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Learn how to locate sources for your research paper.

Research

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What is Research?

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Research is a systematic approach to defining,

refining, gathering and evaluating information.

With a world of information, we need to be systematic to find anything…

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Hi. I’m librarian Mary Beth Parkinson. I’ll guide you through

researching a topic using a range of print and electronic sources.Need Help? Ask Us!

Brendlinger Library(215) 641-6594West Campus Library(610) 718-1864IM a librarianrefdesk@mc3.edu

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Choose a topic

Write down a topic you want to learn more about. For example…

Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderYour topic will gain focus as you do research.

Photo by Sgt. Russell Gilchrest http://www.army.mil/yearinphotos/2010/february.html

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Start with the basics!Familiarize yourself with

your topic by finding background information in a

subject encyclopedia.

Your textbook is also a good source for background information!

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Subject encyclopedias

You will find …• An overview of your topic;• Ideas to focus your topic;• Keywords to search for books

and articles;• Bibliographies to point out

useful books, webpages, and articles.

Talk with a librarian to find the best print or online encyclopedia!

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Using a subject encyclopedia

To find articles in a print encyclopedia, check the index located in the last volume.

Here is an example from the Encyclopedia of Psychology. Arrows point to articles that may be of use.

The numbers represent volume: page number. The primary article is in bold.

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Also on ourwebsite…

We have a number of online encyclopedias and briefs on current issues.

On our library website, go to Research and choose “Current Issues”

Look for…• Credo Reference• CQ Researcher• Opposing Viewpoints

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As you read your encyclopedia article, highlight keywords.

Highlighters: photosteve101/Flikr

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Keywordsare words that define or describe your topic

Skeleton Key: Courtney Mault/Flikr

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Forexample

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Brainstorm your own keywords.

Try synonyms of words you found in your reading.

Also consider people, places and terminology related to your topic

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Focus your topic.

After you collect keywords, try focusing your topic by writing your ideas as

questions. For example…

How has care for veterans suffering from PTSD improved in the past century?

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Keywordsunlock

information

Keyhole photo: Just Chaos/Flikr

You will search by keyword to find books & articles tagged with matching keywords.

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Let’s compare our libraries to Facebook…

On Facebook, photos are tagged with names. Search a name and find

photos of that person.

Mary Beth

Sarah

Jerry

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In our libraries books & articles are tagged with titles, authors,

subjects and descriptions.

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Now let’s put your keywords

to work

Let’s find books, articles,

websites and more

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Finding Books

& subject encyclopedias

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In the Quick Search box, click the “Books” tab

Here you can do simple title, author or subject searches. Click Advanced Search

for more complicated searches.

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Search Results

B

A D

Each entry will have title, author and year of publication. Also…

A • Link to the eBook or online video.

B • Call number: Write down this number to find the item on our shelves.

C • Library where the item is located.

D • Icons quickly describe the items you’re finding.

C

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Item Details

A

B

C

Click an item title to see details on that item!A • Click these links to find related items — Item citation too!B • Do you need an item from a different MC3 library? Ask! We can get it for you!C • Click the Detailed Information tab for item summaries, subject tags and more!

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This tab can provide a wealth of information...

A • Contents: Many items have tables of contents and item descriptions.

B • Subjects: Use these words or variations to find additional materials. Click the links for similar items.

Tip: If a subject link does not result in additional items, try just the first part of the subject

Detailed Information

A

B

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Find a subject encyclopedia

From library website, click “Advanced Search” under the Books tab.

Select Type “Reference” and search by “subject” or “words or phrase” for your topic.

You can find an online encyclopedia by selecting Type “eReference”

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Finding Articles

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On the library website, click “Research”

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Choose Your SubjectFrom the drop-down menu, choose the subject that best fits your topic. For PTSD, you might try psychology. The list of databases

automatically filters to the options best for your subject.

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Let’s try the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection

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Search using your first keyword and click “Full Text”

Full Text

Tip 1: For articles, avoid using acronyms such as PTSD, spell it out for better results!Tip 2: Click the “Full Text” button to insure all entries have articles.Tip 3: Click the “Peer Review” button for research-based academic articles.

Spell it out…

Peer review

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Let’s look at the results… (A) Article title. (B) Author and journal information.

(circle) Number of pages. (D) Article subjects. (E) Link to the article.

A

B

D

E

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Look at the article subjectsThis is how the articles are classified. Search with these to get better results!

Here we searched for PTSD, but found it was tagged Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

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Click the title for the article view

A

B

D

E

C

(A) Here’s the article. (B) Find similar articles. (C) Email yourself the article. (D) Citations. (E) Link to the article.

Always email yourself the articles!

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Focus your results

3,486 is too many results. Use options in the left

column including date, source type

and subject.

Click a box or change the year then hit update.

Updat

e

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This left column can only provide basic

focusing. Let’s try combining keywords

for better results using the words…

And • Or • Not

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Start with your main topic.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Post-Traumatic

Stress Disorder

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However, you want to focus your topic on veterans suffering PTSD.

So add a second keyword…

Veterans

Post-Traumatic

Stress Disorder

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Post-Traumatic

Stress Disorder

Veterans

Search “PTSD and Veterans”

Get articles with both terms in common – Veterans who suffer PTSDThis would be purple the overlap area.

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Post-Traumatic

Stress Disorder

Veterans

Search “PTSD not Veterans”

Now you get PTSD articles not related to veterans. For example, earthquake victim suffering PTSD.

These articles are in the blue area.

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Search “PTSD and Veterans and Iraq or Afghanistan”

Now we get articles about

Iraq or Vietnam War veterans

with PTSD.

OR expands your results.

AND narrows your results.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

VeteransIraq

Viet-nam

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Experiment with keywords

Aim for a fewer very good articles instead of hundreds of so-so articles. Changing Veterans to Iraq War

gave us 38 good articles

Post-Traumatic

Stress Disorder

Iraq War

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FindingWebsites

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Better Google results

Basic searches are oriented toward consumers. Instead, let’s find sites written by experts in their field.

Use “site:” to narrow results just to the area you want to search.

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For example, search only governmental sites using “site:.gov”

Now we have expert results from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Institute for Mental Health.

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“Site:” can be very specific… We can use “site:ptsd.va.gov” to search

just within the National Center for PTSD at the VA.

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One of your keywords may be

“trauma.”

Here are results searching just the National Center for

PTSD…

“site:ptsd.va.gov trauma”

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Variations include…

• Site:.edu for university/college based websites• Site:.org from organizations• Site:un.org search just within United Nations websites

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More Google Tips…• Exact phrase: Search an exact phrase by putting words in quotes.

“post traumatic stress disorder”• And: Google assumes the word ‘and’ between words• Not: The ‘not’ in Google is a minus sign with no space before the

word… “-earthquakes”• OR: The word ‘OR’ must be all caps.• Synonyms: Put a tilde before the word such as “~stress” The tilde

key is at the top left corner of the keyboard.

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Try searching these sites…• ipl2.org: Internet Public Library only presents sites

selected by experts.• GoDuckGo.com: New search engine with fewer ads and

better results. You can use “site:” here too.• WolframAlpha.org: Use this site to find statistics and

facts.

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Need photos, audio or video for your presentation or projects

Try search.creativecommons.org where you can freely use the materials resulting from your search. Keep an eye on the license. Many creators want their name listed or may limit commercial use and that’s only fair!

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Need Help?

Visit, Call,IM or EmailBrendlinger Library

(215) 641-6594West Campus Library

(610) 718-1864IM a librarianrefdesk@mc3.edu