research resources

_________________________________________________________________________________ McMaster University Libraries • library.mcmaster.ca • 905.525.9140 x22081 • [email protected]

Research ResourcesInnis Library (Business)KTH-108

Ines PerkovicBusiness Librarian

March 2012


Your Challenge• develop a marketing strategy to

sell the experience of the Hamilton Bulldogs and increase arena attendance for 2013

• conduct research into the Bulldog’s past, present, and future along with gathering the opinions of high school students to further understand what best attracts youth to the hockey games


Session Outline• Primary and

secondary research

• How to access, find and search for these resources

• How to get more help!


Primary Sources• A document or record

containing firsthand information or original data on a topic

Examples ?• Diaries• Letters• Photos• Interviews (in person,

phone, email, etc.)• Law, Statute or Act• Surveys


Secondary Sources• Any work that is one

step removed from the original source

• Usually describing, summarizing, analyzing, evaluating, derived from, or based on primary source materials

Examples ?• Annual reports• Articles• Books• Textbooks• Encyclopedias


Secondary Sources at McMaster • Books cannot be

borrowed by high school students and other visitors, but items may be consulted and/or photocopied in the library.

• Use our Library Catalogue to find books http://library.mcmaster.ca/catalogue


Secondary Sources at McMaster

• Magazines, newspapers and reference materials (directories, etc.) are for in library use only

• Use our Library Catalogue to find these materials by title http://library.mcmaster.ca/catalogue


Secondary Sources at McMaster

• Online sources such as databases are only accessible to current McMaster users with a MAC ID.

• Given some of these access restrictions, you may want to supplement your research with Hamilton Public Library resources.


Hamilton Public Library• Access to library materials is

available for free to anyone with an HPL card.

• Apply online http://www.myhamilton.ca/user/register

• Use the HPL library catalogue to find books, DVDs and other materials held in all branches of the HPL system http://hpl.bibliocommons.com

• Hamilton Spectator• CBCA (Canadian

Business & Current Affairs)

• Canadian Periodical Index

• BusinessFile ASAP• Academic OneFile

Go to: http://www.myhamilton.ca/public-library/research

Key Online Sources @ HPL


Secondary Sources• Trade associations and

government web sites for industry trends, statistics, census data, analysis & links

• Use an Internet Search engine to find these materials. For a list go to: http://library.mcmaster .ca/find/web-search


Search Tip #1Use quotes “” to find phrases

• Will retrieve materials with words in the exact order specified

Examples: “spectator sport”“hamilton bulldogs”“arena attendance”


Search Tip #2Use Synonyms or Alternate Search

Words for Key ConceptsMarketing• Advertising, Promotion, Selling,

Retailing, etc.Attendance• Participation, Involvement, Turnout,

Audience, Crowd


Search Tip #3Use a wildcard symbol to retrieve

plurals and alternate endings• an asterisk * is the most common wildcard

symbol• market* will retrieve market

marketsmarketingmarketer

• wildcards expand your search, useful when you have too few results


Search Tip #4Combine search words using AND and

OR• AND = all of these words

narrows search, useful when you have too many resultse.g., marketing and hockey

• OR = any of these wordsbroadens search, useful when you have too few resultse.g., marketing or promotion or selling


Putting all the Search Tips Together

(hockey or sport* or recreation or culture or leisure) and (market* or promot* or sell*) and (attendance or participation or involvement or turnout or audience)

NOTE: Use parentheses () when using AND and OR in a single search statement


Need Help? Get in touch with the Innis Library

• Located in Kenneth Taylor Hall (KTH), Room 108

• eMail: [email protected] • Phone: 905-525-9140 ext. 22081• Hours:

– Monday to Thursday: 8:30am-11:00pm– Friday: 8:30am–6pm– Saturday: CLOSED– Sunday: 1:00pm-8:00pm


See you in the Library!

research resources

Documents