S TUDENT C ENTER EBSCO HOST Online Research Databases Learning how to use it 1.

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STUDENT CENTER

EBSCO HOSTOnline Research Databases

Learning how to use it

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Access it from the Library’s webpageDigital ResourcesLGHS website Library EBSCO Host

Refer to the pink password handout for the appropriate credentials

Once signed in, select a Database Center:

• Academic Research Center – a general set of databases that will satisfy most of you research needs

• Literary Reference Center – use to research authors and their works

• Points of View – for researching multiple sides of an issue

• Student Research Center – geared towards High School research

• Science Reference Center – for access to scientific research

• Advanced Placement – focused on AP courses

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Starting your Research

Recommendations:

• Type your query and click on Search

• You can restrict your search to one or more Databases clicking on Choose Databases

• Try the Basic Search first and once you are familiar with it, move on to Search Options or Advanced Search

Each database center comprises a few databases that the school subscribes to. For this example we chose the Academic Resource Center.

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The First Results

Initially you will get too many results.

It’s time to narrow your search

Recommendation: limit the publication date to the last 20 years or so

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Refining your Search

Use the various limiters offered to get to a reasonable amount of results.

Your refined search and all limiters appear at the EBSCO “Breadbox”

Once you have reached a reasonable amount of results, it’s time to start collecting sources

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After reading the abstract, if you decide that it is an article worth reading, add it to a folder

Collecting Sources

You can access an abstract of the article just by hovering your mouse here

Recommendation: continue this process until you have collected 7 to 9 articles.

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The Research

Open your folder to see a list of the articles selected

Then click on the article’s title to open it

or

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The Article When you open the article you will get • The bibliographic

information (you will need this to generate the MLA citation on NoodleTools)

• HTML Full Text, which includes only the text from the article

• PDF Full Text, which provides the article exactly as it was originally published, with pictures, graphs, etc.

Bibliographic information

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Finishing your Research

Once you are finished reading, go back to your folder:• select the articles you don’t need and delete them• select the articles you’ll use and e-mail them to yourself or print them.

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Remember:

• All Database Centers are accessed and used in a similar way

• Refer to the NoodleTools handouts to manage your research

• Need help? Look for Ms. Cozzella at the Student Center