(Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary definition o

1
Starting Your ResearchLibrary Instruction

• Fall 2005
• Mary S. Woodley
• 818-677-6302
• mary.woodley_at_csun.edu
• http//library.csun.edu/mwoodley/eng098D.ppt

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What is the assignment?

• Paper, Presentation, Annotated Bibliography?
• Due date when is the last date for ILL
• Types of publications?

3
Citation Style?

• Ready reference available on the Web
  http//library.csun.edu/Find_Resources/e-books/est
  ylegd.html
• General works in the Oviatt Library, search
• Subject heading Authorship -- Style manuals
  or
• Report writing -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
• Specific Style Guide, search
• Keyword MLA style

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Why Cite?

• Avoid Plagiarism -- To plagiarize means to
• Steal and pass off (the ideas or words of
  another) as one's own
• Use (another's production) without crediting the
  source
• Commit literary theft
• Present as new and original an idea or product
  derived from an existing source.
• (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary definition of
  "plagiarize," retrieved June 20, 2005)
• http//library.csun.edu/Research_Assistance/plagia
  rism.html

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Types of Library Resources Available

• Does your topic cover recent events or research?
  
• Newspapers, magazines, journals or the Internet
  are the best sources.
• Do you need current, general information?
• Try a popular magazine.
• Do you need current, in depth information?
• Try a scholarly journal.
• Do you need something more detailed?
• Try a book on the subject
• Do you need an overview?
• Try an encyclopedia, handbook or dictionary

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Basic Search Strategies Words to Search by

• Jargon
• Keyword
• Controlled vocabulary Subject words/phrases

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Basic Search Strategies Putting concepts
together

• Boolean operator and

California State University
Developmental Classes
Venn diagrams serve as a visual expression of the
Boolean operations
8
Basic Search Strategies Putting concepts
together

• Boolean operator or

California State University
CSU
9
Think of different ways to express the same idea
or place
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Truncation

• Symbol used at the end of a word to retrieve
  variant endings of that word.
• Allows you to search the "root" form of a word
  with all its different endings.
• Broadens or increases search results. Truncation
  OR
• Example teen retrieves teen OR teens OR
  teenager OR teenagers
• However cat retrieves cat, cats, but also
  cataclysm, catacomb, catalepsy, catalog, etc.
• Use OR instead to maintain meaning cat or cats

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Wildcards

• Some databases allow for wildcards to be embedded
  within a word to replace a single character. For
  example
• comp???tion retrieves composition, competition,
  computation, etc.
• wom?n retrieves woman, women
• colo?r retrieves color and colour

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Need a book?

• 
  
• 1. Search the Library's online catalog. Try
  searching using the keyword search.
• 2. Write down the floor location of the book and
  the call number where the book will be found on
  the shelf

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How Call Numbers Work
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Need an article?

• Popular magazines
• Trade publications
• Scholarly publications
• All three may be available in print or online or
  both

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Types of PeriodicalsScholarly Journals

• Authors are authorities in their fields.
• Authors cite their sources in endnotes,
  footnotes, or bibliographies.
• Individual issues have little or no advertising.
  
• Illustrations usually take the form of charts
  and graphs.

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Types of PeriodicalsScholarly Journals

• Articles must go through a peer-review or
  refereed process.
• Scholarly/academic articles that are read
  by academic or scholar "referees" for advice and
  evaluation of content when submitted for
  publication. Referees recommend to the
  editor/editorial board whether the article should
  be published as is, revised, or rejected. Also
  sometimes know as "peer-reviewed" articles.
• Articles are usually reports on scholarly
  research.
• Articles use jargon of the discipline.

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Popular Magazines and Newpapers

• Authors are magazine staff members
  or free lance writers.
• Authors often mention sources, but rarely
  formally cite them in bibliographies.
• Individual issues contain numerous
  advertisements.
• There is no peer review process.
• Articles are meant to inform and entertain.
• Illustrations may be numerous and colorful.
• Language is geared to the general adult audience
  (no specialized knowledge of jargon needed).

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Internet Resources vs. Surfing the Web

• Internet Resources include
• Internet accessible databases and journals
• Use a Web interface
• Usually require subscription
• Exception ERIC Wizard
• Equivalent to print indexes and journals
• Authoritative and reliable
• Surfing the Web
• Use free search engines
• E.G. Yahoo, Google, HotBot
• Critical evaluation required
• Anyone can put up a Web page!
• Evaluating Web pages (http//library.csun.edu/mwoo
  dley/Webeval.html)

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Evaluating Print Electronic Resources
World Wide Web sites come in many sizes and
styles. How do you distinguish a site that gives
reliable information from one that gives
incorrect information? Below are some guidelines
to help.