Research Methods

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• Research Methods Data
• AD140 Brendan Rapple
• 2 March, 2005

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Today

• Libraries hold much more than just books
• Digital resources, journals, sound and video
  recordings, newspapers, maps, government
  documents, DVDs, etc.
• Point the user to the world of global information
• Not limited to what is physically in the building
• Online resources help open up access to the
  global world
• Libraries acquire, organize and make accessible
  information in traditional and digital formats
• Collections can often be accessed remotely

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Modern Research Libraries

• Increasingly Electronic
• Very Dynamic -- Ever Changing
• Highly Complex
• Very Varied
• Not Always Intuitive

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Boston College Libraries Facts

• Support teaching, learning, and research at
  Boston
• College with
• Over 2 million printed volumes
• Over three hundred research databases that can be
  accessed in the library or remotely
• Specialized libraries throughout campus
• Subject specialists available to assist you with
  all your information needs

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Boston College Libraries and Centers

• Complete List of Libraries and Centers

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What is a Library?

• Wrong to think of libraries as entities with four
  walls.
• Theyre far more than that

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Role of Libraries

• Places of learning and knowledge pursuit
• Repositories for published material
• Provide access to electronic resources as well as
  print material
• Quiet study places
• Social places
• Access to variety of equipment
• Photocopiers
• Printers
• Scanners
• Computers

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• Online Databases

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Advantages of Online Databases

• Preliminary research from home or office
• Search whole database at the same time
• Online searching is much faster

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Advantages of Online Databases

• More complex searches than with print
• (BODY IMAGE AND ADVERTISEMENTS AND (ANOREXIA OR
  BULIMIA)) NOT FEMALES
• Generally, more sophisticated research

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Advantages of Online Databases

• Limit searches by restricting to a range of
  years a particular language a specific
  document type a particular audience group

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Advantages of Online Databases

• Download and manipulate search results
• Even printing is preferable to writing or
  photo-copying from print indexes
• E-Mail Searches to another

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Advantages of Online Databases

• Alert you by email to new publications
• Able to specify peer reviewed articles
• Immediate online help
• Direct links to Internet Sites

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Examples of Databases

• Online database page from libraries web site
• Online Databases
• Browse databases by title
• Browse databases by subject

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• Scholarly vs. Popular Resources

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Scholarly

• Scholarly
• Scholarly journals contain reviews and articles
  written by experts in the field. Scholarly
  journals always cite their sources in the form of
  footnotes or bibliographies. They are generally
  published four or six times a year and are
  peer-reviewed journals.
• Often contain original research
• Examples American Journal of Education Harvard
  Business Review Mind

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Popular

• Popular
• Popular journals come in many formats and are
  most often colorful in appearance, with lots of
  photographs and/or graphics. The most reliable
  kind of popular periodical often cites sources
  (though perhaps not in standard bibliographical
  format), but the less reliable kind will seldom
  cite sources.
• Often cover current events and topics
• Examples Business Week Time Cosmopolitan

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Other Useful Resources/Services

• Boston College Library Web page
• Research Guides
• How do I?
• Subject Quick Start
• Contact a Subject Specialist

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TIPS

• Learn physical layout of library
• Read help screens
• Read instructions re. databases
• Browse reference stacks
• Ask for help

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Remember

• Everything not on computer
• Not everything is available on the internet

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Libraries are still useful, still essential
for research!!

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Types of Libraries

• Public Libraries
• Business Libraries
• University Libraries
• National Libraries
• Historical Society Libraries

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• Company or Corporate Libraries
• Government Depository Libraries
• Special Libraries/Archival Centers
• School Libraries