Introduction to Library Research Subject Guide

Introduction to Library Research Contents

Introduction

Library Orientation

Resources Supported by FSU

Services Provided by Chesnutt Library

Library Guide to Starting Research

Searching for Materials at Chesnutt Library

Library Guide to Starting Research

Develop a Research Topic

Collect Background Information

Identify Types of Information Sources

Evaluate Information Sources

Citing Sources and Plagiarism

Develop a Research Topic

Generate Topic Ideas

Select a topic that interests you. You are going to be working on it for awhile so choose something interesting, with enough focus to be doable, but not so narrow that you cannot find enough information to work with. 

How do you decide what interests you?

Free write on your topic: set a time limit, 5 or 10 minutes, and write without stopping, don’t worry about editing or corrections. Write about what you know and don't know about the topic.  Begin by writing what you know then write question what you know.  How do you know this? Are sure that what you know is correct? What other possibilities exist? What questions do you have about your topic? Do more free writing on what you don't know. Read over what you have written. What ideas have emerged?  At this point you probably have a  set of questions that you can take to research sources and begin searching.

Ask questions about your topic:

-         What do I already know about this topic?

-         Who was involved in it? (inventor, victim, instigator, bystander)

Brainstorm on your topic: talk to your professor, classmates, and friends.  Think about your class discussions and reading assignments; did anything spark your curiosity? Browse the Subject Guides in your subject area at: http://library.uncfsu.edu/reference/RefSubjGuides.htm

If the topic is a current event or social issue browse newspapers, general interest magazines, and online sources such as http://speakout.com/activism/issues or http://publicagenda.org/

Define Your Topic

Researching a topic that is too broad or too narrow can turn into a very frustrating experience. If your topic is too general, you will find an overwhelming amount of information and will need to focus your topic. If your topic is too specific, you will find very little information and will need to broaden it.

Focus your Research Topic:

When your professor assigns a research topic, it is often too large and general for you to cover in a standard research paper. Consider the length of the assignment and focus your research topic so that you can find the right amount of information for the length of your paper. A good research topic is broad enough to allow you to find plenty of material, but narrow enough to fit within the size and time constraints of your paper.

The following example demonstrates how to focus a general topic:

How do you go from a general topic to a focused one?

Select an aspect of the topic that will interest you and your audience.

Make the topic narrow enough that you can cover it in the assigned number of pages and timeframe.

Have a clear grasp of your professor's expectations for the assignment. If you are confused, talk to your professor.

Reference books 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. 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.

You can expand or focus a topic by adding or eliminating the:

-         Time Period – year, decade, century

-         Specific Population – male, female, adolescent, adult, species, nationality

-         Geographic – county, state, region, country

Broaden a Research Topic

Sometimes a research topic is so specific that you cannot find adequate information to fulfill the requirements of the assignment.  In this case it is time to broaden your topic.  The techniques used to focus a general topic can also be used to expand a narrow topic.

Use ideas discovered while you were generating topics to add to your topic.  For example, you could compare and contrast two ideas.

Use background research, found in reference books, to find a researchable topic.

If the topic is narrowed by a factor that can be broadened, such as time period, specific population, or geography, expand the limiting factor.  Go from a state to a region or county.  Go from a few years to a decade or longer.

Select Keywords to Use as Search Terms

Step 1. Identify the keywords and central ideas of your topic and write them down.

Step 2. List synonyms or alternate terms for your original keywords.

-         If one term retrieves too much or too little information, or irrelevant material try a synonym.

-         The online catalog and databases may not recognize your original search term, but may recognize a synonym or variation on the search term.

Step 3 Refine you search terms by using controlled vocabulary.

-         Controlled vocabulary terms are standardized terms that databases or indexes use to organize information.  Controlled vocabulary terms yield very specific results. Most databases and indexes give users a way to look up their controlled vocabulary terms by using the “help” or “Search Tips”

-         Library of Congress (LC) Subject Headings are the controlled vocabulary of the library catalog.

Using Search terms

Keep Track of Sources

Have you ever found and lost an important source? To prevent sources from slipping away note the citation information for a potential source as soon as you find it.  Be consistent in how you save citations and the format you use.  Citing sources accurately and in the citation style of your paper (APA, MLA) will save you time by preparing you for the later stages of research paper writing: in-text citations and the bibliography.

Suggestions for organizing notes and citations:

-         Open a Word document at the beginning of each research session and type in citation information and other notes as you find them.

-         E-mail search results and copies of electronic journal articles to yourself.

-         Store all articles, citations, and notes related to the research paper in a single folder or envelope.

-         Always write your name on diskettes, you could even include your phone number.

-         Save more than one copy! Use your T drive and diskettes so that you have saved a copy of your hard work in more than one place.

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Collect Background Information

Why Start with Reference Sources?

Why Start with Reference Sources?

Reference sources provide excellent background information.  Collecting background information on your topic can help you expand your search term vocabulary and conduct better searches. Reference sources are a stepping stone to the primary and secondary sources that should comprise the bulk of your research. For example, 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.

Reference Sources

-         are either subject-based (Encyclopedia of gun control and gun rights) or general (The World Encyclopedia)

-         May cover current and/or historical information

-         are organized alphabetically, topically, or chronologically

Types of Reference Sources

Ø      Almanac: is usually a single volume compilation of facts and statistics on a topic.

Ø      Atlas: a book of maps and geographical information.

Ø      Bibliography: a list of sources (books, articles, and other information sources) on information for a specific subject or author.

Ø      Biographical Dictionary: short summaries of the lives of people.

Ø      Concordance: an alphabetical list of the principal keywords or phrases contained in a book, with citations of the passages in which they occur.

Ø      Dictionary: defines words and terms, confirms spelling, definition, and pronunciation, used to find out how words are used, and helps to locate synonyms and antonyms and to trace the origin of words.

Ø      Directory: lists the names and addresses of individuals, companies, organizations, and institutions.

Ø      Encyclopedia: covers knowledge or branches of knowledge in a comprehensive, but summary fashion; useful for providing facts and giving a broad survey of a topic; written by specialists.

Ø      Gazetteer: a geographical index or dictionary (no maps).

Ø      Guidebook: a book that provides detailed descriptions of places that is intended primirly for the guidance of strangers or visitors, giving a description of the roads, places, or objects of interest to be found there, geographical facts, and possibly maps.

Ø      Handbooks & Manuals: handbooks treat one broad subject in brief, or give a brief survey of a subject; manuals tell how to do something, such as how something operates, or provide descriptions of the inner workings of an organization.

Ø      Index: lists citations to periodical articles, books, and proceedings, and tells where they can be found.

Ø      Yearbook: covers the trends and events of the previous year; may be general in coverage, limited to one subject, or restricted to one geographical area.

How to Find Reference Sources

Search the online catalog

To search the online catalog for a specific type of Reference Source:

1. Click “Keywords” search

2. Type [type of reference source] and [subject word]

   1. Examples

                                                               i.      Almanac and business

                                                             ii.      Atlas and American history

                                                            iii.      Bibliography and American literature

                                                           iv.      Dictionary and medical

3. Click “Search”

Browse the Subject Guides that list reference sources by course and topic.

A guide to reference books can help you find reference sources specific to your topic.

Examples:

ARBA Guide to Subject Encyclopedias and Dictionaries edited by Susan C. Awe (FSU Reference Z5848 .A72 1997)

Guide to Information Sources in the Physical Sciences by David Stern (FSU Reference QC5.35 .S74 2000)

Education: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources by Nancy Patricia O'Brien (FSU Main Stacks LB15 .O27 2000 also available through NetLibrary)

The Business Library and How to Use It : A Guide to Sources and Research Strategies for Information on Business and Management edited by Ernest L. Maier (FSU Reference Z675.B8 B87 1996)

The Humanities: A Selective Guide to Information Sources by Ron Blazek and Elizabeth Aversa (available through NetLibrary).

Reference librarians can help you select reference sources appropriate to your topic and discipline. You may receive help by going to the reference desk during reference hours.

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Identify Types of Information Sources

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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Evaluate Information Sources

Introduction

Quantity isn’t everything.  In addition to finding the right amount of information for your paper you need to evaluate the quality of the information you have found.  Is it relevant to your topic? If not, then it is not a quality resource for you even if it is great source of information.  Is the information reliable?  You are writing this paper and need to be able to stand behind your sources; the last thing you want is inaccurate information! 

Taking the time to properly evaluate your resources ensures you use only the most relevant and reliable scholarly materials.

Guidelines for Selecting Sources

Relevance

Are your searches not retrieving the kind of information you need? Here is some troubleshooting advice:

Use the best database for your subject

Ø      Use “Browse the Subject List of Databases: in Database Finder to select an appropriate database

Ø      Refer to the Subject Guide for your topic to see a list of relevant databases

Ø      Ask a reference librarian for help

Examine some of the irrelevant records and try to determine which of your search terms retrieved it.  It may help you decide which of the search terms are not working and need to be changed.

Reliability

It is a good idea to critically evaluate any source you use, print or web-based, and be careful about using information you cannot verify.

Scholarly journals, peer-reviewed journal articles, and databases that index only scholarly journals have already screened information for reliability.  These sources go through a rigorous review process before even being published.

Popular journals, magazines, and web sites must be reviewed for reliability by you.  This is especially important for internet sources.  Anyone can publish anything be it true, false, or deliberately misleading on the web.

How do I review an information source for reliability?

Author

Ø      Is the author identified?

Ø      What are the author qualifications and affiliations (where does he/she work)?

Ø       Sometimes the author’s information is available in the source.  Or you may need to look the author up in a biographical resource like Biography Index, Biography and General Master Index, or a Who’s Who publication.

Ø      Is the author or organization an expert in the field?

Ø      What else has the author or organization published?

Publisher

Ø      Who published the book?

Ø      A university press tends to be scholarly, as well as a variety of well-known publishers.

Current

Ø      When was the information published? Is it up to date?

Ø      Has it been revised or updated?

Bias

Ø      Does the book present information in an objective manner?

Ø      Is more than one viewpoint of an issue represented?

Ø      If only one side is presented can you determine the bias?

*Try to gather information from a variety of sources and viewpoints in order to avoid bias!

Documentation

Ø      Does the author clearly cite sources?

Ø      In a reliable information source you should be able to use the citations to find the sources the author used.

Audience

Ø      Who is the intended audience? Adults, children, public, academic?

Ø      Is it trying to persuade the reader or simply inform?

Ø      Does it use emotional language or neutral language?  

Caution! Web Sources

Web sources need to be approached with caution because:

-         Web pages can be put up by anyone

-         Site come and go

-         There is no official organization or group that oversees the organization, cataloging and evaluation of sources found on web pages

When evaluating a web source use all of the guidelines listed above.  In addition you need to ask these questions for web pages:

Author

Ø      Has he/she published scholarly books and articles as well as popular articles or websites?

Association

Ø      Is the site a government or university site?

Ø      Government and university sites are often better maintained and of higher quality (but not always, take time to review the web page!)

Current

Ø      Is the information current?

Ø      Does your topic require up-to-the minute research?

Ø      When was the site last updated and are its links active?

 Checklist for Evaluation Information

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Citing Sources and Plagiarism

Why do you need to cite your sources?

A key component of quality academic research is giving credit to and acknowledging the contributions of the scholars whose work you are using in your research.  Academic scholarship is built upon the work of others, being able to distinguish who contributed what to your research is very important.  Accurate citations also allow readers to refer to the same resources you used to and form their own opinions.

Not giving credit for sources, or even ideas, is plagiarism.

What is plagiarism?

The Fayetteville State University Code of Student Conduct states:

"Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, copying the language, structure, ideas and/or  thoughts of another, without giving appropriate recognition and/or adopting the same as one’s own original work." 

Retrieved December 12, 2006 from http://www.uncfsu.edu/handbook/index.htm.

Plagiarism is wrong and has serious consequences.

Learn more about Plagiarism from the Writing Center at UNC-CH.

Tips on how to avoid plaigarism . . .

The citation manual for the style you are using (ex. APA, MLA) will have tips on avoiding plagiarism.  The citation manual will also give examples on how to use citations.

When you take notes:

Poor note taking skills can lead to plagiarism. Avoid plagiarism by always practicing good note taking skills.

Record citations as you are taking notes. You will never again wonder "Where did I get this information?"

If the note is a direct quotation put quotation marks around it and record the citation immediately.

Learn more about avoiding plagiarism when taking notes from Emory University's Citing Your Sources Research Guide (third section).

When you paraphrase or summarize:

Do not copy notes directly from the material (book, article, etc.). Instead, read the material, close the book or turn the article over, and think about what you have read. Then, write what you have learned from memory. Not only does this help you learn and retain the material, it reduces the chance you will accidentally plagiarize.

Learn more about Paraphrasing from the Undergraduate Writing Center at UT Austin.

When do you not need to cite?

You do not have to cite common knowledge.  Common knowledge is the sort of facts everyone (mostly everyone) knows:

-         the current president’s name

-         the earth is round

-         Atlanta is the capital of Georgia

-         bats are the only mammals that fly

-         alligators are crocodilians.  

Citation Styles

Citing sources is not hard or complicated.  There are several things you can do to make the process easier.

Decide the Style

Most subjects, or professors, have a style manual that is commonly used.  For example, psychology uses the APA style, described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 

Common styles and their manuals include:

APA - Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

MLA - MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers

CBE - Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers

Chicago - The Chicago Manual of Style

Always use the newest edition of the style manual.

Review the format for citation in you style manual.

You will need to make citations in two places:

-         In the text of your paper you will have in-text citations or footnotes.

-         At the end of you paper you will have works cited or a bibliography.

If you are familiar with the citation format of your style manual you can take notes and record sources in the style.  This means less work at the end of your paper writing!

Style Manuals Available at Chesnutt Library

Online resources:

      Style Manuals and Information on Writing Papers a reference page prepared by the librarians at the Charles W. Chesnutt Library. Here you can find more information about citations and plagiarism.

Print materials available at the Reference Desk:

      MLA handbook for writers of research papers. 3^rd Edition

           FSU Reference LB2369 .G53 2003

     Scientific style and format : the CBE manual for authors, editors, and publishers. 6^th Edition

          FSU Reference T11 .S386 1994

     A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations. 6^th Edition (Turabian Style)

          FSU Reference LB2369 .T87 1996

     Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 5^th Edition

          FSU Reference BF76.7 .P83 2001

     The Chicago manual of style. 15^th Edition

          FSU Reference Z253 .U69 2003

Print Materials available in Chesnutt Library

There are many other writing guides available in the stacks and reference area. To find more writing guides use the Online Catalog to do a Keyword Search for "writing and guide." You can also ask the reference librarian for help.

Online Writing Resources

The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has many handouts available online. Handout topics include Writing the Paper, Grammar & Mechanics, Specific Writing Assignments, and Writing for Specific Fields.

The Undergraduate Writing Center at the University of Texas at Austin has many handouts available online.

The Writing Center at FSU

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Last Updated: 12/18/06