almost always turns out to be at best incomplete and very often false, misleading, fictitious---just dead wrong.”
~ Russell Baker

2. Introduction to Module Two
Chapter 2: use the library
Chapter 3: find players to interview
Chapter 4: design a survey on a societal problem or policy in a specified geographical area

3. PAF 101 Module 2 Conceptual Overview: Incorporates
Multiple information formats &
retrieval tools
Requires significant time investment
Increases familiarity & comfort level with use of a research library
Calls for navigating a series of research exercises where attention to detail is essential

4. Crucial S.U. Library Resources for Module 2
SU Library Homepage –
See especially:
>DISCOVER search engine
>Quick Links for
“Undergraduate Students”
>Resources by Subject – For librarian created subject guides
in various disciplines

5. Crucial S.U. Library Resources for Module 2
Syracuse University Library Homepage – Links to:
“DISCOVER” Search engine (searches the Library’s Catalog) -Find Books, Music, Video, Government Publications & SU Library
WARNING: The “Articles” search tab in DISCOVER does not search all library databases required for MOD 2 Exercises. Instead – go directly to those databases via DISCOVER’S “Databases” tab.

6. Crucial S.U. Library Resources for Module 2
Syracuse University Library Homepage – Links to:
“DISCOVER” Search engine (searches the Library’s Catalog) --Find Books, Music, Video, Government Publications & SU Library
Databases-Find Articles on Various Topics!
E-journals List-Browse Back-Issues of Specific Online Journals and Magazines!

7. Crucial S.U. Library Resources for Module 2
Example of a DISCOVER search result (on the topic,
“gun violence,” with results
sorted by relevance)
Results can be refined
in multiple ways
Click show availability for
that book’s call number,
physical location & status
(checked out vs. available)
Classic Catalog – aka “SUMMIT” is
the Library’s older catalog interface
For items with an “Electronic Version” link, clicking on that opens up that item online

8. Navigating to SU Library Subscription Databases:
Click the databases tab
Type in the name of the desired database (e.g., Proquest Research Library)
Click the orange button located at the right edge of the red DISCOVER search box
Click the appropriate linked database name appearing on the subsequent results page Reminder: Not all MOD 2 exercises require library databases; some exercises use freely available websites. The “Browse Databases” link is yet another way to retrieve databases alphabetically or according to subject categories (e.g., databases in “sociology,” “political science,” etc.)

9. Question by Question Guidance – the database tools you’ll use on module 2:

10. 2.2 –
Statistical
(Find a Table)

11. Proquest Research Library
2.3 –
Proquest Research Library
Select desired date range.
Click on “More Search Options” if additional limiting features are desired.

12. 2.4 – SU Library Catalog (“DISCOVER”)
Available at

13. 2.4 – SU Library Catalog (“SUMMIT” V. “DISCOVER”)

14. 2.4 – SU Library Catalog (“SUMMIT” V. “DISCOVER”)
Not required, but you can also use the Library’s “Classic Catalog” (aka – SUMMIT) to identify the book(s) needed for exercise 2.4
SUMMIT searches the same book collection as DISCOVER
SUMMIT offers various advanced search features DISCOVER does not
DISCOVER offers advanced search refinement features such as results narrowing via readily visible subject and publication date tags (SUMMIT does not offer this)

15. 2.5 – Catalog of U.S. Government Publications

16. 2.6A & 2.6B – CQ Researcher

17. 2.6A– CQ Researcher Example of results screen – sorted by “relevance.”
Warning: A CQ Report with a high relevance rank may not always be recently published!

18. 2.6B– CQ Researcher
2.6B requires that you visit the “contacts” portion of the CQ Researcher report you select.

19. 2.7– U.S. Census Data http://www.census.gov
“American FactFinder” can help locate ‘most’ of the data needed for this exercise.

20. 2.7– U.S. Census Data http://www.census.gov
The ‘Population Finder’ tool (inside American FactFinder) is helpful for determining “comparable census area” data required for this exercise.

21. Keeping Track of Sources/APA Citation Style– PAF 101 Web Site