ENGLISH 3022 Research & Resources

1. ENGLISH 3022Research & Resources Megan Lowe, Coordinator of Public Services

2. Introduction This presentation will walk you, step-by-step, through the research process. It will use the following thesis as its object: Students have difficulty understanding the difference between scholarly and popular resources. VS

3. Making It Work Okay, so you have a topic – now you have to make it manageable. You have to break the topic down into smaller concepts to make it easier to research. You wouldn’t eat a pizza whole, would you? No, you cut it into slices. So: pizza = thesis, slices = keywords. KEYWORD THESIS

4. Students have difficulty understanding the difference between scholarly and popular resources. • students • difficulty • understanding • difference(s) • scholarly • popular • resources • “college students” • “high school students” • problems • assessment • comprehension • distinguishing • evaluating/evaluation • peer-reviewed • research • sources • periodicals

5. Making It Work: Keywords • Keywords can be used in • The ULM Library Catalog • The ULM Library Databases • Even on the Internet! • You combine keywords together using certain words called operators. They are: • AND (this is the most common operator) • OR • NOT

6. Making It Work: Keywords So a keyword search for our topic could look like any of these search strings: • students AND evaluating AND scholarly AND popular • students AND difficulty AND scholarly AND popular • “college students” ANDresearch ANDdifficulty Order is not important; neither is capitalization. Spelling and number, however, ARE very important. BE CAREFUL!

7. A Few Tips… • DO create a list of keywords • DO underline/highlight/bookmark • DO take notes/sticky notes • DO get organized • DON’T multitask • DON’T procrastinate • DON’T plagiarize

8. A BIG TIP And most importantly, remember: if you need help… JUST ASK A LIBRARIAN FOR HELP! That’s what we’re here for – we want to help YOU! All you have to do is ASK.

9. LET’S DO THIS We know we need scholarly resources on students having difficulty evaluating resources. We know how to use keywords and search strings. We have the skills we need to get started. So we start with the Library’s website http://www.ulm.edu/library

10. What If the Library Doesn’t Have It? • As huge as the Library is, and as large as our collections are, we still don’t have everything • When you discover a resource that you NEED but the Library doesn’t have, there’s a way to get it • The Library has a (free!) service called Interlibrary Loan (ILL for short) • With ILL, we borrow needed materials from partner libraries and lend those materials to you

11. Interlibrary Loan (ILL) • In order to request an item through ILL, you will have to set up an ILL account (which I’ll demonstrate shortly) • Please note: it can take some time to receive requested materials • Articles can be sent via fax or email (so, fast) • Books and other materials like that come through the mail; sometimes those requests take 2-4 weeks to fill (this is why you should never procrastinate w/research!)

12. Interlibrary Loan (ILL) • Please note: some libraries charge to lend; the Library does NOT pay those fees • But we will notify you if a lending library has fees, and • Help you make arrangements to pay the fees • The Library will NEVER borrow an item with a fee without discussing it with you first! NOW LET’S LOOK AT ILL! http://www.ulm.edu/library

13. After the Searching’s Done… • You have the resources you need, either digitally or physically, if you’ve printed them out • This is when underlining/highlighting comes into play, as well as notes and sticky notes • Documentation is also important, in order to avoid plagiarism – several of our databases (like Ebscohost) will generate citations for you

14. Need a Hand? • Remember, if you need help with the research process – at ANY point in the research process – you can ask the librarians for assistance – that’s what we do! • We also check documentation (quotations and citations) for accuracy. • If you’d like someone to check your writing (grammar, spelling, and syntax), you can go to the Write Place on the 1st floor of the Library.

15. RECAP • When doing research, make sure you have a manageable (narrow) topic. • Create a list of keywords and search strings. • Bear in mind that you need scholarly resources, which can be found in the Library. • Search the Library’s resources using the keywords and search strings, bearing in mind the tips we discussed. • Make sure you document your resources!

16. RECAP • Select databases based on your research needs – for a class like this, focus on databases in your major, but also don’t forget to think outside the box! • Use parameters like “scholarly/peer-reviewed” and “full text” – and even publication date – to make the results lists more manageable • Some databases will create citations FOR you – take advantage of that for accurate citations!

17. RECAP • Most of the Library’s resources are available OFF-CAMPUS (aka remotely); you will have to login in order to use those resources (CWID/MMYY) • If the Library does NOT have a resource you need, you may still be able to get it through ILL • But ILL is not a same-day service, so be sure to give yourself time, and don’t procrastinate w/research • ILL is free on the Library’s end, but some libraries charge; the Library won’t pay the fees but will notify you and help you make arrangements to pay

18. RECAP • The librarians can help you with research, from start to finish! • The librarians can also help you with citations and documentation. • The Write Place can help you with writing – they can check spelling, grammar, and syntax. • All of these services can be found on the 1st floor of the Library (that’s also where you check out books, study rooms, and make copies).

19. Question & Answer Time!

20. Thanks for your attention! Remember, if you need research help, all you have to do is ask the librarians. You can… Visit the Reference Desk, Library 1st floor Email us at reference@ulm.edu Call us at (318) 342-1071