LAKSAMEE PUTNAMLPUTNAM@TOWSON.EDU

RESEARCH & INSTRUCTION LIBRARIAN

TSEM: Research Process and Searching

Agenda

How to start a search

Evaluate resources

Search tips and tricks

Finding Books: Cook Library Catalogs

Finding Articles: Databases

Hands on database practice

How can I help you?

In class session to learn how to use resourcesPhone help 410.704.3359.Email: lputnam@towson.edu Chat help

Go to Library website and click “Ask a Librarian”One-on-one appointmentsHelp at the reference desk

Web “Pre-Searching”

Why not start your search on Google? The Invisible Web

http://goshen.libguides.com/beyond_googling

Can you trust this information?

TED video: Online filter bubble – Eli Pariser http://

www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles.html

Web “Pre-Searching”

Why start your search on Google?

Find background information

Help solidify research topic

Find new terminology to use as keywords

Find links and/or citations to other sources

Evaluate what you find

Go to one of the websites below and analyze it http://bit.ly/cosmicweb1 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb2 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb3 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb4 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb5 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb6 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb7

CurrencyReliabilityAuthorityPurpose/Point of View

Check for CRAP

Currency How recent is the information? Can you locate a date when the resource was

written/created/updated? Based on your topic, is this current enough? Why might the date matter for your topic?

Check for CRAP

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

Reliability What kind of information is included in the resource? Does the author provide citations & references for

quotations & data Where am I accessing this information?

Check for CRAP

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

Authority Can you determine who the author/creator is? What are their credentials (education, affiliation,

experience, etc.)? Who is the publisher or sponsor of the work/site? Is this publisher/sponsor reputable

Check for CRAP

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

Purpose/Point of View Is the content primarily opinion? Is the information balanced or biased? What is the purpose of the information? Is it to

inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade

Check for CRAP

Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library

Formulating a Keyword Search

1. Choose a Topic

Formulating a Keyword Search

1. Choose a Topic Zero in mathematics

Formulating a Keyword Search

2. Narrow/Broaden your search

Formulating a Keyword Search

2. Narrow/Broaden your search The role of zero in the development of mathematics

Formulating a Keyword Search

3. Identify the key concepts

Formulating a Keyword Search

3. Identify the key concepts Zero

Mathematics

Development

Formulating a Keyword Search

4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms

Zero

Mathematics

Development

Formulating a Keyword Search

4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms Zero

Mathematics Math Mathematical Numerical Algebra Trigonometry

Development History Analysis Role

Formulating a Keyword Search

5. Formulate your search utilizing various combinations of your words

String them together using AND/OR/NOT

Truncate *

Good searching starts with good keywords

Boolean “search connectors”

AND OR NOT

For example:

zero AND mathematics• Combining >1 topic

Development OR history• Combining synonymous terms

Search Tip #1

Use AND when you need to combine more than one topic

Zero AND mathematics

mathematics

zero

Search Tip #2

Use OR to combine synonymous terms (to get results regardless of what term an author uses).

history development

Search Tip #3

Use truncation!

mathem* finds mathematic mathematical mathematics

Etc…

Search Tip #4

Phrase Searching… Use quotations to keep a keyword phrase intact

(words will be searched in the specific order)

Examples: “golden ratio” “Pythagorean theorem”

Putting it all together…

The role of zero in the development of mathematics

zeroNothing

“0”

developmenthistory

analysis

mathem*numericalalgebra

zero OR nothing OR “0”

AND

development OR history OR analysis

AND

mathem* OR numerical OR algebra

Find a Book

http://cooklibrary.towson.edu

Towson Books Find the Collection and Call number

USMAI Books Request it with the yellow button

Interlibrary Loan For books not in Maryland and for articles we do not

have

Find an Article

Looking for specific research about your topic

The library subscribes to thousands of journals (but not all of them)

Databases help you search through multiple journals

Use subject specific databases to help narrow your article search

Find an Article

Go to the Math Subject Gateway

Recommended databases- Academic Search Premier ScienceDirect Web of Science

Let’s start searching!

Form keywords

Then begin researching your own topic

As you are finding information on your topic please fill in this digital spreadsheet

http://bit.ly/VisualMath

Questions?

Feel free to contact me: Laksamee Putnam lputnam@towson.edu 410.704.3746. Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU

Or any reference librarian: Visit Cook Library Reference Desk 410.704.2462. IM – tucookchat