HD101 Library Instructional Session
What are we talking about today?
1. Where to search on the library website.
2. How to search efficiently in these locations.
3. How to read articles once we find them.
4. And how to get help with all this!
2. How to search efficiently in these locations.
3. How to read articles once we find them.
4. And how to get help with all this!
Let's talk about where to search on the library website.
There's a lot more to searching on the Barber Library website than there is when searching Google. Here's a road map to our website to help you cut through all the unnecessary stuff and find exactly what you're looking for.
It can get overwhelming with all that information, so you can use the above road map, but never hesitate to ask a librarian! For instance, if you asked me, I'd recommend the following databases when searching for your HD101 Assignment (located from the articles page on the Education resources subject page):
- Academic Search Premier
- Educators Reference Complete
- ERIC
- Professional Development Collection
Let's talk about how to search efficiently in these locations!
Now that you know where to search, let's talk about how to search.
Protip: Think of a library database like Netflix or Hulu (which both happen to also be databases!) You should avoid combining more than four concepts in one search so that you don't get too specific and narrow your results to 0. For example: I want to watch cooking shows? I would only search for the following: cooking
Protip: Think of a library database like Netflix or Hulu (which both happen to also be databases!) You should avoid combining more than four concepts in one search so that you don't get too specific and narrow your results to 0. For example: I want to watch cooking shows? I would only search for the following: cooking
Now we know keywords are HYPER literal--meaning we're not using filler words (of, the, for, in, a, etc.) or relationship words (effect, pro, con, impact, etc.)--how do you combine those concepts in a library database?
Boolean operators: Limit your results using AND, expand your results using OR, eliminate unnecessary results using NOT
Protip: make sure to use all caps when using Boolean operators.
example: (study strategies OR learning strategies) AND college NOT ADHD
In all of the above options, don't forget to use filters! You know filters already....think of when you search a shopping site like Amazon.
Boolean operators: Limit your results using AND, expand your results using OR, eliminate unnecessary results using NOT
Protip: make sure to use all caps when using Boolean operators.
example: (study strategies OR learning strategies) AND college NOT ADHD
In all of the above options, don't forget to use filters! You know filters already....think of when you search a shopping site like Amazon.
Now that we know a bit more about how to search library databases, click here and type in the keywords you might use to find articles for your assignment (bonus points if you use Boolean correctly!)
How to read articles once we find them.
To get started, let's consider the different sections you might find in academic articles.
Protip: all articles are not created equal so this is not an exhaustive list. You may see some of the following, all of the following, references to sections similar to the following, etc., etc. You need to use your best judgement and context when using academic articles for research.
Protip: all articles are not created equal so this is not an exhaustive list. You may see some of the following, all of the following, references to sections similar to the following, etc., etc. You need to use your best judgement and context when using academic articles for research.
- Title
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion/Conclusion
- References
Now that we know each section, how do we get started reading? To begin, you want to answer two questions: What is the article about? And what is the point/main argument of the author(s)?
You can answer these two questions by skimming the title, journal, author credentials, abstract, introduction, and/or discussion/conclusion.
After skimming, read the whole article and summarize each paragraph or section with a few words/sentences in the margin. After you're done reading, number three or four of the most important points, making it easier to identify later.
Tips for note taking:
You can answer these two questions by skimming the title, journal, author credentials, abstract, introduction, and/or discussion/conclusion.
After skimming, read the whole article and summarize each paragraph or section with a few words/sentences in the margin. After you're done reading, number three or four of the most important points, making it easier to identify later.
Tips for note taking:
- Circle jargon or technical terms you don't understand so you can look them up/incorporate them into your keywords later;
- Highlight quotes you can't paraphrase so you can distinguish between your own words and direct quotes;
- Put a check mark next to references relevant to your topic you might want to look up later;
- When you're done, make a note of how this article could be useful to you.
Getting help!
When you search, you might find yourself getting stumped. That's totally normal, there's a lot to this whole research thing! To help you, the library offers a wide range of services. We'll help even if you're not using library resources, you just have to ask!