Transcript Slide 1
Getting Started with
College Research
STEPHENS-BURNETT MEMORIAL LIBRARY
CARSON-NEWMAN COLLEGE
One Step at a Time
We know that making the switch from high school to
college research can seem scary and overwhelming.
Don’t worry! The C-N Librarians are here
to make your life easier.
Follow their instructions for doing research and you’ll
become a research pro in no time at all.
Always Start Here
Get familiar with the Library homepage.
It’s your starting point for everything you’ll need.
Access CN e-mail, Blackboard, and
CN Connect with this toolbar
Library Resources:
Access the Library Catalog,
Databases, and more.
How Do I:
Helpful tips
for citing &
research
Library
Hours
Learn about the Library
You may have a lot of questions as you begin doing college research. The Library’s Virtual Tour
will show you how to find your way around.
Here are some common types of questions that the Virtual Tour can answer:
My professor said I have to pick an article to read in a particular journal. I don’t even know
where the journals are – how am I supposed to find a specific issue?
I’m supposed to check out a book for my paper. How do I know if we have it in the Library?
And then where would I find the book?
My class is meeting in the Library today. Where is that lab located?
Does the Library have any quiet rooms I can use to study for my test?
I heard there’s a coffee shop on campus. Wasn’t that in the Library?
My computer is so old…I wonder if the Library’s computers have the newest version of
Microsoft Office?
But that’s not all it will tell you, so
check the Virtual Tour out now.
(http://library.cn.edu/tour/vtourmain.htm)
Before You Begin Your Research
• Examine your assignment and note important
details and requirements (length, due date,
subject matter, number of resources required,
etc.)
• Pick your topic. If you need some ideas, you
can visit the Library’s help page, “How Do I…?”
for research topic ideas.
What is Background Information…
And Why Do We Need It?
Background information helps us gain an initial
understanding of a topic. It provides us:
• An overview of the topic
• Key terms and issues
• Related topics
If you begin your research without first having a good
general understanding of your topic, there is a good
chance you may miss out on important details and
resources. One of your first steps should always be
making sure you are familiar with your topic.
Finding Background Information
1. Where do you find these background articles?
- general works on the topic (books, encyclopedias, etc.)
- articles from CQ Researcher Online, Facts.com,
Points of View Reference Center, & Access World News
2. How do you find these background articles?
- the next few slides will show you how.
Finding General Books for
background information
- Go to the Library homepage and look under “Library Resources”…next,
- Click on the Library Catalog link…next,
- From the searching drop-down menu, select “Keyword”…next,
- Type a general topic (example: elections) into the search box.
Click the dropdown menu
and select
“keyword”
Type your search terms
into the search box
Click
“Go”
Finding General Articles
about Current Topics…
-Go to the Library homepage and look under “Library Resources”…next,
-Click on the Databases A-Z link…next,
-Use the alphabetical links to find the database you want.
Click “C” for
CQ Electronic Library
Click “F” for
Facts.com
Using CQ Researcher Online
Each topic covered is a small booklet that you can read or print.
List of
Recent Topics
Using Facts.com Issues and Controversies
Look through these lists of topics. There are many articles on each topic listed.
List of
Subjects
Using Points of View
View a List of
All Topics
Using Access World News (NewsBank)
Okay, I’ve Found the Background
Information…Now What?
Think about the information on your topic.
1. From the background articles, look for:
- Important people, themes, and dates related to the topic
- Major concepts or related topics such as major legislation
- Aspects or ideas that interest you
2. Think about how you would like to focus your topic:
Do you need to narrow it down? You can limit it to…
- A country or region such as the United States
- A certain time period such as the last 10 years
- A particular population group such as children, teenagers, etc.
- A special aspect such as religious, political, etc.
Now You Know:
After completing this module, you should have learned:
• The general floor plan of the library and location of library
materials from the Virtual Tour
• Guidelines for determining what information you need
• Where to look for help locating a topic for research
• Where to look for background information on your topic
• What to look for in background resources
• Some ways to limit or focus your topic
Coming Up:
You are now ready to learn where and how to search
for the different types of resources used in college
research. You will do this in the next 4 units.
Coming Up:
Unit 3: Developing a Search Statement
Unit 4: Finding Books in the Library Catalog
Unit 5: Finding Articles in a C-N Database
Unit 6: Using and Evaluating Web Pages
And Don’t Forget…
Need help?
Ask a Librarian!
The C-N Reference Librarians are here and happy to help
with any questions you may have.
Call, Click, or Visit!
Ms. Kelli Williams
Mrs. Lew Conerly
471-3338
471-3340
[email protected]
[email protected]
Our offices are on the main floor of the Library.
http://library.cn.edu