RESEARCH FOR SENIORS

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RESEARCH FOR SENIORS

• A Gentle Guide

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Media CenterResearch Strategy

• Select A Topic
• Find Background Material
• Find Books
• Find Articles
• Find Other Resources
• Evaluate Sources
• Use A Style Manual (source citation guide)
• Ask For Help

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Choosing a Topic

• Selecting a topic is possibly the most difficult
  part of doing research. Is it too big? Is it too
  narrow?
• Will I be able to find enough on it? Start by
  choosing a topic that you like or are curious
  about.
• You're going to be working on it for quite a
  while, so try and find one that's interesting and
  that you can reasonably cover in the time and
  space available.

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• Take a few moments to do some quick background
  reading either in your textbooks or some of the
  more specialized resources in the library is
  often a good way to get ideas for topics. Even an
  encyclopedia is a good place to start.
• The next step is to narrow your topic to
  something manageable. You will probably refine
  and refocus your topic several times before you
  finalize it.

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• Once you have selected a topic and determined how
  you are going to develop it, you should be ready
  to write your thesis statement, a one- or
  two-sentence summary that indicates what you
  intend to do or argue. In your research, you will
  be collecting evidence to defend, clarify, or
  develop your thesis statement.
• Start compiling a list of the key words that you
  will use as you search for your topic.

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To summarize

• Select a topic
• Read through background information
• Narrow and refine your topic based on initial
  research
• Start making a list of key words.

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Finding Background Information

• Take a few minutes to read about your topic in a
  specialized encyclopedia, dictionary or handbook
• Encyclopedias and handbooks are good places to
  start your research when you know little about a
  topic, when you need an overview of a subject, or
  when you want a quick summary of basic ideas.
• They are also useful for discovering the names of
  important people, and can familiarize you with
  the vocabulary of the field.

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• Encyclopedia articles are often followed by
  carefully selected bibliographies
  or lists of references to other works, useful
  items to have as you begin looking for additional
  information.
• Dictionaries can help you to define unfamiliar
  terms. The way terms are used in some fields can
  be very different from standard everyday usage
  and this is a quick way to build a useful list of
  key words to search on.

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To summarize

• Read about your topic in specialized
  encyclopedias or handbooks.
• Check dictionaries for terms.
• Use bibliographies to create lists of related
  materials.

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Finding Books

• To locate books at CCHS use the on-line catalog,
  OPAC. These online catalogs are powerful search
  tools.
• Locate the icon titled CARD CATALOG on the
  computer desktop screen and click on it.
• The next screen will allow you to type in key
  words or search terms to find materials in the
  Media Center.
• Write down the title and call number of book
  before leaving computer.

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COMPUTER LOG-IN

• USERNAME First four letters of your last name,
  first two letters of your first name, middle
  initial
• PASSWORD First initial, last initial, your ID
  number.
• EXAMPLE John Q. Smith Username smitjoq
  Password JS123456

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LOG IN SCREEN
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• On your desktop screen, click the CARD CATALOG
  ICON.

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TYPE IN YOUR SEARCH TERM(S)
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Finding Books

• The public library has a wonderful program that
  allows you to borrow books from libraries in
  their network.
• The catalog is available online at
  www.pines.lib.ga.us
• A form is available at the CCHS library to make
  the request, however you must take the form to
  the public library.

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Using Books

• Use the indexes to see if your topic is included
  you dont have to use the entire book.
• Many of the topics are included in general
  history books of the period.
• Dont forget the REFERENCE area!
• At the CCHS library, books may be checked out for
  3 days, beginning on September 16th.

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Other Considerations

• Put materials back where they came from! If you
  dont know where it came from, put it on the
  shelving cart.
• Reference materials cannot be checked-out.
• Copies are .05 each Only teachers and Library
  Staff use the machine. Bring small change.
• ALL CLEAR PASS students must return all books to
  the CCHS and public Library before paper will be
  graded.

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IMPORTANT INFO

• THE LIBRARY / MEDIA CENTER IS OPEN MONDAY through
  THURSDAY UNTIL 5 PM.
• FRIDAYS UNTIL 430 PM.

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Finding Journal Articles

• Use GALILEO (Georgia Library Learning On-line),
  the Media Centers electronic reference database.
  
• www.galileo.usg.edu
• Check with Media Specialists for password
• Try starting your search with an on-line
  periodical index which arranges articles by key
  words. (SIRS or EBSCO)
• Allow some extra time to learn how this system
  works.

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CLICK the E to ACCESS the INTERNET.
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CLICK EBSCO HOST OR SIRS Researcher
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To create a folder for storing information, click
on the link Sign in to MY EBSCOhost
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IF AT HOME, ENTER PASSWORD
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ENTER SEARCH TERMS
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LIST OF ARTICLES. CLICK THE BLUE WORDS IN THE
TITLE TO SEE ARTICLE
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THIS IS THE ARTICLE. AFTER READING IT, YOU MAY
PRINT BY CLICKING ON THE PRINT ICON AT THE TOP
OF THE SCREEN
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After locating article, add it to your folder.
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You can also add to your folder from inside an
article.
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Finding Resources on the WWW

• The World Wide Web (WWW) provides a means of
  connecting to a vast amount of information via
  the Internet. It can include text, graphics,
  video, sound and more. The range of information
  is enormous, ever-changing and varied.

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• However, just because something comes packaged in
  a high tech format, doesn't mean it's well
  researched or accurate. One approach to
  researching the Web is to start your search using
  a site that is more likely to focus on scholarly
  resources and critically evaluate your WWW search
  results.

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A good place to start on the Internet is our
Media Center websitehttp//www.colquitt.k12.ga.us
/cchsmedia/curriculum.htm
We have a listing of online directories as well
as specific subject area websites that you may
use as a starting point.
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Search Engines vs. Directories

• A search engine uses programs (called spiders
  or robots) to collect information. A search
  engine searches by keywords.
• A directory is a list of websites about specific
  subjects. Websites in a directory have been
  previewed by a PERSON to verify that they have
  valid information.

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Internet Search Engines

• http//go.com
• http//www.lycos.com
• http//www.yahoo.com
• http//www.excite.com
• http//www.hotbot.com
• http//www.dogpile.com
• http//www.google.com
• http//www.metacrawler.com
• http//www.kartoo.com
• www.mamma.com
• www.beaucoup.com/
• http//vivisimo.com/
• http//www.dibdabdoo.com

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Directories

• http//www.awesomelibrary.org/
• http//www.dmoz.org/
• http//www.ipl.org/
• http//lii.org/
• http//www.libraryspot.com/
• http//www.mrnussbaum.com/
• http//vlib.org/

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Evaluating Your Sources

• Not all information is created equal. Just being
  in print or available via the Internet doesn't
  guarantee that what is produced is accurate or
  good research.
• Some brief tips on locating well researched
  articles or books

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• Look for articles published in journals or
  sources that require certain standards or
  criteria be met before publication.
• Use the bibliographies or cited references from
  other journal articles or books.
• Compare several opinions by scholars in your
  topic field is another way to verify or evaluate
  your sources.
• Check on the publication date or date updated if
  it is a website.
• Consult your instructor.

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CAR

• CCurrencywhen was the material published? Is
  it relatively new?
• AAuthoritywas the material written by someone
  known to be knowledgeable in the field?
• RRelevanceis the material relevant to your
  subject?

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Creating Your Own Bibliography

• When you write a research paper, it's important
  that you credit the scholars and critics who have
  contributed to your ideas, whatever the format
  their publications may take (print, electronic,
  WWW).
• Using citations and bibliographies is the
  scholarly method used to accomplish this. There
  are guides specific to certain fields of study,
  or your professor or instructor may request a
  specific bibliographic and citation style.

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• As you work, be consistent and pay close
  attention to periods, commas, quotation marks,
  and so on. This care in your work will allow
  others to more easily read and follow the path
  you used to arrive at your conclusions.
• Some Reference Guides that provide more detail on
  bibliographies
• MLA Style Guide
• http//citationmachine.net/

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Getting help

• Remember the first rule of using a library Help
  is Always Available! Ask at the Circulation Desk
  for assistance.
• Your teacher is your best guide for this project
  - depend upon their guidance!

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Follow these guidelines for a painless term
paper!Good Luck