Al Harris LibraryAl Harris LibraryAmerican Foreign Policy Research American Foreign Policy Research Paper: Scholarly Resources Paper: Scholarly Resources

Frederic Murray Frederic Murray Assistant ProfessorAssistant ProfessorMLIS, University of British ColumbiaMLIS, University of British ColumbiaBA, Political Science, University of IowaBA, Political Science, University of Iowa

Instructional Services LibrarianInstructional Services LibrarianAl Harris Library Al Harris Library frederic.murray@swosu.edu

The Management of Savagery

Abu Bakr Naji (pseudonym)

The Management of Savagery• A jihadi guide written by al-Qaida

operative Abu Bakr Naji• Translated by Dr. William McCants

2006 (faculty member at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center)

• Widely viewed as foundational text (blueprint) for ISIS

• Example of Primary Source

Questions to Ask Your Primary Source

• What is it? • When was it collected? • Where could you find more

background information on this? • Who is saying/writing this

story/document/picture?

• Why is this important?

Today’s Class

• Research Strategies– Process, Thesis

• Resources– Catalogs, Databases, Scholarly

Journals

• Citation Tracking

Today’s Class

• Review Specific Resources for American Foreign Policy

• General Resources for American Foreign Policy

Writing a Good Paper What provides the discipline of History with its authority?

What are the possibilities & limitations of witness testimony in historical research?

Research Process

• GET A TOPIC • DEVELOP YOUR SEARCH

STRATEGY• SEARCH AND READ• WRITE YOUR PAPER• CITE YOUR SOURCES

Library Resource

Create a Thesis Statement• Thesis Statements

– Make an assertion

– Take a stand– Explain what

you’re going to write about

– Are narrow and specific

– Have one main point

• Think about questions your research might help you answer.

• State your topic as a question first, then revise it to be a statement.

Strong Thesis Statement

1. Is specific

2. Addresses a potential contradiction and is arguable

3. Provides a logical way to structure the argument

Offering a well-organized and persuasive thesis• Think of your thesis as answering

a question • Have your thesis answer a "how"

or "why" question, rather than a "what" question

• “what” leads to mere description• “how” & “why” leads to critical critical

analysisanalysis

CHOOSE THE BEST RESEARCH THESIS STATEMENT

• Is ISIS using social media in a calculated manner?

• ISIS is using social media.

• ISIS is using social media in a highly strategic and tactical manner based on the works of Abu Bakr Naji.

Tools of Scholarship

Content• Books• Articles• Journals• Citations• WWW

Tools• Catalogs• Databases• Lists• Indexes• Search Engines

Searching for SourcesKEYWORDS

- Correspondence- Sources - Diaries- Interviews- Literary collections- Personal narratives - Pictorial works- Posters- Songs/Music- Speeches, addresses, etc.- Treaties

Tell the Catalog/Database/SE what you seek: Specifically!

Keywords & Boolean

Iraq War and Diaries

Iraq War and Sources

Iraq War and Correspondence

WORKS FOR CATALOG/DATABASES/SE

Keyword Exercise

ISIL

ISIL

ISIS

Islamic State

Funding

Theft

Oil

Violence

Syria

Iran

Open World Cat

• Meta search engine for online catalogs of libraries all over the world. Search for any book using a geographic location for the closest sources.

• Over 9000 libraries combined. • If you find it in WorldCat, and it's

not in our library, we can get it through ILL.

• CREATE A USER ACCOUNT

E-Books: Ebrary/Netbook

• 24/7• Full Text Searching*• Highlight Markup• Note Taking• Changeable Font Size• Multiplicity of Use

• CREATE A BOOKSHELF

Al Harris Catalog• Remember* Catalog defaults to relevance

search

• Remember* Use a Keyword search and Boolean to help limit results

• Remember* Use Limiters to narrow your search.

• Remember* Use Subject links to focus on your topic.

Databases: Social Sciences• JSTOR• Historical Abstracts w/Full Text *• America: History and Life w/Full

Text *• Military & Government Collection*• Social Sciences Citation Index• New York Times 1851-2009

*EBSCO Database

Ebsco Demonstration(finding New Books)

Class Exercise

• Read & research this Article (700 words)

• Find one book review & five articles, peer-reviewed, full text and archive them in an EBSCO folder

• Find Five Digital Books in Ebrary or eBooks and archive them on the digital bookshelf or folder

Can you Read and Find Citations?

Handout: Reading citationsA citation is a short, multi-part description of a specific information source. It provides

the information that is needed to find a particular source. Journal citations contain such

basic information as:

Tracking Citations

Tracking Citations

Sides, John, and Kimberly Gross. "Stereotypes Of Muslims And Support For The War On Terror." Journal Of Politics 75.3 (2013): 583-598. America: History and Life with Full Text. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

The Citation Video

Citation WorksheetLabel the citations as either:I. B=Book or a P=Periodical (magazine or journal article)

II. If it is a book search the following catalogs until it is located:a. Open WorldCat b. Ebraryc. Al Harris Catalogd. Identify Source - write it down

III. If it is a magazine or journal article search:a. Periodicals Listb. Identify:i. Name of the database – write it down ii. Do you have access to the full text – Yes/No

Web Resources: National Security ArchiveAn independent non-governmental research institute and library located at The George Washington University, the Archive collects and publishes declassified documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The Archive also serves as a repository of government records on a wide range of topics pertaining to the national security, foreign, intelligence, and economic policies of the United States. Office of the HistorianHistorical documents and reports on countries and milestones  Foreign Relations of the United States- Office of the Historian Online books going back to 1945 digitized by State Department  Frontline DiplomacyTranscripts of oral histories of U.S. diplomats 

 U.S. Overseas Loans and GrantsHistorical record of U.S. foreign assistance

Questions?

• Contact me:

• Frederic Murray• 774-7113• frederic.murray@swosu.edu

Thanks!