Upload
rebecca-miller
View
676
Download
1
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Citation preview
HNFE 2014: ORIENTATION TOLIBRARY RESEARCH METHODS & MATERIALS Rebecca Miller
[email protected] OR [email protected]
540-231-9669
“LIBRARY RESEARCH”
Involves identifying and locating sources that provide factual information or personal/expert opinion on a research question
A necessary component of all research projects/questions/methods at some point
What IS the library, and why is it still relevant?
NEWMAN LIBRARY
Physically, Newman Library houses most of the research materials at VT Other branches include Vet Med and Art +
Architecture Aside from books, journals, and reference
help, you will find: Comm Lab Copy Center Language Resource Lab Night OWL Coming soon: coffee shop!
NEWMAN LIBRARY SERVICES
Circulation Check out books, DVDs, journals, and more! Use your Hokie Passport to do this “Reserve” books are also found here
Reference & research help Librarians. We’re here to help. Visit the 2nd (Business, Humanities, and Social
Sciences or 4th (Science & Technology) floor desks
Interlibrary Loan Order a book that the library does not own…it’s
FREE to you!
ABOUT YOUR PID
Your personal identification number that lets the library system know you are a member of the VT community
Must have it to: Sign up for an Interlibrary Loan account Access databases from off campus Access electronic journals from off campus Access electronic books from off campus Renew your books online Check your record online Reserve a book if someone else has it checked
out
STARTING RESEARCH
Start at the University Library’s website; it is a portal to all databases, books, journal articles, and other resources
http://www.lib.vt.edu Next, you may want to visit the HNFE Subject
Guide for ideas on where to begin research
LOCATING A BOOK
When on a college campus, using the university’s library catalog is the BEST and FASTEST method for doing this
Here at VT, we have Addison, available at: http://addison.vt.edu
THE BOOK’S RECORD
Title Author Subject headings (terms) URL (if it is electronic) Location
Which library is it at? Call number Which floor is the item on?
ADDISON DEMONSTRATION
www.lib.vt.edu
Using keyword search Using subject headings Locating books Understanding call numbers Requesting books from off campus, through
interlibrary loan, or if someone already has it checked out
PERIODICAL LITERATURE
While books represent the best way to gain a background understanding of your chosen topic, periodical literature will let you gain an understanding of the current conversation revolving around your topic.
What is a periodical? And how do you search for related periodical articles? Think magazines, newspapers, journals…
DATABASES
Definition: Generally, a large, computer-based file of organized information. In library terms, such a file, devoted to a specific subject and organized for information search and retrieval. For example, the Web of Science is a bibliographic database of sources, such as journal articles, for the study of science related material. May also be called an “index.”
DATABASES…
Most likely, you will be using a database to look for a periodical article much like you would use the online catalog to look for a book
The information is organized in the same way Addison, the catalog, will NEVER have article
titles, only periodical titles Databases will let you search for individual
articles, which the catalog will not let you do
How do you decide which databases to use?
SELECTING A DATABASE
Currently, at VT, we subscribe to 700+ databases
Select a database from our “Articles and Databases” list on the home page
OR Use a related Subject Guide as your starting
point, and view recommended databases
A WORD ON PEER REVIEW
What is peer review? Also known as “scholarly” or “refereed” (as opposed
to “popular”) An editorial process in which experts from a
particular discipline scrutinize articles before they are published by a journal
Why is it helpful to us, as researchers? We can trust that the information presented in a
peer-reviewed article or journal is authoritative You WANT to use peer-reviewed journals in your
research
So, how can you tell if an article is from a peer-reviewed journal?
DETERMINING PEER REVIEW
A publisher’s website Ulrich’s Periodical Directory Using “limiting” options in a database that
allows you to search specifically for peer-reviewed articles
Understanding the principles behind scholarly work, and recognizing them…
RESOURCE EVALUATION, IN GENERAL
Consider: Currency—when was the book/article/website
published? Audience—who is this information intended for?
Why? Authority—who is the author? What are his/her
credentials? Publisher/sponsoring body—is this an academic
press? A hate group? Do they have a bias/agenda? Organization—is the book/article organized well? Is
the grammar correct? Are there footnotes, endnotes, and a bibliography?
Coverage—is the topic treated with depth? Does the book/article contribute to the existing body of knowledge?
FINDING FULL TEXT
Often, databases will offer the “full text” of an article—the complete article
Sometimes, it will not: you may need to be able to track down the article from its citation or through options in the database
Look for the Get Vtext icon in the database you are searching (make sure you are logged in through Off Campus Sign In)
Or, use the citation to track down the article through Addison (or Interlibrary Loan)
A WORD ON CITATIONS
There are many different styles of citations, but they all have the same components
When conducting research, it will be necessary to understand citations: You will need to create citations when you
attribute your sources in papers/projects you create
You will need to understand how to find the original resource from the citations given in databases or other bibliographies
ANATOMY OF A CITATION
Note: this particular citation is using the JADA style; although it looks different from other styles, the pieces of information are the same!
DATABASE DEMONSTRATION
PubMed Visit through the library website Make sure you’re logged in to Off Campus Sign In
to view the Get VText icon The most comprehensive medical database Some full text articles, some bibliographic
articles
Web of Science Visit through the library website If off campus, must log in to view this database Completely bibliographic database
QUESTIONS!
Before class, I gave ten of you index cards.
In any order, please raise your hand and ask your question, if you have a card.
Other questions? I’m still glad to answer them!
Thank you! Contact me if you have any lingering questions:
Rebecca [email protected] Newman Library
540-231-9669
Atrium, Wallace HallTuesdays, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Wednesdays, 9:00-10:30 a.m.
http://hnfelibrarian.blogspot.com