top tips for library research
TRANSCRIPT
TOP TIPS FOR LIBRARY RESEARCH
JOUR 2310 Fashion, Media, and Culture
1. RESEARCH GUIDES
Find recommended sources
2. START WITH SOURCES
What information type fits your need?◦Background information (definitions, important people and events)◦Encyclopedias (ex. Literati)◦Specialized encyclopedias (ex. Star struck: an encyclopedia of celebrity
culture)◦Newspapers◦Books
◦Analysis◦Scholarly articles (very specific)◦Books of essays
◦Evidence◦Primary sources◦Data, statistics◦Original research
What information tool fits that type?◦Internet◦Databases◦Newspapers◦ Journal articles◦Magazine articles◦ Images◦Statistics
◦Book catalog
A word about Discover SMU
3. DATABASES, NOT JUST FOR
ARTICLES…
Find a database by subject
Recommended databases on guides
4. A BOOK COULD BE YOUR BEST BET
Complete coverage of a topic
5. SUBJECTS FOR POWER SEARCHES
How does subject searching work?◦How does a database pull results based on what you type in the box?
◦ Words are matched to any terms appearing in the text◦What are the problems with keyword searches?
◦ Trash results◦ Need to search with different ways of saying the same thing◦ Need to come up with terms on your own
◦How are subjects more powerful?◦ Applied by a human◦ No synonym problem◦ More relevant results◦ Can browse a list of terms
Subject searches work in databasesand the book catalog
6. FIND ONE SOURCE, AND
THEN FIND MORE
Citation tracing
Subject tracing
7. BORROW FROM OTHER LIBRARIES
Intralibrary loan for articles
Books, too…
8. ASK FOR HELP
For help with any research needs