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Embedded LibGuides: Kelly

Library Resources & Help

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking out the library. We are here to help you with any question, but specifically, we are experts in finding and using information. If you are working on a research project and run into any issues or questions, we are here to help! Our homepage is a great place to get started on your research; we do know it can be a bit confusing at first, so please ask us as many questions as you want.

If you'd like some one-on-one help finding resources, click here to book an appointment. I'm happy to help!

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You can also chat or text with the librarian on duty.

Watch this video to learn more about the process for selecting a topic, narrowing it down, and beginning research.

Research does not happen in a straight line, so try not to think of "The Research Process" as a series of steps. Instead, in the beginning stages of research, you will find yourself shifting your hypothesis or doubling back on a previous "step" due to new information or understanding. 

Infographic created by Terri Bogan using easel.ly Creative Commons License
The Research Process by Terri Bogan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

 

 

 

The library's databases rely on a method of searching called Boolean logic. It is a system of showing the relationship between ideas using the operators "AND," "OR," and "NOT." This logic is recognized by many searching tools as a way to define a search string.

Using the operators

AND is used to to search a set of two or more related ideas. So, if you want to look for articles that contain both the words or concepts fishery and harvest, you would search for that string. 

  • Use AND to narrow your search
  • AND shows the overlap between two concepts

For example, my search for "fishery and harvest" returned over 2,000 results, which is too many for me to browse through. So, I had to think another aspect of the topic I was interested in. When I changed my search string to "fishery and harvest and bioindicators," the number of results became more manageable.

OR is used when there are synonyms of a term that may appear in relevant articles. Searching, for example, reindeer or caribou will cast the widest net for seraching. 

  • Use OR to broaden your search

NOT eliminates a term from your search. If, for instance, your initial search for "fishery and harvest" returns mostly articles about salmon, and you are not interested in that particular fish, you can search "fishery and harvest not salmon."

Publication Date

The databases will allow you a variety of options to refine your results, typically on the left hand side of your results page. Pay attention to these and especially consider limiting your results by their publication date. Chances are, you do not want articles written more than a few years ago.

 

Explicit Search

If you are searching for content about, for instance, higher education, consider that this is actually a phrase (consisting of more than one word), and search for it explicitly using quotation marks. As in, "higher education."

 

Truncation

In many cases, there will be multiple suffixes to a single root word that you'd like to search. Most databases allow the * to be used in place of the ending for a word in order to capture all forms.

For example, a search for "nation*" will return all forms of the word - including nations, national, nationalism, nationalistic, etc. 

Avoid adding the plural "s" to a word where possible, and use the truncation symbol when you search should allow for multiple forms of your search terms.

Criteria for Evaluating Sources

When doing research, you should use a variety of sources such as books, articles from newspapers, magazines, or journals, and websites. To ensure you are including only valid information in your research, evaluate your sources using the criteria below.

Criteria Questions to Ask

Authority / Credibility
Determining the author for a source is important in deciding whether information is credible. The author should show some evidence of being knowledgeable, reliable and truthful.
  • Who is the author (person, company, or organization)?
  • Does the source provide any information that leads you to believe the author is an expert on the topic?
  • Can you describe the author's background (experience, education, knowledge)?
  • Does the author provide citations? Do you think they are reputable?

Accuracy
The source should contain accurate and up-to-date information that can be verified by other sources.
  • Can facts or statistics be verified through another source?
  • Based on your knowledge, does the information seem accurate? Does it match the information found in other sources?
  • Are there spelling or grammatical errors?

Scope / Relevance
It is important that the source meets the information needs and requirements of your research assignment.
  • Does the source cover your topic comprehensively or does it cover only one aspect?
  • To what extent does the source answer your research question?
  • Is the source considered popular or scholarly?
  • Is the terminology and language used easy to understand?
Currency / Date
Some written works are ageless (e.g., classic literature) while others (e.g., technological news) become outdated quickly. It is important to determine if currency is pertinent to your research.
  • When was the source written and published?
  • Has the information been updated recently?
  • Is currency pertinent to your research?
Objectivity / Bias / Reliability
Every author has an opinion. Recognizing this is instrumental in determining if the information presented is objective or biased. 
  • What is the purpose or motive for the source (educational, commercial, entertainment, promotional, etc.)?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • Is the author pretending to be objective, but really trying to persuade, promote or sell something?

Style / Functionality
Style and functionality may be of lesser concern. However, if the source is not well-organized, its value is diminished.
  • Is the source well-written and organized?
  • To what extent is it professional looking?
  • If it is a website, can you navigate around easily?
  • If it is a website, are links broken?

 

Based on your assignment, I identified the following databases for your research. There are many more databases available through the JWU Library homepage. Also included here is a link to our help documents, which may be useful when searching for articles.

Use the Purdue OWL to learn more about MLA style. If you have any questions or are unsure about in-text citations, your Works Cited page, or formatting in general, I attached some documents below that may help. Or, ask a librarian for help! You can also email me, kelly.faulkner@jwu.edu.