Library & Research Overview

 

 

1. UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNMENT AND SELECT YOUR TOPIC

State your topic idea as a question. 
Identify the main concepts or keywords in your question. 

2. FIND BACKGROUND INFORMATION IN REFERENCE SOURCES

Once you have selected key terms for your topic, look for them in an encyclopedia, dictionary or other reference resource. Review definitions of terms and identify other terms used to describe the concepts. Are your terms accurate?  Investigate background information to identify important issues, events, and people associated with your topic. Then search for books and articles using these key terms that describe the concepts, issues, events, and people.

3. USE CATALOGS TO FIND BOOKS 

Start with keyword searching, review results and identify subject headings.  Note the citation (author, title, etc.), the location information (call number and library or ebook), and circulation status.

4. USE DATABASES TO FIND PERIODICAL ARTICLES

Search databases to find articles on your topic.  Many will include the full-text of the article.  Most databases are accessible both in the library and off-campus through the campus network.

5. FIND INTERNET RESOURCES 

Use search engines and subject directories to locate materials on the Web.  Information on the Internet varies in its reliability; before using information from a website, review the Website Evaluation guidelines.

6. EVALUATE WHAT YOU FIND / REVIEW YOUR PROGRESS

Evaluate the authority and quality of the materials you have located. Consider the author, publisher, and date of each resource. Is the material biased? Is it comprehensive? Who is the intended audience? Is the material of scholarly value?
After you have completed the previous steps, examine the information you have collected. Ask yourself the following questions:
Does it answer the topic question you posed in Step 1?
Is your topic question too general?
Does it need to be more specific?
Do you need more information about any aspect of your topic?
After you answer these questions, return to Step 1 and repeat the process. 

7. CITE WHAT YOU FIND USING A STANDARD FORMAT

Avoid plagiarism and use a style manual to be sure to correctly format your citations for both print and electronic resources. Check with your instructor about which citation style you should use. Learn more about Citing Sources.

 

1. Who is the Author(s)? What are their credentials and qualifications? Are they objective or biased?

• Authors of journal articles are often making an argument; they are trying to convince you of something.
• Usually, authors present new, research-based information. Sometimes, authors can be biased and only present one side of the story.
• It is your right and responsibility to critically evaluate the information in the article. Your thoughts and judgments about articles are important; don't just accept what other authors say - question them!

2. How to Approach the Article

When you read journal articles, always remember that YOU are going to write a paper based on what you read.  So, do the following:

• Keep in mind your research question (ex. "What is leadership in the hospitality industry?")
• Focus on the information in the article that is relevant to your research question (it is okay to skim over other parts)
• Question everything you read - not everything is 100% true or correct
• Think critically about what you read and try to build your own argument based on it
   

3. Steps to Reading a Scholarly Research Article

Look at the structure of the article (many academic research articles use a standard format)

• Abstract (summary of the whole article)
• Introduction (why they did the research)
• Materials & Methodology (how they did the research)
• Results (what happened)
• Discussion (what the results mean)
• Conclusion (what they learned)
• References (whose research they read)

- First, Read the Abstract and Conclusion (these have the main points.) 

- Then, Read the Introduction and Discussion for more detail.

If you find anything in the Abstract or Conclusion that is important for your paper, look for it in the text.
If you need more information, then read through the Methods or Results sections.

4. How to Take Notes on the Article

There are various ways to take notes, but this is a personal style choice.  Try different ways, but use the one that fits you best.  Below are some suggestions for note-taking:

• Pay attention to what each section is about.  The Abstract, Discussion, and Conclusion sections usually have the most important information.
• Take notes while you are reading (that way you don't have to go back and re-read it when you write your paper)
• Write summarizing notes for main points
• Highlight only very important quotes or terms

5. How to Reference the Article

There are two main ways to reference an article in your paper:
 

Quoting

• Use quotations when the author’s original words are so special that you cannot reword it.
• Usually, use quotations for definitions.
• A good rule of thumb: 1 quotation per page maximum.
   

Paraphrasing (Summarizing)

• Use paraphrasing to tell your reader in your own words what the author had to say, in detail or in general terms.
• This is most commonly used in academic writing.
• A good rule of thumb: when writing a literature review, use 2-3 paraphrases per paragraph.

If you find text that you plan to quote or paraphrase, be sure to note the page # and citation info, so you don’t have to go back and find it when you write your Works Cited or References page.

Guide adapted from Pasadena City College WAC (Writing Across the Curriculum)/ Health Sciences Tutoring Lab
 

RESEARCH IS A PROCESS, YOU WILL TRY ONE SEARCH, EVALUATE YOUR RESULTS, MODIFY YOUR STRATEGY AND TRY AGAIN.

• START YOUR RESEARCH EARLY

• WORK FROM THE GENERAL TO THE SPECIFIC

• TAKE NOTES OF WHAT YOU FIND AND WHERE YOU FOUND IT

• USE THE SUBJECT TERMS OF THE DATABASES AND CATALOGS YOU USE

• CONSULT BIBLIOGRAPHIES AND ARTICLE REFERENCES 

•  IF WE DO NOT HAVE IT, WE WILL GET IT FOR YOU THRU INTERLIBRARY LOAN