Transcript How to do Research

The Research Process
A Step-by-Step Guide to the
Academic Research Process
Wolfgram Memorial Library, Widener University
Created by Jill Borin, updated 2/2015
Before You Begin…
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For Help:

Ask a Librarian for any help with your research.
Email the Reference Desk at [email protected]
Call the Reference Desk at (610) 499-4073.
Come to the Reference Desk for personal instruction.
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
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Reference Desk Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 am –10:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm
The Research Process
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Step 1: Identify and Develop your topic
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Step 2: Search the Online Catalog (WebPAC) to Find Books and
other Resources on Your Topic
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Step 3: Search Online Subscription Databases to Find Journal
Articles and Other Scholarly Materials on your Topic.
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Step 4: Find Full Text Journal Articles
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Step 5: Find and Evaluate Internet Resources on Your Topic
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Step 6: Cite Your Sources
Step 1: Identify and Develop your Topic.
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Use books, journal articles and websites from your
discipline to find interesting and relevant concepts that
you want to explore further.
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Talk to professors to discover current issues and new
research in your field.
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Consider the multiple perspectives on your topic.
Additional Resources:
 Use this worksheet to develop your search strategy: Keyword Generation Worksheet
 Click on this link to identify the types of sources available for research: Types of
Sources
Choosing a Topic
A topic should not be too broad nor should it consist of too many
issues to be addressed effectively in one term paper.
Follow these steps when selecting a topic:
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From the Library's Homepage select a database in your subject area or
WebPAC (Library’s Online Catalog).
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Examine the titles under a broad subject area in a database or in the
catalog.
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Single out significant or critical issues within the larger subject.
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Do a brief literature search to determine if there is enough information on
your chosen topic.
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If there is enough information, then you are ready to start serious
searching. If there is not enough information on your topic, try picking out
another significant or critical issue from the larger subject.
Choosing a Topic - Example
Example: “Families”
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At the beginning stage of your research you need to determine what
aspects of "families" you want to include and what aspects you want
to exclude.
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A search for books on "families" in WebPac (Library's Online
Catalog), shows more than 43 related topics, including: -Brothers
and sisters, - Communication in families, -Single-parent families
and -Dual-career families.
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A search for articles on the topic "families” in Academic Search
Premier, a general database, gives more than 23,000 references
to scholarly journal articles and more than 15,000 references to
newspaper articles with more than 100 related topics.
Developing a Search Strategy
A search strategy consists of the keywords in your topic sentence.
Topic Sentence: College students engage in risky behavior.
Keywords:
college students
risky behavior
1. Identify synonyms to help you obtain more results. Merriam Webster’s
Thesaurus Online http://merriam-webster.com offers these synonyms for risky.
dangerous
hazardous
grievous
grave
jeopardizing
menacing
parlous
unsafe
perilous
threatening
unhealthy
serious
2. Choose examples of specific risky behaviors:
high-risk drinking
substance abuse
sexual risk-taking
3. Think about different ways to define risky.
risk-taking
risk-taking behavior
4. Obtaining a variety of terms allows you to develop a more sophisticated
search strategy.
Step 2: Search the Online Catalog (WebPAC)
Web PAC Search Screen
How to Find Books
WebPAC, the Widener University
Online Library Catalog, lists the
books, serials and audiovisual
materials that library owns.
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You can access WebPAC
from any computer with
internet access.
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From Widener University’s
Homepage select Wolfgram
Memorial Library.
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Choose Find Books and then
select WebPAC (Widener
Library Catalog).
Additional Resources:
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Finding Ebooks
Finding Journal Titles in WebPAC
Finding Reference Ebooks
Finding Videos/DVDs
Interlibrary Loan - How to
How to Find Books: Results Screens
WebPAC ( Widener’s Online Catalog)
Search for College Students and Risk:
Use the call number to locate
the book in the library.
Not all items found in WebPAC
are located in the Wolfgram
Memorial Library.
M = Main Campus (Wolfgram
Memorial Library)
H = Legal Information Center in
Harrisburg
D = Legal Information Center in
Delaware
Reading Call Numbers
Books are shelved according to the Library of Congress Classification System.
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Books are shelved in alphabetical order
by the letter(s) on the top line:
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...and then in numerical order by the
second line:
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The third and following lines in the call number
are arranged in alphabetical and decimal order.
There is a decimal point placed at the beginning
of the third line:
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Some call numbers may even have a fourth line.
This may be the year the book was published,
a copy number, or a volume number:
The books that you can check out of the library are circulating books, all located on the third level. The
library also has books that are in special collections or other locations. Some are listed below:
Reference Books (REF) are books that you may use in the library, but cannot be checked out. Reference books are
located on the main level of the library. They are indicated an REF before the LC call number.
Archives (ARCHIVES) are materials that are stored in the Archives Storage Areas on the third and ground levels. They
include yearbooks, course catalogs, newspapers, and other items of historical value that pertain to Widener’s History.
The Curriculum Collection (CURR) consists of children's literature and classroom materials. It is located on the fourth
level.
Step 3: Search Online Subscription Databases
Selected Widener Databases: Click on the database
name for step-by-step instructions for searching.
Use Wolfgram Library's Subscription Online
Databases to find scholarly articles about
your topic. You can also obtain access to
dissertations, book titles and Newspaper
Articles from the databases.
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Database
Click on Databases Listed by Title to
obtain a list of the databases that you
can access at Wolfgram Memorial
Library.
Academic Search Premier
Interdisciplinary
Compendex
Engineering
ERIC
Education
Humanities International
Complete
Humanities
JSTOR
Interdisciplinary
Medline
Medicine & Health
Sociology, Social Work
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Click here for instructions on accessing
the databases from off-campus.
SocINDEX with Full Text
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Click on Research by Subject Area and
choose your discipline to find the most
useful databases for your field.
Additional Resources:
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Subjects Covered
Finding Book Reviews in Academic Search Premier
Finding Book Reviews in ProQuest Central
Finding Journal Titles in the A-Z Electronic Title List
Interlibrary Loan - How To
Making Google Scholar Work for You
Preferred Terms for Life Stages/Age Groups
How to Search Databases
Example: Searching Academic Search Premier
1.
From the Library’s Homepage, select Find Articles.
2.
Select Databases Listed by Title, an alphabetical list of the databases
accessible at the Wolfgram Memorial Library.
3.
Choose A and then Academic Search Premier.
Academic Search Premier:
 The main module of the EbscoHost databases.
 Designed specifically for academic institutions.
 The world's largest scholarly, multi-disciplinary full text database.
 Offers indexing and abstracts for more than 8,200 journals.
4.
Always follow a step-by-step process when searching a database.
5.
Obtaining the correct terminology for a search is essential.
6.
The only way to master using this database, or any database, is through
practice.
Databases: Search Screen
Academic Search Premier
Search for college students and risky behavior, limiting to Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals.
Databases: Results Screen
Academic Search Premier
Databases: Searching with Limits - Results
Academic Search Premier
Limit your search to a specific high risk behavior, this will allow you to retrieve more relevant
results. Search for college students and high-risk drinking, limiting to Scholarly (Peer
Reviewed) Journals.
Databases: Searching with Limits – Full Result
Academic Search Premier
Choose: Heavy Drinking in College
Students: Who is at Risk and What
is being Done About it?
Databases: PDF Full Text Format
Academic Search Premier
Click on the PDF Full Text icon
to obtain the full text for this article
Evaluating Journal Articles
Scholarly (Peer Reviewed)
Journal Articles
Non-Scholarly (Popular) Journal
Articles
Definition
Scholarly articles are "peer-reviewed" by
other experts in the field. Are also
sometimes called "refereed articles."
Non-scholarly articles are meant to inform or
entertain readers rather than provide in-depth
analysis.
Content
Content of articles usually reports on
original research or experimentation.
Content of articles often reports on other
research or events rather than presenting
original research.
Bibliography
Articles usually list references in footnotes
or endnotes.
Articles are seldom footnoted and the source
of information is seldom given.
Illustrations
Illustrations, if any, are usually graphs and
charts that support the subject content.
Often are illustrated with glossy or color
photographs.
Authors
Articles are written by identified experts in
the field who are often affiliated with a
named university or research center.
Author's name is often not supplied. Authors
are usually on the staff of the magazine or are
freelance writers.
Length/Depth
Articles are generally long and contain indepth coverage of the topic.
Articles are often short and intended to provide
an overview of a topic rather than an in-depth
analysis.
Advertising
Contain few if any advertisements.
Usually contain many advertisements.
Publisher
Frequently, articles are published by a
scholarly professional organization (e.g.
American Chemical Society, American
Psychological Association).
Publishers are marketing to the general public
and usually make their publications available in
stores and newsstands.
Language
Authors write in the language of their
discipline
Articles are directed towards the general public
and written in non-technical language.
Step 4: Find Full Text Journal Articles
Finding the full text of a journal article is a four (4) step
process:
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Step 1 - Find the Full Text in the Article's Citation
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Step 2- Find the Full Text through LinkSource
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Step 3- Find the Full Text in the Library Holdings
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Step 4- Use ILLiad to Order the Full Text
Additional Resources:
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Finding Journal Titles in WebPAC
Finding Journal Titles in the A-Z Electronic Title List
Interlibrary Loan - How To
1. Find the Full Text in the Citation
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Look for the Full Text link under the citation:
2: Find the Full Text through LinkSource
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If you do not see a Full Text Link under the article’s citation, click on
Check LinkSource for More Information.
LinkSource will search all of the library’s databases to see if your article is
available in Full Text from another online resource.
If LinkSource finds your article in Full Text you will get a list that looks like
this:
3. Find the Full Text in the Library Holdings
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If LinkSource did find the Full Text of your article, Clink on the Display
Library Holdings for this Journal Title link to see if the library owns the
journal.
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Write down the Call Number from the catalog, go to the shelf, and
photocopy your article.
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If the library does not own your journal, you will see this message:
4. Use ILLiad to Order the Full Text
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If you still want the Full Text of your article, you will have to request it from
another library using ILLiad, the library’s Interlibrary Loan system.
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Return to your LinkSource window and click on Request This Item
Through Interlibrary Loan:
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You will be taken to the ILLiad Log-on Screen. Once you enter your
ILLiad username and password all of the fields in the request form will be
filled in for you automatically.
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Once you have logged on and submitted the Interlibrary Loan Request,
you will be notified via email when your article is available.
Step 5: Find and Evaluate Internet Resources
Wolfgram Library Video Tutorials
Click on the link to view the tutorial on YouTube:
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Evaluating Web Pages
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Evaluating Blogs for Scholarly Research
Using Wikipedia for Scholarly Research
Subject Guides Featuring Scholarly Websites
American History
Management
Information Systems
Anthropology
Math Education
Art
Music
Biology
Nursing
Business Administration
Philosophy/Religion
Clinical Psychology
Physical Therapy
Communication Studies
Poetry
Criminal Justice
Political Science
Economics
Psychology
Education
Science
Hospitality
Social Work
Human Sexuality
Sociology
International Relations
Women's /Gender
Studies
Literature
World History
Web Site Evaluation Criteria
- Characteristics
Criteria
Characteristics
Authority
An authoritative source makes clear:
Who is responsible for page content
Author’s qualifications
Accuracy
An accurate site presents information that:
Is based upon verifiable fact
Lists sources for presented information
Links to reputable outside sources
Currency
A Web site with currency includes:
Date the page was written, placed on the Web and last revised
Timely information, when appropriate
No dead links
Objectivity
An objective source:
Presents information with a minimum of bias
Is fair, balanced and reasonable
Web Site Evaluation Criteria - Problems
Criteria
Problems
Authority
Can
Accuracy
Almost
Currency
Site
Objectivity
Site
be difficult to determine authorship
Author’s qualifications are frequently absent
Publisher responsibility often not indicated
Contact information may not be listed
anyone can publish on the Web
Many Web resources not verified by editors
May include lies, distortions, myths, dubious data and stereotypes
May not provide links to reputable outside sources
may not display dates
Page may present stale information
Site may include dead links
pretends to be objective, but only presents one point of view
May not differentiate advocacy vs. fact
May provide biased information in order to promote a product
Blogs Evaluation Questions
Criteria
Questions
Authority
Does
Accuracy
Does
Currency
Is
Objectivity
Is
the blog include upfront bio, credentials and contact info?
Are posts signed by an identifiable author?
Does the blogger have expertise or influence on the blog’s topic?
the blog include links to reputable outside sources?
Does the blog include a blogroll of credible blogs?
this blog alive, containing current and regular posts?
Does the blog provide information about the timing of the blog in
relation to its content?
the blog upfront about its bias?
Is the blog author tolerant of opposing point of view?
Does the blog contain advertisements?
Additional Criteria for Evaluating Blogs:
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Language - How sophisticated is the language and the spelling?
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Appearance - Does the blog have a professional appearance?
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Usefulness - Is this blog useful for academic research?
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Influence - What is the influence of this blog on debate about the topic?
What Web Search Engines Won't Find
The Public Web, Available for Free
The Private Web, Available for a Fee
Anyone Can Publish Anything
Provides Value Added Information
Information May Be:
Unfiltered
Raw
Untamed
Information Has Been:
Filtered
Edited
Selected
Information May Be Of Widely Differing
Reliability, Examples:
The Web sites of scholarly
professional societies, whose
information is very likely to be
trustworthy.
The Web sites of Aunt Sally or Uncle
Charlie, sites that may or may not have
reliable, trustworthy information on them.
Web sites from advocacy organizations
or commercial sites.
Much Of The Information Can Be
Identified As Being Reliable, Examples:
The online version of publications such as
the Journal of the American Medical
Association or the Wall Street Journal, that
individuals can subscribe to.
Databases subscribed to by Widener
University such as Academic Search
Premier, ERIC or JSTOR that lead to a vast
collection of Scholarly Literature.
Electronic Journals subscribed to by
Widener University.
The University of Texas libraries provided the inspiration for this page.
Step 6: Cite your Sources
Wolfgram Memorial Library has copies of all style manuals behind the reference
desk. These print sources include accurate and up-to-date examples for all types
of sources that you may encounter.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th
Edition. (Call Number: DESK REF BF76.7.P83 2010)
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Edition.
(Call Number: DESK REF LB2369.G53 2009)
Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition.
(Call Number: DESK REF Z253 .C534 2010)
Turabian, Kate. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and
Dissertations, 7th Edition.
(Call Number: DESK REF LB2369.T8 2007)
For information on how to prepare an annotated bibliography, go to:
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill28.htm
APA Citation Style - http://www.apastyle.org/manual/index.aspx
 APA reference with the digital object identifier (DOI):
APA Style Resources
o Where to find the DOI: Databases list the DOI on the brief and full
citations. It also appears on the 1st page of most PDF documents.
 APA reference without the DOI:
o *Persistent URL: If the reference does not include a DOI and you
retrieved the article online, include the article's persistent URL

APA Style Take Home
Guide
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APA Citation Style Video
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APA Citation Style
Resources
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Citing Government
Documents and
Information in APA Style
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DOI and URL Flow Chart
MLA Citation Style - http://www.mla.org/
 MLA reference
MLA Style Resources
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MLA Style Take Home
Guide
Chicago Manual of Style - http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org
 Chicago Manual of Style reference with the digital object identifier (DOI):
o Where to find the DOI: Databases list the DOI on the brief and full
citations. It also appears on the 1st page of most PDF documents.
 Chicago Manual of Style reference without the DOI:
o Persistent URL: If the reference does not include a DOI and you
retrieved the article online, include the article's persistent URL
To obtain additional help:




Ask a Librarian for any help with your research.
Email the Reference Desk at: [email protected]
Call the Reference Desk at (610) 499-4073.
Come to the Reference Desk for personal instruction.
Reference Desk Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm