Introduction to Library Research
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Library Guide to Starting Research

Developing a Research Topic
Generate Topic Ideas

Define Your Topic

Construct the Research Question

Select Keywords to Use as Search Terms

Keep Track of Sources

Collecting Background Information
Why start with reference sources?

Types of Reference Sources

How to find Reference Sources

Identifying Types of Information Sources
Introduction
Primary and Secondary Sources

Scholarly and Popular Sources

The Web and Library Databases
 

Evaluating Information Sources

Introduction

Guidelines for Selecting Sources

Caution! Web Sources

Checklist for Evaluation Information

Citing Information

Citing Sources and Plagiarism

Citation Styles

Style Manuals Available at Chesnutt Library

Searching for Materials at Chesnutt Library

Searching the Chesnutt Library Online Catalog

What will I find in the Chesnutt Library online catalog?

How do I find books in the Chesnutt Library Online catalog?

How do I find the book or item?

Searching for journal articles, book reviews, etc.

How do I find journal articles, book reviews, etc.?

Search for your topic and create a list of article citations.

Searching for Journal Titles

How do I find journal titles in the Chesnutt Library online catalog?

Introduction

After gathering background information, you must identify what kinds of information sources you need for your research. 

Types of information sources include:

-         Primary and secondary sources

-         Scholarly journals and popular magazines

-         Web and library databases

After reviewing this page you should understand:

-         the difference between a primary and secondary source of information

-         the difference between a scholarly journal and a popular magazine

-         the difference between the Web and a library database

Information Timeline

Before beginning research you also need to understand when and how information is published.

Example:

Think about an event like 9-11 for a moment. When the event first occurred, information was initially available in news sources, like newspapers, news websites, and radio and television broadcasts. After a week or so, information on the event began to find its way into popular magazines and other sources of news analysis. A month later, information began to appear in professional magazines and more in-depth news reports and analyses. Six months later, articles in professional journals and conference proceedings began to appear. After a year or so, books, government reports and articles in scholarly journals began showing up in bookstores and on library shelves. Now, several years later, the event is the topic of a number of scholarly books and journal articles, and even reference works like encyclopedias include entries on the subject.

 Example retrieved 8/20/2004 from http://www.lib.unc.edu/instruct/tutorial/searching/timeline.html

Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary and Secondary Sources

A primary source is the original source; a first hand record or account.

Ø      Diaries

Ø      Personal journals

Ø      Letters

Ø      Newspaper articles

Ø      Interviews

Ø      Oral histories

Ø      Official documents and statistics of a government or organization

Ø      Scientific research articles

Ways to locate primary source materials include:

1. Begin with collecting background information in a specialized encyclopedia.  This will help you identify key names, events, and terminology, which will help you in subsequent searching.

2. Search WorldCat, a catalog that contains the holding of many national libraries, for primary source format holdings (letters, diaries, manuscripts, etc.)

3. Locate primary source references in the footnotes and bibliographies of secondary source books and articles.  Also, authors may mention useful primary source materials in the preface or acknowledgement of the book.

4. Scientific research articles can often be found in discipline specific library databases.  For example, PubMed contains citations to articles that report on research conducted in medicine.

5. Search a discipling specific library database devoted to archives.

6. Consult a reference librarian.

Secondary Sources

Secondary sources are about primary sources.  A secondary source critiques, discusses, analyzes, or explains a primary source.  Much of your research will be probably be based on secondary sources.

Ø      Textbooks

Ø      Encyclopedias

Ø      Books and journal articles that critique or discuss other works

Scholarly and Popular Sources

Usually professors will want you to use scholarly information for your research papers. It is important to that you understand the difference between scholarly and popular materials.

Scholarly Publications Characteristics

-         Report on primary research

-         Written by researchers, scholars, and practitioners who are considered experts in their field

-         Written for other researchers and scholars to read; the language used is often technical and may be difficult for an new researcher to understand

-         Use discipline specific terms and language

-         Includes in-text citations and bibliography of cited sources

-         Includes technical graphs, charts, and diagrams

-         Peer-reviewed, blind peer-reviewed, or referred journals put articles through a rigorous review process before they are accepted and published

-         Published by a professional organization or society, university, research center, or scholarly press

To find scholarly articles, use an electronic database or print index that is relevant to that discipline.

Popular Publication Characteristics

-         Contain general information that appeals to a wide audience

-         Written by journalists or others who are not professionals in that field

-         Use easily understood language

-         Citations and/or bibliography are usually NOT included

-         Limited or non-existent editorial review

-         May contain glossy photographs

To find popular magazine articles use a general interest database or index.

The Web and Library Databases

Search engines are excellent tools for finding information like current news, government statistics, company annual reports, consumer health information, and so on.

Using the Web for your research papers

Searching the Web using a search engine such as Google or Alltheweb can be valuable in conducting research. Search engines are excellent tools for finding information like current news, government statistics, company annual reports, consumer health information, and so on. The Web can be used to find primary sources of information, such as digitized special collections, government documents, statistics, and corporate annual reports. One such example of a digitized special collection is SAGE (Selected Archives at Georgia Tech and Emory), which contains selected text, photographs, and audio/video recordings from the Sam Nunn Papers, Witness to the Holocaust Project files, Ralph McGill Papers, and Young Women's Christian Association of Greater Atlanta records. Another example, Documenting the American South (DocSouth) is searchable through Google.  DocSouth includes letters, diaries, slave narratives, war propaganda posters, and much more, offering Southern perspectives on American history, literature, and culture.

What is a database and why use library databases?

Despite its apparent size the Web holds only a fraction of the world’s published information.  The vast majority of published information is still held in libraries and archives around the world.  Library catalogs, databases, and indexes also provide access to the vast amount of information that is still available only in print. Library databases, print and online indexes provide access to information found in scholarly journal articles, books, country and industry reports, news backfiles, and much, much more. 

A database is an electronic resource, accessed via the Web, that holds an immense amount of data. A library database provides citation information about books, book chapters, journal articles, conference papers, government documents, etc.

Most library databases are electronic indexes. These databases provide citations or references to the articles in journals, magazines and newspapers. In some library databases, the full text of the articles is available.

These databases that index journals, magazines, and newspapers are NOT FREELY AVAILABLE on the Web. The library subscribes (pays for access) to them so that you can access them at no charge.

Why use Library databases?

-         To find scholarly articles and information not indexed or available on the Web

-         Save time! A database provides specific, high quality information specific to your subject.  There is no need to wade through thousands of web pages hoping to find relevant quality information.

-         Find citation information you can use to track down information sources

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Charles W. Chesnutt Library, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, N.C. 28301
Page Maintained By: Laura Bell Wright lwright@uncfsu.edu
Last Updated: 8/31/04