In
today's Information Age, with new electronic resources appearing on a
daily basis, it can be difficult to know where to start when you're
beginning a research project. Maybe you need background information for
a research paper, or maybe you're conducting a full fledged literature
review for your thesis. No matter what the assignment may be, there are
some suggestions we can offer as you start your research project.
Listed below are the questions we hear most frequently from student
researchers. Click on the questions to review their answers before
starting out on your own quest for online information sources.
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Resource Selection
1. How can I know which
database is best suited to my topic?
2.
What are some general
databases that cover a broad range of topics?
3.
What is the
difference between a full text and a citation database?
4.
How do I
locate the full text of an article when all I have is the citation?
5.
Where can I find some
good background sources for my research?
6.
What should I be
looking for when I use the Web for research?
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Search Strategies
7. How do I convert my
research topic to a search strategy?
8. What are Boolean
operators?
9. Why would I want to
use Boolean operators?
10. How can I limit my search
results?
11. Are there any rules for
conducting effective research?
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Access to Online Resources
12. How do I access
online databases off campus?
13. How do distance
students access online resources?
14. How do I report
online database access problems?
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More Help with Your
Research
15. How do I place an
interlibrary loan request?
16. Where can I find
help with preparing citations?
17.
Where else can I go
to find help with my research?
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1. How can I know which database is best suited to
my topic
Williams Library subscribes to more than 80 online databases. You can
find an alphabetical listing of the databases available to you on the
library's
Online Databases
page. To make it easier for you to identify
the right databases for your research we've created a
Databases by Subject
page. This page provides a listing of
many of the major subject areas. Click on your subject area to see a
list of the databases we suggest for your research.
2. What are some general databases that cover a broad range of
topics?
You might try
Academic Search Premier,
MasterFILE Premier, or
ProQuest to conduct a search over a broad range of topics.
3. What is the difference between a full text
database and a citation database?
Typically, a full text database provides the citation, an abstract
(article summary), and the full text for many of the articles included
in that database. Often you'll have the option of viewing and/or
printing the article in HTML format and as a PDF.
When you're conducting research in a citation or abstract database,
the records you see in your search result will not include an option
to view the full text of an article. You'll need to take note of the
citation information from the records that interest you and attempt to
locate the full text of those articles elsewhere. We talk about
locating full text articles when all you have is a citation in the
following question.
4. How do I locate the full text of an article when all I have is
the citation?
Use the
Online Journals List
to locate specific journals that appear in
full text in one or more of our online databases.
When you've found the citation for an article you need:
- Go to the
Online Journals List.
A link to the
Online Journals List
appears on the library's home page.
- Type the name
of the journal in which your article appears in the Find: box
in the upper right corner of the screen.
SEARCH TIP: If you're searching for a journal title that begins
with an initial article (for example, The Economist), omit the
initial article from your Find: search. Using the example of
The Economist, you would drop off the initial article The
and type Economist in the Find: box.
- The
Online Journals List
is searched to locate the journal you've
requested.
- If we have
the journal in full text in one or more of our online databases,
you'll see a list of those databases, with hyperlinks to take you to
the databases, appear on the screen.
a. Click on one of the database links and conduct a search in that
database for your specific article.
b. To conduct the search you might enter the first few words of the
article title in one of the search boxes and specify that your search
is to be conducted as a title search.
- If the
journal is not found in full text within our online collection, you'll
receive a message of No Titles...
- Check to see
if the journal you need is in our print collection. Go to the
library catalog
and conduct a search using the journal title.
NOTE TO DISTANCE STUDENTS: If you find the journal you need in
the library's print collection (that is, you find the journal title in
the library catalog), you still need to place an
interlibrary loan request
for the article. When we receive your request we'll locate the
article in our print collection, make a photocopy, and mail it to you.
- If you are
unable to find the full text of an article you need in one of our
online databases or in our print collection, you can place an
interlibrary loan request for the article. See
how to place an
interlibrary loan request
for more information.
- Contact a
librarian for assistance if you aren't sure of your next step in
locating an article you need. See
where to find help
for contact information.
5. Where can I find some good background sources for
my research?
Encyclopedias and dictionaries are great places to start your
research. Williams Library provides online access to reference
resources (encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks) through
Reference Center (netLibrary),
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Oxford English Dictionary, and
Oxford Reference Online. Look for links to these resources in
the alphabetical listing on the library's
Online Databases page.
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6. What should I be looking for when I use the Web
for research?
The World Wide Web can be a great resource for information on a
research topic. Bear in mind, however, that the Web is unmediated.
There is no peer review process on the Web. This means the Web
researcher must be particularly vigilant in evaluating information
before using it in scholarly research.
Think about these things when you’re surfing the Web:
Who is
the author or producer of the page?
What is
the authority or expertise of the individual or group that created
the site?
Is the
producer of the page likely to have a particular bias on the
subject? Or is the producer likely to provide an objective
interpretation?
Is there
a revision date on the page? Is it current?
Is
contact information on the individual or group creating the page
readily available?
Are the
links functional? Do they take you to sites that have moved?
Has the
site been carefully crafted to make navigation easy?
Is the
site comprehensive? Or does it cover only a small fraction of the
information available?
Is the
site well written? Are there numerous grammatical or spelling
errors?
Why is
the site online? Are there other resources (print and nonprint)
available on this subject?
For more
information on evaluating information resources you find on the Web,
as well as tips to evaluate the books and articles you use in your
research, check our
Evaluating Information Resources page.
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7. How do I convert my research topic to a search
strategy?
Start thinking of your research question as a grouping of concepts.
Write down each main idea in your question as Concept 1, Concept 2,
Concept 3, etc. You'll probably have no more than three or four
concepts in your research question.
Consider the sample research question: Do people who start smoking as
teenagers have a greater risk of developing cancer than those who
start smoking later in life? You might break this research question
into the following concepts:
Concept 1 - smoking
Concept 2 - teens
Concept 3 - cancer
Once you've broken down your research question into distinct concepts
or ideas, find more than one way to describe each concept using a few
words or phrases. Think about using synonyms and broader or narrower
terms. For example, consider Concept 1 in our sample research
question-smoking. You might use "tobacco" or "cigarette" as alternate
ways to describe this concept.
Now that you've made your list of concepts for each element of your
research question, it's time to put the concepts together to form your
research strategy. We suggest that you use Boolean operators to link
your concepts and create a comprehensive search statement. Read on in
the question and answer below to learn more about Boolean operators.
8. What are Boolean operators?
Charles Boole, an 18th century English mathematician and logician,
developed a form of symbolic logic (aka mathematical logic) called
Boolean Logic. In online research we use the Boolean operators AND,
OR, NOT to combine search terms. Think of Boolean
operators as a way to search for more than one thing at a time.
AND searches for occurrences of ALL of the search terms in a
single record
OR searches for records that contain ANY of the terms
NOT searches for records that contain the first term but not the
second term
Using our sample research question above, we might create the following
search strategy:
(smoking OR tobacco) AND (teens OR children) AND
(cancer OR health problems)
Learn more about Boolean operators at the following sites:
Library of Congress Online Catalog Help Pages - Boolean Searching
University at Albany: A Primer in Boolean Logic
Utah Academic Library Consortium - Create Searches
9. Why would I want to use Boolean operators?
Using Boolean operators will make you a more efficient researcher. By
linking multiple concepts with the appropriate Boolean operators you can
refine your searches to get the type of search results you want in fewer
search attempts.
Most of the online databases provide a online search form on their
Advanced Search screens that includes the use of Boolean operators.
Start your search on an Advanced Search screen and look for the small
drop-down menus that appear next to each of the boxes for your entry of
search terms. You'll find the Boolean operators at work there
automatically combining your search terms.
10. How can I limit my search results?
Look for check boxes in the online search form on an Advanced Search
screen that will allow you to limit your search. It's as easy as
that—just check the right boxes. Most databases will allow you to limit
your search in the following ways:
By date
Only scholarly/peer reviewed/refereed journals
Only full text articles
Publication type
Publication name
Document type
11. Are there any rules for conducting effective research?
There are no magic answers when it comes to research. Sometimes
persistence is the most important element of a research strategy. But
you might keep these basic rules in mind when you're starting to
research:
- Analyze your
topic and break it down into individual concepts.
- Identify
different ways to describe each concept in your topic.
- Combine your
concepts or search terms to broaden or narrow your search using the
Boolean operators OR, AND, NOT.
- Select the
appropriate electronic resource; check the
Databases by Subject
page for ideas.
- Enter the
search commands with the appropriate Boolean operators.
- Evaluate the
search results.
- Revise the
search in light of your results.
- Check the
Online Journals List
to try to find the full text of an
article if it wasn't available in the database you searched.
- Check to see
if the journal you need is in our print collection. Go to the library
catalog and conduct a search using the journal title.
NOTE
TO DISTANCE STUDENTS: If you find the journal you need in the
library's print collection (that is, you find the journal title in the
library catalog), you still need to place an
interlibrary loan request
for the article. When we receive your request we'll locate the
article in our print collection, make a photocopy, and mail it to you.
- If you can't
find the full text of an article in our online or print collections,
make an
interlibrary
loan request
for the article.
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12.
How do I access online databases off campus?
Our licensing agreements with database vendors require that we limit
access to faculty, students, and staff of Northern State University.
When you're on campus using one of our networked computers, we know
you're part of the Northern State University academic community and can
provide you with immediate access to these licensed resources. When
you're off campus, the only way we can know that you're part of the NSU
community is to ask you to enter some type of identifying information.
Here's how to access databases from off campus
Start with the
Online Databases
page and click on the name of the database you
want to search. You'll be presented with a login screen that prompts you
to enter the 14-digit barcode number from your NSU ID. After you
correctly enter your barcode number you'll be connected to the database
and can start your research. It's quick and easy and allows you to
access online resources anytime, anywhere.
13. How do distance students access online resources?
We have an
online application form
that you can complete to request a
student ID/library card. Allow 2-3 working days for processing your
request. You'll receive an ID/library card in the mail that has the
barcode number you'll need to access the online databases and place
interlibrary loan requests.
14. How do I report online database access problems?
Contact our reference desk by phone at 605 626-3018 or by
email.
We'll look into the problem and get back to you as
soon as we can.
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15.
How do I place an interlibrary loan request?
When you've exhausted all possibilities for finding the full text
article you need in the Williams Library print and online collections,
we can try to obtain the article from another library. For us to make
such a request, you must place an interlibrary loan request for the
article. We have an online form that's easy to use. Here's how to place
your online interlibrary loan request:
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1. |
Click on the
InterLibrary Loan Form
link that appears on the library's
home page. You will be taken to a screen that explains the log in
process. |
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2. |
Click the
button or link for Submit an InterLibrary Loan. |
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3. |
Log in using
the 14 digit barcode number that appears on the back of your NSU ID
in the Library Barcode field. Your Password is your
last name. Set Library to NSU. |
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4. |
Click Enter. |
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5. |
You will be
taken to a screen containing information about your library
account. Click on the InterLibrary Loan form to the upper
right. |
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6. |
An online form
appears. Please fill out as completely as possible. The form
defaults to a Book order form. Click Journal to order
a journal article. |
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7. |
Copy and paste
information from the article citation in the remaining blanks in the
form. Skip the fields for which you have no information. Choose a
date range in the Deadline field. Allow for mail time, but
realize the item will be sent to you as soon as we receive it.
Click the Copyright statement box if you are ordering a
journal article. |
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8. |
Click Enter. |
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9. |
The article
will be mailed to your on-campus address as soon as it is received. |
16.
Where can I find help with preparing citations?
Citation styles are used to format certain pieces of information (for
example, author, title, publisher, place and year of publication for a
book; author, article title and periodical title, date, volume and
page numbers for a periodical) about an information source.
Complete and properly formatted citations are used to identify and
locate an information source. Typically, a list of citations is
included at the end of a scholarly paper as a Reference or Works Cited
page. You'll find that citation styles vary by academic discipline.
While APA and MLA citation styles are most commonly used on college
campuses, there are other styles your instructors may ask you to use.
Check the library's
Citation Styles page for links to cheat sheets, examples of
citations, and additional information about formatting citation
information from your resources.
17.
Where else can I go to find help with my research?
We offer a variety of ways for you to get help with your research:
In
Person. Stop in to see our reference librarians or reference
assistants at the reference desk during the hours the library is
open and classes are in session. Check the
Library Hours
Web page for a schedule.
By
Telephone. Call 605 626-3018 or toll free at 800 678-5330 (press
1 for Admissions) to speak with a reference librarian or reference
assistant. Call the reference desk during the hours the library is
open and classes are in session. Check the
Library Hours
Web page for a schedule.
By Email.
Use our
email form
to send your question to our reference
librarians. You can expect a response within 24 hours when classes
are in session (excluding weekends and holidays). Check the
Library Hours
Web page for a schedule.
Live Chat.
Try our live chat reference service,
Ask the Librarians-Live.
Log on to ask your question and receive a quick response, online and
in real time. The live chat reference service is available
Monday-Thursday, 2 pm to 9 pm, when classes are in session.
By Fax.
Send a fax to 605 626-2473 and direct it to the attention of the
reference desk. You'll receive a response in return by fax, if you
so indicate, or by email, within 24 hours.
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