WR65 Instructional Session
When getting started with this assignment, first ask yourself:
Protip: Don’t forget to check out Resources by Subject to find links to both encyclopedias and articles that are subject specific.
- What do you want your information to do for you?
Understand your topic, broad overview/context, give highly specific scenarios/examples, etc. - What do you want your information to be like?
Easy to understand, accurate, authoritative, peer-reviewed, etc. - Where does information come from?
Answering the first two questions will help you answer this question, and should inform where you’re looking on the Barber Library homepage;
Understanding your topic, broad overview/context | easy to understand, accurate, authoritative….Encyclopedias & More!
Highly specific scenarios/examples | accurate, authoritative, peer-reviewed….Articles & More!
Protip: Don’t forget to check out Resources by Subject to find links to both encyclopedias and articles that are subject specific.
Upon completion of this instructional session you will:
- Identify the main parts of the library website;
- Know the difference between use of library resources, such as encyclopedias giving you broad, overview information;
- Construct an effective keyword for your research question;
- Know the difference between use of library resources, such as article databases giving you specific, detailed information;
- Know how to get help from librarians.
1. Identify the main parts of the library website.
To find information, you have to know the tool you want to use, and the Barber Library webpage is like a Swiss Army knife, with specific tools for specific needs. Let's start identifying main parts of the Barber Library website in the Google Form below
2. Know the difference between the use of library resources: Encyclopedia Edition.
If we're thinking back to the first three questions, and my answers were to find a broad overview and context for my topic in an easy-to-understand, accurate format, then encyclopedias are for me! Because I'm looking for broad information, I'm going to use broad keywords! Let's start exploring using the Google Form below.
Here are suggested encyclopedias to get you started:
- Credo Reference
- Gale Virtual Reference Library
- Resources by Subject<Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics<Witchcraft in America
Use the Google Form below to guide your search.
3.Construct an effective keyword search for your research question.
Unlike encyclopedias, where we're searching for broad information and therefore use broad keywords, articles are complex and therefore allow us to use complex keywords.
Protip: 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: What are the sociological similarities between witch hunts and vaccines? My keywords would be witch hunts and vaccines.
Protip: Avoid using relationship words like pro, con, best practice, negative, positive, etc.
But how do you combine those concepts in a library database? Use advanced search techniques, of course!
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: (witch OR warlock) AND United States NOT review
Truncation: If you're looking for a word with plurals or various endings, try using the truncation command *
example: witch* will search for results that contain witch, witches and/or witchcraft
Phrase Searching: If you want your keywords to appear in a specific order, like a phrase, try using quotation marks ""
example: "witch hunt*"
Title Searches: Too many results? Using the drop-down menu next to the search bar, limit your search keywords to only appearing in article titles.
Protip: 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: What are the sociological similarities between witch hunts and vaccines? My keywords would be witch hunts and vaccines.
Protip: Avoid using relationship words like pro, con, best practice, negative, positive, etc.
But how do you combine those concepts in a library database? Use advanced search techniques, of course!
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: (witch OR warlock) AND United States NOT review
Truncation: If you're looking for a word with plurals or various endings, try using the truncation command *
example: witch* will search for results that contain witch, witches and/or witchcraft
Phrase Searching: If you want your keywords to appear in a specific order, like a phrase, try using quotation marks ""
example: "witch hunt*"
Title Searches: Too many results? Using the drop-down menu next to the search bar, limit your search keywords to only appearing in article titles.
Let's practice using the Google Form below.
4. Know the difference between the use of library resources: Article Edition.
If we're thinking back to the first three questions, and my answers were to find highly specific information in a scholarly, authoritative format, then articles are for me! Because I'm looking for specific information, I'm going to use specific keywords! Let's start exploring using the Google Form below.
Here are suggested articles to get you started:
- Academic One File
- Academic Search Premier
Use the Google Form below to guide your search.
Bonus: Recommended Websites
Salem Witch Trials: The World Behind the Hysteria
The Discovery Channel offers an introduction to the witch trials by explaining what life was like in the 1690s.
Secrets of the Dead: Case File: The Witches Curse
PBS offers this interactive site to help understand the science behind the 1692 hysteria.
The Discovery Channel offers an introduction to the witch trials by explaining what life was like in the 1690s.
Secrets of the Dead: Case File: The Witches Curse
PBS offers this interactive site to help understand the science behind the 1692 hysteria.
5. Know how to get help from librarians.
I know that there's a lot of information here, and you might still have questions, even after this session. That's what librarians are for! You can always contact me, but there are also several other options for you to contact any Barber Library librarian.
Just look for this icon or go directly to the Need Help? page under Quick Links and you'll be connected to someone who can help you come up with keywords, cite your sources, choose databases, and help with your general library needs! |