Introduction to Library Research

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Introduction to Library Research

• Kathryn Waggoner
• waggonek_at_gvsu.edu
• 331-2629
• Office 306 Zumberge Library

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Today we will talk about

• Introduction to GVSU Libraries
• Research Strategies Common Problems
• Reference Publications
• Categories of Journals
• Introduction to Searching the Online Catalog
• Introduction to Database Searching
• Which databases should you use?
• What are some general features of most databases?
• How do you know if GVSU owns what you need?
• What do you do when GVSU doesnt?

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Introduction to GVSU Libraries

• Seven different libraries at GVSU
• One MAIN library and six branches

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Introduction to GVSU Libraries

• Allendale Libraries
• Zumberge
• The Universitys MAIN Library
• KCRC (K-12 Curriculum Resource Center)
• Located in Au Sable Hall
• Seidman House
• Archives, Rare and Special Collections

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Introduction to GVSU Libraries

• Grand Rapids Libraries
• Steelcase
• Located in the DeVos Center on the Pew Campus
  (near the clock tower)
• Contains business, law, criminal justice, social
  work, and engineering books
• Frey Foundation Learning Center
• Located in the Center for Health Sciences
• Recent health science periodicals and health
  science reference books

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Introduction to GVSU Libraries

• Other GVSU Libraries
• Holland Campus
• Van Andel Research Institute

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Introduction to GVSU Libraries

• How are items arranged in the library?
• By type
• Books together
• Journals and magazines together
• Government Documents together
• Videos together
• By Subject
• Use a controlled vocabulary
• Exceptions Government Documents and Steelcase
  Library

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Introduction to GVSU Libraries

• Librarians Role
• Acquire resources for students and faculty
• Assist students and faculty in finding and using
  these resources
• Our job is to help!

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Research Strategies

• Common Research Problems
• Confusion on where to begin
• Library/Research Anxiety
• Unrealistic expectations
• Research is not easy
• Close, but no cigar
• I cant find an article on my exact topic
• Ill-defined Topic
• Topic too vague
• Topic too specific

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Reference Books

• Provide basic information on a topic
• Background information
• Often a source of statistical information
• Provide references to other sources
• Helpful in narrowing down topics

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Reference Books

• Use your groups reference book to find
  information related to feminism, womens
  movement, or womens lib
• Be prepared to share with the class
• What did you find in the book related to this
  topic? How might you use this to narrow the
  topic?
• A description of the book
• How is it arranged? How did you find the
  information inside the book?
• What kind of information does it provide?
• Does it provide you with a bibliography?
• When in the course of writing your paper would
  you want to use it? At the beginning? Middle?
  End?

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Narrowing Down Topics

• Other sources for narrowing down your topics
• General Reference Center Gold Subject Guide
  Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
• Access under Databases A-Z on librarys homepage
• www.gvsu.edu
• CQ Researcher
• Websites
• NY Times College (www.nytimes.com/college)
• More on handout

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Research Strategies

• Turning research question into search terms
• Keys to Success
• Well-defined research question or topic
• Identifying key concepts
• Keywords and alternative terms

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Research Strategies

• Well-defined research question/topic Anorexia
  nervosa among female college students
• Key concepts
• Alternative terms could be synonyms, related
  terms, narrower terms, broader terms

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Research Strategies

• Developing Search Terms
• Connecting Terms
• Boolean Operators
• And (narrows search)
• Or (broadens search)

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Evaluating Periodicals

• Periodical anything that is published
  periodically, more than annually daily, weekly,
  monthly, bimonthly, quarterly . . .
• Also called magazines, journals, newspapers
• Three categories of periodical (besides
  newspaper)
• Popular (Time, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated)
• Trade (Library Journal, Automotive News)
• Scholarly (Journal of the American Medical
  Association, Nature) aka academic, research,
  peer-reviewed, refereed journals

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Evaluating Periodicals

• Each category of periodical has its own
  characteristics

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Evaluating Periodicals

• Look at the article that you have been given.
  Based on the criteria on the chart, decide
  whether the article is from a scholarly, trade,
  or popular periodical.
• An article will not necessarily meet all of the
  criteria for any one type of periodical.

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Evaluating Periodicals (and more)

• When using other resourcesbooks, websites,
  etc.you will also need to evaluate.
• Criteria may differ somewhat, but basics still
  stand
• Whos the author? What are his/her credentials?
• What is s/he using to back up his/her argument?
  What evidence does s/he have for what s/he says?

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Finding Periodical Articles

• Where do you find Periodical Articles?
• Online Catalog?

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Finding Periodical Articles

• What do you find in the Online Catalog?
• Items we own
• Books
• Music
• Videos
• Journals
• Issues we own, what format they are in (online,
  in paper, on microfilm or microfiche), where they
  are located
• Searching the online catalog
• www.gvsu.edu/library

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Finding Periodical Articles

• You use a database to find what articles are in a
  given periodical.
• Databases index periodical articles
• Why not just use the Internet?
• Information in databases is not available for
  free on the web.
• Databases are more precise than web search
  engines.
• Limited amount of scholarly information is on the
  Internet.
• Anybody can put anything on the Internet.

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Finding Periodical Articles

• Types of Databases
• Multi-Disciplinary
• ProQuest Databases (all)
• Expanded Academic
• Wilson Select Plus
• News Oriented
• LexisNexis Academic
• InfoTrac OneFile
• Electric Library

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Finding Periodical Articles

• Types of Databases
• Subject Specific
• History (Historical Abstracts America History
  and Life)
• Psychology (PsycArticles PsycInfo)
• Health Science (Medline Health Reference
  Center-Academic Health and Wellness Resource
  Center)
• If you dont know which database to use, ask!

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Searching Databases

• How to get started
• www.gvsu.edu/library