Getting Started with College Research

Getting Started with College Research Stephens-burnett memorial library CARSON-NEWMAN COLLEGE

One Step at a Time We know that making the switch from high school tocollege research can seem scary and overwhelming. Don’t worry! The C-N Librarians are here to make your life easier. Follow their instructions for doing research and you’ll become a research pro in no time at all.

Always Start Here Get familiar with the Library homepage. It’s your starting point for everything you’ll need. Access CN e-mail, Blackboard, and CN Connect with this toolbar Library Resources: Access the Library Catalog, Databases, and more. How Do I: Helpful tips for citing & research Library Hours

Learn about the Library You may have a lot of questions as you begin doing college research. The Library’s Virtual Tour will show you how to find your way around. Here are some common types of questions that the Virtual Tour can answer: My professor said I have to pick an article to read in a particular journal. I don’t even know where the journals are – how am I supposed to find a specific issue? I’m supposed to check out a book for my paper. How do I know if we have it in the Library? And then where would I find the book? My class is meeting in the Library today. Where is that lab located? Does the Library have any quiet rooms I can use to study for my test? I heard there’s a coffee shop on campus. Wasn’t that in the Library? My computer is so old…I wonder if the Library’s computers have the newest version of Microsoft Office? But that’s not all it will tell you, so check the Virtual Tourout now. (http://library.cn.edu/tour/vtourmain.htm)

Before You Begin Your Research • Examine your assignment and note important details and requirements (length, due date, subject matter, number of resources required, etc.) • Pick your topic. If you need some ideas, you can visit the Library’s help page, “How Do I…?” for research topic ideas.

What is Background Information…And Why Do We Need It? Background information helps us gain an initial understanding of a topic. It provides us: • An overview of the topic • Key terms and issues • Related topics If you begin your research without first having a good general understanding of your topic, there is a good chance you may miss out on important details and resources. One of your first steps should always be making sure you are familiar with your topic.

Finding Background Information 1. Where do you find these background articles? - general works on the topic (books, encyclopedias, etc.) - articles from CQ Researcher Online,Facts.com, Points of View Reference Center, & Access World News 2. How do you find these background articles? - the next few slides will show you how.

Finding General Books for background information - Go to the Library homepage and look under “Library Resources”…next, - Click on the Library Catalog link…next, - From the searching drop-down menu, select “Keyword”…next, - Type a general topic (example: elections) into the search box. Type your search terms into the search box Click the drop-down menu and select “keyword” Click “Go”

Finding General Articlesabout Current Topics… -Go to the Library homepage and look under “Library Resources”…next, -Click on the Databases A-Z link…next, -Use the alphabetical links to find the database you want. Click “F” for Facts.com Click “C” for CQ Electronic Library

Using CQ Researcher Online Each topic covered is a small booklet that you can read or print. Browse a Listof Topics List of Recent Topics

Using Facts.com -Issues and Controversies Look through these lists of topics. There are many articles on each topic listed. Hot Topics in the News List of Subjects

Using Points of View Find Help for Your Research View a List of All Topics Browse by Category

Using Access World News (NewsBank) 1. From the NewsBankhomepage, click here to view a list of hot topics and current events 2. You’ll be taken to a new page with Current Events topics

Okay, I’ve Found the Background Information…Now What? Think about the information on your topic. 1. From the background articles, look for: - Important people, themes, and dates related to the topic - Major concepts or related topics such as major legislation - Aspects or ideas that interest you 2. Think about how you would like to focus your topic: Do you need to narrow it down? You can limit it to… - A country or region such as the United States - A certain time period such as the last 10 years - A particular population group such as children, teenagers, etc. - A special aspect such as religious, political, etc.

Now You Know: After completing this module, you should have learned: • The general floor plan of the library and location of library materials from the Virtual Tour • Guidelines for determining what information you need • Where to look for help locating a topic for research • Where to look for background information on your topic • What to look for in background resources • Some ways to limit or focus your topic

Coming Up: You are now ready to learn where and how to search for the different types of resources used in college research. You will do this in the next 4 units. Coming Up: Unit 3: Developing a Search Statement Unit 4: Finding Books in the Library Catalog Unit 5: Finding Articles in a C-N Database Unit 6: Using and Evaluating Web Pages

And Don’t Forget… Need help? Ask a Librarian! The C-N Reference Librarians are here and happy to help with any questions you may have. Call, Click, or Visit!Ms. Kelli Williams 471-3338 kwilliams@cn.edu Mrs. Lew Conerly 471-3340 econerly@cn.edu Our offices are on the main floor of the Library.http://library.cn.edu

Getting Started with College Research