alexander mack memorial library

Instruction Session- Elick ENG 102 Spring 09

Page history last edited by Cori Biddle 8 mos ago

Research Process

1. Choose

Choose your research topic and make a list of possible search terms (keywords). Also isolate possible resources (like databases or the library catalog) for your search.

2. Search

Use your choices from step one to find information sources (like articles, books, or websites)

3. Revise

Assess your search in step two and decide whether it has been successful. If your sources do not meet your needs, you may need to change either your keywords, the resources you’ve been searching, or both.

4. (Re)Search

If you made changes in step three, repeat your search and see to see if your results improve.

5. Evaluate

Once you have a good list of possible sources, you need to evaluate each one to see which are the most reliable and best fit your information need.

6. Write

Using the sources you’ve collected in step five, you finally sit down to finish the assignment.

Useful Eresources

Find links to these under the eResources 2.0 page

Remember that you can access all our databases off campus!

Academic Search Complete*
AH Search
Humanities International Complete*
JSTOR*
Literature Resource Center*
Modern Language Association (MLA) International Bibliography
Project Muse

*contain full text articles

Useful Print Resources

These items can all be found in the Reference section, on the library’s first floor

American Writers R 810 A512
Contemporary Literary Criticism R 809.04 C761
Twentieth Century Literary Criticism R 809.04 T971

Searching ALEX

Remember to invert proper names (like Hemingway, Ernest) when you do a search

Useful Subject Headings

Hemingway Ernest 1899-1961 Criticism and Interpretation
Hemingway Ernest 1899-1961 Farewell to Arms

Tips to Keep in mind while Searching

Databases

§ Databases organize/search information differently, so check the help feature before you begin

§ Use the Advanced Search options as ways to narrow or limit your search results

§ Explore the subject terms or thesaurus terms you can use instead of a normal keyword search. (They are standardized so you don’t have to worry about synonyms or homographs)

§ After you find one useful article check the subjects or keywords attached to it. This can lead you to more efficient search terms.

§ Remember that Periodical Locator can find the full text of articles in varying databases.

When you come across materials you need but we don’t have full text access, fill out an Interlibrary Loan request (just remember to allow 1 week or so for delivery).

Search Tips that Span the Information Universe

§ Remember to use Boolean Operators

o AND will produce results containing BOTH terms (e.g. birds AND bees)

o OR generates results that contain EITHER term (e.g. dogs OR canines)

o NOT results will include the first term, but not the second (cats NOT musical)

§ Quotation marks will isolate that phrase: “natural selection” lists results containing only that specific phrase, but results for natural selection would contain natural AND selection somewhere, not necessarily side by side.

§ Truncation allows you to search for variances of terms. Astro* gives you results which can include the terms: astronomer, astronomy, astrology, astronaut, etc. Some database’s use different symbols, so check their help features.