Future Profile:
Searching for
Career and Biographical
Information
ZOLA MUMFORD, MLIS
REFERENCE LIBRARIAN
zola.mumford@seattlecolleges.edu
library.northseattle.edu
 Article
databases

Reference Collection

Catalog

LibGuides (research guides)
Article
Databases
&
Encyclopedias

The library subscribes to databases containing articles from
thousands of magazines, newspapers and journals. Each
database has a particular focus and pays attention to its own
particular set of periodicals.
Here's where to find the databases:
Be sure to log
in with your
NetID first.
Search terms

The first step in research is to
think of the right words.

Start with a sentence about
your research topic, like
this:
I want to write
about
the career
accomplishments
of a nurse.
Next, highlight the words that most
closely relate to your topic:
I want to write about
the career accomplishments of a nurse.
Now make a chart giving each highlighted
word its own column, like this:
Nurse
Career
Accomplishments
Fill in the columns with
other ways to express the
same thought.
Nurse
career
accomplishments
“Nursing"
profession
promoted
“Work done by a
nurse"
education
learned
“Nursing mentor"
“career
development”
mentorship
Now you have a good collection of search terms. When you go to a
database, you usually see a search page with several boxes, like this:
Put one search term into one box, and a second search term into a second
box. If that doesn't get good results, try a different combination of search
terms, one per box. Play with the options in the "select a field" box. Or try using
just one search term, or three. Eventually you'll figure out the best
combination.
“Accountant" AND “accomplishments"
“Medical Assistant" OR “job duties”
Your first results may not be perfect, but look at them carefully. Often the titles,
abstracts and subject headings can help you refine your list of search
terms. Then search again using your new list of terms.
How do you know if a source is
reliable?
People published rumors,
fiction, nonsense and lies
long before the printing
press. They still do.
Here is the A B C D of
examining books, articles,
speeches, films, web sites
and any other sources you
may encounter.

Authority: who is the author? How do you
know they know what they're talking about?

Bias: what is the purpose of the source? Is the
author's standpoint stated clearly?

Currency: when was the source created or
updated?

Documentation: are claims documented with
citations or links to legitimate websites?
Examples
BIOGRAPHIES
Musicians and Composers of the 20th Century
(Salem History)
http://bit.ly/1txS5FI
Parts of the biographical essay
in the example:

The Life (birthplace, family education)

The Music (work done by the person)

Musical Legacy (recordings, performances, projects, accomplishments)

Further Reading (bibliography, information about where to learn more
about the person)
eLibrary
Search
Result
Now try these search terms using
your job or professional title:
Obituary
AND
“electrical engineer”
or
Obituary, “electrical engineer”
Remember to use quotation marks.
What are your search results? Read a few examples.
Other Resources

Reference Librarians

Reference Collection

Circulating Collection

Question Point

Research guides
(LibGuides)
Reference Collection

Use these books inside the library. Search the catalog or
browse the shelf.
What questions do you
have about what you’ve
learned today?
Thank you
for your attention
Zola Mumford, MLIS
Reference Librarian
zola.mumford@seattlecolleges.edu
library.northseattle.edu