Ms. Freda D. Brown, School Library Media Specialist KAHS

Research Tips and Accessing Online

Databases CCS: Research to Build and Present Knowledge

8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of

each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on

any one source and following a standard format for citation.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,

reflection, and research.

Ms. Freda D. Brown,School Library Media Specialist

KAHS

Search (sûrch) v. to look for or examine in an effort to discover something.

Your information need drives your search…

Objectives: SWBAT

-identify appropriate strategies for selecting search terms-identify types of information available in library databases-locate citation information from sources

FROM TOPIC TO KEYWORD TO RESOURCE DATABASE

Essential Questions: How many of you have developed questions about your research topics?

Obtain background information about your topic that answers the questions Who, What, Why, and How. Tip: This helps to focus your search and identify more specific resources.

Example Topic: Privacy Issues Research Question: Does the U.S. Constitution

outline its citizens’ privacy rights? Key words: U.S. Constitution, U.S. Citizen, privacy

rights Tip: Choose the important nouns in your question.

What is a database? Database: an organized collection of

information, usually pertaining to a particular subject.

The following are usually always true of databases:

•They save you time as you search•The information is most up-to-date•The information is credible and has been reviewed by a panel of experts in a given field.•They provide MLA citations for your Works Cited Page•The provide bibliographic leads to other sources that might help you in your research.

http://www2.youseemore.com/cps/linkinclude.asp

What is a database? Database: an organized collection of

information, usually pertaining to a particular subject.

The following are usually always true of databases:

•They save you time as you search•The information is most up-to-date•The information is credible and has been reviewed by a panel of experts in a given field.•They provide MLA citations for your Works Cited Page•The provide bibliographic leads to other sources that might help you in your research.

What Does "Peer Reviewed" or "Refereed" Mean? Peer Review is a process that journals use to ensure the articles they publish

represent the best scholarship currently available. When an article is submitted to a peer reviewed journal, the editors send it out to other scholars in the same field (the author's peers) to get their opinion on the quality of the scholarship, its relevance to the field, its appropriateness for the journal, etc.

Publications that don't use peer review (Time, Cosmo, Salon) just rely on the judgement of the editors whether an article is up to snuff or not. That's why you can't count on them for solid, scientific scholarship.

How do I know if a journal is peer reviewed? Usually, you can tell just by looking. A scholarly journal is visibly different from

other magazines, but occasionally it can be hard to tell, or you just want to be extra-certain. In that case, you turn to Ulrich's Periodical Directory Online. Just type the journal's title into the text box, hit "submit," and you'll get back a report that will tell you (among other things) whether the journal contains articles that are peer reviewed, or, as Ulrich's calls it, Refereed.

A Word About Peer Reviewed Journals

Source: "University of Texas Libraries." Articles from a Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2013.

MAGAZINES VS. JOURNALSTitle: Molecular

MicrobiologyTime Magazine

Look: Black-and-White charts

Glossy Photographs

Ads: Little or no advertising

Full Page Ads

Typical Article Title: “Structure-Function relationship of CysB transcription factor”

“Inside the mind of George Bush”

Footnotes: Yes NoPurpose: To communicate

current researchTo sell SUVs and

Source: "University of Texas Libraries." Articles from a Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2013.