Research Strategies
Vista Murrieta High School Library
Mrs. Jacobs
Library Media Teacher
Key Word Searching
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Brainstorm words that will describe your
topic
Check spelling and typing
Balance
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Information overload
Information deficit
Keyword Strategies
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Print
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Use Broader terms:
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Environment
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Table of Contents
Index
Online
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More specific terms
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Global Warming
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“Going Green”
Pollution
Causes
Effects
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Broaden or narrow
with use of:
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And
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Or
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Not
Air, Water, Weather
Use quotations for
specific phrases
Key Word Strategies
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Combine phrases into single or word
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“Draw the line”
“What should be done?”
“way of the future”
“Should be taught”
“How can it be changed?”
“Should continue?”
limit
solutions
alternative
controversy
solution
ethics
Key Word Strategies
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Look for alternative words that describe your topic
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Civil Rights
Atomic
Racial profiling
Stem cell
America
Illegal immigration
Violent crimes
civil disobedience
nuclear
race discrimination
cloning
United States
immigration
violence
What is the question really asking?
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Nuclear power plants alternative energy sources
Online Encyclopedia
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Welcome to Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
1,413,387 articles in English
Who is responsible for the articles on Wikipedia?

You are! Actually, you can even edit this very FAQ! As there
are more than 2.34 million (2,340,000) other Wikipedians,
this is a collaborative effort. Thousands of people have
contributed information to different parts of this project, and
anyone can do so, including you. All you need is to know
how to edit a page, and have some encyclopedic knowledge
you want to share. The encyclopedia provides users with a
certain amount of freedom.
Evaluating Web Sites
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Anyone can publish on
 Focus on:
the Web
 Authority
It is “unfiltered”
 Coverage
Internet sources are much
 Currency
more fluid- the
information they provide  javascript:alert(document.lastModified)
can change in an instant
 Accuracy
Content not evaluated
 Objectivity
before posting
 Intended Audience?
Searching The Online Catalog
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E-Catalog
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Catalog of all holdings – books, periodicals,
internet sites, audiovisual
Search several ways
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Author: Author’s full name
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LAST NAME 1st
Title: Provides a list of all works the library has with
that title
Subject: Produces a list of works about the subject
Keyword: looks for individual words regardless of
their location in a name, title, or subject heading.
Boolean: Using “and”, “or”, “not” to refine search
Periodical Research
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What is a Periodical?
Something that is printed on a regular basis
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Monthly or weekly magazines
Daily newspapers
Types of Periodicals
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Popular
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People
US Weekly
Sports Illustrated
Car and Driver
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Scholarly
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English Journal
Scientific American
U.S. News and World
Report
Online Database vs. Google
Subscription Fee
Free
Current and up-to-date. Timely
research.
General. Quick and easy for small tasks
Print documents accessed
electronically
Websites could exist only in cyberspace
Editorially selected quality articles that Less than 10% of Google is K-12
are reviewed and updated regularly and curriculum-relevant and is focused mostly on
meet K-12 curriculum and state
consumer related information
standards.
Responsible person(s) clearly
identified
Links to info can be outdated and/or from
sources unknown or open to question
Author may be difficult to ascertain
No ads. The focus is work
Ads and links are sought for profit
DATABASE COMPARISON
EBSCO
E-BOOKS
SIRS
Popular and Scholarly
Country Reports
Maps, Flags, Statistics
Reference Books
Electronic Books
Curriculum Standards
Scholarly Only
World Almanac
That’s Debatable
E-Mail, Print, Download
E-Mail, Print, Download
E-Mail, Print, Download
Graphics
Journal Alerts
Graphics
Opposing Viewpoints
Graphics
Pro’s & Cons
MLA Citation Suggested
MLA Citation Completed
MLA Citation Suggested
Full Text Databases
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EBSCO
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Articles from periodicals
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Newspapers- 200 United States and International
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Magazines – 2000
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New York Times
Wall Street Journal
Time
Newsweek
Scholarly Journals – over 3000 journals
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Oxford University Press
Cambridge University Press
Access EBSCO
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Internet
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Web Address: http://search.ebscohost.com
User ID: vmhs
Password: bronco
Find login information:
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Library Brochure
Link on Library Web Page (password concealed,
click and drag mouse)
SIRS Online Database
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http://www.proquestk12.com/
Researcher is a highly acclaimed reference
resource
containing thousands of full-text articles—
many accompanied
by charts, maps, photos, diagrams, and
illustrations—exploring current and
enduring topics.
E-Books
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Quality Reference Books Online – accessible to
unlimited number of students at one time
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Arts and Humanities Through the Eras, Encyclopedia
of Clothing and Fashion, History Behind the Headlines,
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, and Science
and Its Times: Understanding the Social Significance of
Scientific Discovery, Encyclopedia of Religion,
Encyclopedia of World Biography, American Decades,
American Decade Primary Sources, Dictionary of
American History, Encyclopedia of Food and Culture,
Major 21st Century Writers, Countries and their
Cultures, Gale Encyclopedia of Science and
Encyclopedia of Bioethics.
E-BOOKS - ACCESS
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http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/murr50533
Location ID: murr50533
Password: bronco
Find login information:
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Library Brochure
Link on Library Web Page (password concealed,
click and drag mouse)
CITATION: MAGAZINE
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Author’s Last Name, First Name
__________________________________.
Title of Article “_____________________”
Name of Magazine___________________.
Date of Magazine____________________:
Pages_________. for example: 57-59
Online Citation Resources
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http://www.easybib.com/
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http://www.noodletools.com/login.php
VMHS Library Web Page
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Resources, Links, News, Upcoming Events,
MLA
Works Cited
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Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers
of Research Papers. New York: Modern
Language Association of America, 2003.