“5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW… BY THE TIME YOU GRADUATE…”

Ellen, your librarian

MOP LIBRARY RESEARCH INSTRUCTION, 1/31/17

1. Understand your assignment.

2. Develop your topic and write a good thesis statement.

3. Find background information using reference works.

4. Focus your topic and find current information from reliable sources.

5. Collect, read, evaluate and write what you have learned.

6. Use information ethically and with integrity (cite your sources using APA format): Give credit where credit is due… Properly cite the information you have found so others will be able to follow your research trail).

1. UNDERSTAND THE RESEARCH PROCESS!

▸ core science databases

▸ open access journals

▸ statistics and data sites

▸ local, national, and international organizations

2. KNOW ABOUT SCHOLARLY SOURCES AND HOW TO READ A SCHOLARLY JOURNAL ARTICLE!

▸ Google search operators

▸ Google Scholar

3. SEARCH GOOGLE LIKE A ROCK STAR!

▸ Good, “free” science information on the open web is hard to find.

▸ Know the difference between real news and fake news (civic online reasoning)

▸ Great article from NPR on how to self-check the news and get the facts.

4. GOOD SOURCE EVALUATION BECOMES INSTINCTUAL!

▸ wireless bypass and other campus IT productivity tools

▸ research mobile apps, plug-ins, and desktop clients

▸ citation export services and generators (EBSCO exports, EasyBib, etc.)

5. USE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS!

HEREREADY TO LEARN ALL THIS STUFF?YOUR MOP RESEARCH GUIDE IS: