Getting started with research

STARTING ON OUR RESEARCH PROJECTWhat you really need to know to get started.

1. Research is a PROCESS, like a journey. Keep your end goal in mind and keep moving towards it.

2. Every good journey requires planning.

3. There’s no shame in asking for directions when you get lost.

3

TODAY, WE’LL BE COVERING…

How to find and evaluate sources.

An overview of next steps in the research process so you know what to expect.

PART 1: SOURCES

http://endlessorigami.com/comics/

https://www.glastonburyus.org/staff/CHADEAYNER/PublishingImages/

WHAT KINDS OF SOURCES AM I LOOKING FOR?

• Encyclopedias

• History books

• About peoples

• About places

• Cookbooks

• Books about culture, re

ligion, etc.

WHAT KINDS OF SOURCES AM I LOOKING FOR?

• Scholarly journal articles

• Encyclopedia entries

How are databases different from articles and encyclopedia entries that you might find on the internet?

WHAT KINDS OF SOURCES AM I LOOKING FOR?

• Articles

• Blogs

• Videos (of interviews or demonstrations)

• All kinds of other stuff and random

miscellany

Especially with web content, scrutinize and evaluate your sources thoroughly to make sure you are getting high quality, reliable info.

OH GOSH, WHERE DO I START LOOKING FOR ALL OF THESE

SOURCES?

http://alidavies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Confused.jpg

LIBRARY.HAWKEN.EDU

The databases gateway organizes all the databases that you have access to in one spot.

TIP: Keep your Hawken library card handy!

I’m full of sources!

CLEVNET CATALOG (HTTP://HAWKEN.BIBLIOCOMMONS.COM/)

Search for books from the entire CLEVNET consortium, and place holds using your card.

TIP: Keep your Hawken library card handy!

LOCATING BOOKS ON THE SHELF

The Cleveland Public Library uses the LC (Library of Congress) system to classify and shelve books.

Once you understand how it works, you can find things on the shelf, and also locate similar materials which will be shelved nearby.

LESS specific (more general) materials are toward the LEFT, and they get more specific as you move to the right.

WHAT LC CALL NUMBERS MEAN

An LC call number has three (okay, sometimes four) parts.

DS 35.53 .O96Subject Division Main Code(21 Letters) Subject Area

(Sorted numerically in Ascending order)

Cutter Number (Coded representation of the author)

Subject Sub-Division Code(optional)

A: General WorksB: Philosophy, Psychology, ReligionC: Auxiliary Sciences of HistoryD: World History and Histories of Africa, Asia, Europe, etc.E: History of the AmericasF: History of the AmericasG: Geography, Anthropology, RecreationH: Social SciencesJ: Political ScienceK: LawL: EducationM: MusicN: Fine ArtsP: Language and LiteratureQ: ScienceR: MedicineS: AgricultureT: TechnologyU: Military ScienceV: Naval ScienceZ: Bibliography, Library Science, Information Resources

CPL, SCIENCE & TECH DEPT. (3RD FLOOR)

OKAY, I FOUND SOME SOURCES. NOW WHAT?

You need to evaluate them to ensure high quality of scholarship, accuracy, usefulness for your research, and to detect any biases.

SECONDARY SOURCE EVALUATION

Author Authority   Who created the item?  What is his or her affiliation?  What is his or her relationship to the information contained in the source?

Audience and Purpose Who is the intended audience?  Why was the item created?

Accuracy and Completeness Is the evidence reliable and up to date?  Are the important points covered?  How does the source compare to other similar sources?  What may have been left out?

Footnotes and DocumentationAre the author's sources in secondary and reference literature clearly identified with complete citations to allow you to find the original source yourself?

Perspective and BiasHow do the author's bias and perspective inform the arguments and evidence presented?

Presnell, Jenny L. The Information-Literate Historian . New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. 

SOME EVALUATION ACRONYMS

T = Timeliness: The information is up to date. A = Authority: Author is qualified and has listed credentials. C = Coverage: Topic is deeply covered and cited. O = Objectivity: Document based on fact and not opinion.

R = Reliability: Can the information be backed by other sources? E = Evidence: Do they explain and cite their evidence? A = Authority: Who wrote the article? D = Date: When was the website last updated?

S = See if the author(s) have authority. M = Many sites give outdated information. A = A specific audience may be targeted. R = Reliability helps determine accuracy. T = Try to determine if information is unbiased.

Lincoln, Margaret. "Information Evaluation & Online Coursework." Knowledge Quest Jan.-Feb. 2010: 28-31. Print.

NEXT STEP: SET UP NOODLETOOLS

• Create your bibliography with templates based on your source.

• Annotate each source entry and generate your Annotated Bibliography.

• Virtual notecards can link directly to your sources for easy citations.

• You can drag and drop your notecards into piles, or into an outline, and keep track of tasks and deadlines associated with your research.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

You will find and evaluate your sources. We will ask you to use the catalog to make a list

of sources that you will look for when we visit CPL.

You will create citations using NoodleTools in Chicago style, and do an annotated bibliography.

You will take notes on your sources on information that is helpful and relevant to your project.