Starting Your Research
Library Instruction
spring 2009
Mary S. Woodley
818-677-6302
mary.woodley@csun.edu
http://library.csun.edu/mwoodley/Sociology.ppt
What is the assignment?
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Paper, Presentation, Annotated Bibliography?
Due date – when is the last date for ILL
Types of publications?
Citation Style?
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AAA Style Guide
http://www.aaanet.org/pubs/style_guide.htm
Ready reference available on the Web
http://library.csun.edu/Find_Resources/e-books/estylegd.html
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General works in the Oviatt Library, search
Subject heading
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Authorship -- Style manuals
or
Report writing -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Specific Style Guide, search
Keyword:
MLA style or Chicago style or
Subject Heading: Publication manual of the American Psychological Association
Why Cite?
Avoid Plagiarism -- To plagiarize means to:
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Steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own;
Use (another's production) without crediting the source;
Commit literary theft;
Present as new and original an idea or product derived from an
existing source.
(Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary definition of "plagiarize,"
retrieved June 20, 2005)
http://library.csun.edu/Research_Assistance/plagiarism.html
Basic Search Strategies:
Words to Search by
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Write out your topic then pick out the
key concepts
Jargon
Keyword
Controlled vocabulary – Subject
words/phrases
Basic Search Strategies:
Putting concepts together
Boolean operator and
Race
Criminal
Trials
Venn diagrams serve as a visual expression of the Boolean
operations
Basic Search Strategies:
Putting concepts together
Boolean operator or
Race
Racial
Racism
Basic Search Strategies:
Putting concepts together
Boolean operator not
and
Race
sentencing
not
Death penalty
Truncation
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Symbol used at the end of a word to retrieve variant endings of
that word.
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Allows you to search the "root" form of a word with all its
different endings.
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Broadens or increases search results. Truncation = OR
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Example: teen* retrieves teen OR teens OR teenager OR
teenagers
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However: rac* retrieves race, racism and racial, but also
racoon, racy, raceway, Rachmaninoff, etc.
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Use OR instead to maintain meaning: racism or racial
profiling
S
Think of different ways to
express the same idea or place
Need a book?
1. Search the Library's online catalog. Try
searching using the keyword search.
2. Write down the floor location of the
book and the call number where the
book will be found on the shelf
How Call Numbers Work
Need an article?
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Popular magazines
Trade publications
Scholarly publications
All three may be available in print or
online or both
Types of Periodicals
Scholarly Journals
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Authors are authorities in their fields.
Authors cite their sources in endnotes,
footnotes, or bibliographies.
Individual issues have little or no advertising.
Illustrations usually take the form of charts
and graphs.
Types of Periodicals:
Scholarly Journals
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Articles must go through a peer-review or
refereed process.
Scholarly/academic articles that are read by academic or scholar
"referees" for advice and evaluation of content when submitted for
publication. Referees recommend to the editor/editorial board
whether the article should be published as is, revised, or rejected. Also
sometimes know as "peer-reviewed" articles.
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Articles are usually reports on scholarly
research.
Articles use jargon of the discipline.
Popular Magazines
and Newpapers
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Authors are magazine staff members
or free lance writers.
Authors often mention sources, but rarely formally
cite them in bibliographies.
Individual issues contain numerous
advertisements.
There is no peer review process.
Articles are meant to inform and entertain.
Illustrations may be numerous and colorful.
Language is geared to the general adult audience
(no specialized knowledge of jargon needed).
Internet Resources vs.
Surfing the Web
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Internet Resources include:
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Internet accessible databases and journals
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Use a Web interface
Usually require subscription
 Exception: ERIC Wizard
Equivalent to print indexes and journals
Authoritative and reliable
Surfing the Web:
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Use free search engines
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E.G.: Yahoo, Google, HotBot
Critical evaluation required
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Anyone can put up a Web page!
Evaluating Web pages
(http://library.csun.edu/mwoodley/Webeval.html)
Evaluating Internet Resources
World Wide Web sites come in many sizes and styles. How do you distinguish a
site that gives reliable information from one that gives incorrect information?
Below are some guidelines to help.
Types of Web Sites: the url is a key
.gov
.edu
.org
.com
Authority
Content & Coverage
Timeliness
Accuracy
Objectivity