Research Tools and Tips Research -is the collecting of information about a particular subject -studious inquiry or examination; especially: investigation

Research Tools and Tips Research -is the collecting of information about a particular subject -studious inquiry or examination; especially: investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws (www.merriam-webster.com).www.merriam-webster.com TMCC Library

All research involves the use of sources 3 Types of Sources Primary Secondary Tertiary

Primary Source A primary source is written or created by a person. Primary sources are original records created at the time historical events occurred or well after events in the form of memoirs and oral histories. These sources serve as the raw material to interpret the past, and when they are used along with previous interpretations by historians, they provide the resources necessary for historical research (www.ala.org).www.ala.org artifacts (e.g. coins, plant specimens, fossils, furniture, tools, clothing, all from the time under study) Audio recordings (e.g. radio programs) Diaries Internet communications on email, listservs Interviews (e.g., oral histories, telephone, e-mail) Journal articles published in peer- reviewed publications Letters Newspaper articles written at the time; Original Documents (i.e. birth certificate, will, marriage license, trial transcript) Patents Photographs Proceedings of Meetings, conferences and symposia Records of organizations, government agencies (e.g. annual report, treaty, constitution, government document) Speeches Survey Research (e.g., market surveys, public opinion polls) Video recordings (e.g. television programs) Works of art, architecture, literature, and music (e.g., paintings, sculptures, musical scores, buildings, novels, poems). Web site.

Secondary Source Any commentary, reference to, biography of the author which quotes or otherwise uses these primary sources is a secondary source. A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them (www.ala.org).www.ala.org Bibliographies (also considered tertiary); Biographical works; Commentaries, criticisms; Dictionaries, Encyclopedias (also considered tertiary); Histories; Journal articles (depending on the disciple can be primary); Magazine and newspaper articles (this distinction varies by discipline); Monographs, other than fiction and autobiography; Textbooks (also considered tertiary); Web site (also considered primary).

Tertiary Source Tertiary sources consist of information which is a distillation and collection of primary and secondary sources (www.lib.umd.edu).www.lib.umd.edu Almanacs; Bibliographies (also considered secondary); Chronologies; Dictionaries and Encyclopedias (also considered secondary); Directories; Fact books; Guidebooks; Indexes, abstracts, bibliographies used to locate primary and secondary sources; Manuals; Textbooks (also be secondary).

SUBJECTPRIMARYSECONDARYTERTIARY Art and ArchitecturePainting by VanGoghArticle critiquing art pieceArtStor database Chemistry/Life SciencesEinstein's diaryMonograph on Einstein's life Dictionary on Theory of Relativity Engineering/Physical SciencesPatentNTIS databaseManual on using invention HumanitiesLetters by Martin Luther KingWeb site on King's writings Encyclopedia on Civil Rights Movement Social Sciences Notes taken by clinical psychologist Magazine article about the psychological condition Textbook on clinical psychology Performing ArtsMovie filmed in 1942Biography of the directorGuide to the movie Comparisons across the disciplines

Smarter Searching Symbols and search terms Use symbols and terms to find exactly what you are looking for And use to find two words together Or when you want to accept a couple of words -(minus sign) exclude a word quotations exact phrase Use the advanced settings when searching to find relevant information Search Engines A regular search engine like Google or Yahoo! Searches based on a given search term A Metasearch engine streamlines your search because it has the ability to search several search engines http://browsys.com http://browsys.com http://www.dogpile.com http://www.dogpile.com Evaluate the website for credibility Use the CARS Checklist: Credibility, Accuracy, Reasonableness, & Support Credibility: Is this a trustworthy source? Look for authors credentials, evidence of quality control or organizational support. Accuracy: Is the information up-to-date and accurate? Look for factual, detailed, comprehensive, complete information that is current. Reasonableness: Is the information balanced and objective? Look for information that is not one-sided, info. Concerned with the truth. Support : Does the information have contact information and corroboration? Look for info. you an triangulate (2 other sources to support it).

A Checklist to Evaluate Websites Evaluating Websites A checklist to help surfers begin determining if information found on a website is true or not* Website:TrustworthyQuestionable 1.Do large companies you know advertise on the site?Yes No 2.Are there any dead links, or links to moved pages?No Yes 3.Do the images support the stated facts?Yes No 4.Is the site hosted by a credible provider and reside in a trustworthy domain.Yes No 5. Are there links and references to other websites, resources and experts that corroborate this information? Yes No 6.Is the resource available in another format?Yes No 7.Do the sites authors have other publications with credible sites and publishers?Yes No 8. Are the sites authors experts in the subject? (Do they have any credentials or experience around the topic?) Yes No 9.Is contact information provided and does the place/e-mail exist and work?Yes No 10. Does the site present highly biased visuals (e.g. racist statements, derogatory remarks, and emotional language)? No Yes 11.Is the site professional (grammar and typing errors are not present or very minimal)?Yes No Totals**: Evaluate this website for authenticity of information: http://www.dhmo.org/http://www.dhmo.org/

TMCC Library has many online databases and resources available for you. Go to www.tm.edu click on librarywww.tm.edu And click on resources

Some of our best resources for primary sources is EBSCO and ERIC. TMCC Library EBSCO databases include Academic Search Premier, ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, Business Source Premier, Communication & Mass Media Complete, ERIC, International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA), Philosopher's Index, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, MLA Directory of Periodicals, MLA International Bibliography, and Regional Business News. For this database you simply go to the Library Resources page: http://www.tm.edu/library/resources.asp and click on: EBSCO Database. There will be several options to choose from based on the information you are looking for. If you would like to look at all click on the Search All EBSCOhost Databases and type in the keyword you are looking for. http://www.tm.edu/library/resources.aspEBSCO DatabaseSearch All EBSCOhost Databases

TMCC Library Click on EBSCOClick on Search ALL Enter your Search TermGet Results

TMCC Library On the left you will notice that there is PDF Full Text available for this item, not all items have this or they may have a link. EBSCO will also cite your sources for you in any format you need. Once you click on cite, a picture will pop up with different format options such as MLA or APA.

TMCC Library Online Resources TMCC Library How to use library resources: http://www.tm.edu/library/resources.asp There are several online resources to use when looking for information. The TMCC library resource page has EBSCO host, Eric, and many other resources to use for research or accurate information. I will give an overview of the three most often used databases for research. EBSCO databases include Academic Search Premier, ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, Business Source Premier, Communication & Mass Media Complete, ERIC, International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA), Philosopher's Index, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, MLA Directory of Periodicals, MLA International Bibliography, and Regional Business News. For this database you simply go to the Library Resources page: http://www.tm.edu/library/resources.asp and click on: EBSCO Database. There will be several options to choose from based on the information you are looking for. If you would like to look at all click on the Search All EBSCOhost Databases and type in the keyword you are looking for.http://www.tm.edu/library/resources.aspEBSCO DatabaseSearch All EBSCOhost Databases For the ERIC resource database you go to the Library Resources page: http://www.tm.edu/library/resources.asp and click on: ERIC (Education Resources Information Center. you will type in your keyword search and it will list the resources that have your keyword in the resource. http://www.tm.edu/library/resources.aspERIC (Education Resources Information Center There is also A to Z the World which gives facts, figures and helpful information about all the countries of the world. You click on the A to Z the World link and click on the country you would like to learn about on the left-hand drop down menu.A to Z the World For the EBSCOhost and ERIC databases there are options to narrow your search. These resources are only compatible when used at TMCC campus, as they are linked to the campus IP address. If you have any questions or need more help please come to the library call (701)477-7812, or email [email protected] or [email protected] [email protected]@tm.edu

Citing Your Sources Use the format below to add Internet resources to a bibliography: Author. Title of Website. Web address or URL. Copyright date. Date you found the information. There are other great resources that will help you to cite your sources : http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/ www.easybib.com Research Sources There are also many great resources to help you as you research: http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/getting_started.html http://www.ithacalibrary.com/research/

Thank You! If you have any questions please see Laisee or Marsha in the library !

Works Cited "Primary vs Secondary Sources." Primary vs Secondary Sources. Princeton University Library, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2013. "Research About Our Definitions: All Forms of a Word (noun, Verb, Etc.) Are Now Displayed on One Page." Merriam-Webster. Merriam- Webster, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2013. "Using Primary Sources on the Web." American Library Association. American Library Association, 2003. Web. 22 Jan. 2013.