political science beginning research

Political Science:An Adventure in Research

Beaman LibrarySpring 2010

Research is a process…

• It is ORGANIZED

• It is METHODICAL

• It is COMPREHENSIVE

The Researcher’s 2 questions…

• WHAT do I want to know?

• WHERE do I find that information?

Searching Begins With Your Beaman Library Catalog

• Access the library catalog & our electronic databases from any computer

• Ask a Reference Question??? Links you with a librarian for all of your questions

• Find out information about the library or read the latest library newsletter

Information Resources in Beaman Library

Books

Articles (print & electronic)-Scholarly journal articles-Popular magazine articles-Newspaper articles

Websites

Books!

• Reference Books:• use in library only

• General Collection:• check out for 3 weeks

• eBooks:• must create username

and password on netlibrary.com from a Lipscomb computer before using 1st time!

• access and read online from any computer, anywhere!

To find a Book…

Use…The online catalog• Author Search• Title Search• Subject Search

• Searches subject heading

• Keyword Search• Searches every field EXCEPT

subject heading

http://library.lipscomb.edu

Articles!

• Scholarly journals-aka “refereed”, “peer-reviewed”, “academic”-articles reviewed and accepted by experts in the field

• Magazines, popular and trade journals-Booklist, Southern Living, GQ

• Newspapers-The Tennessean, Wall Street Journal

To find an Article…Searching

• Search in a print indexOR

• Use one of the databases from the library’s “Electronic Resources” page--On- and off-campus access

• Don’t look for articles in the Catalog!

Periodical Indexes In Print -Subject and general: access tools

• Provides citations to articles in magazines, journals, and newspapers• Remember: citations only - no full-text

• Examples of subject indexes• Biography Index• Business Periodicals Index• General Science Index• PAIS International Index• Social Sciences Index

• Example of general index• Readers Guide to Periodical Literature

Periodical Indexes (print)- Location

Periodical indexes are located on the main floor, east wing of Beaman Library.

To find an Article…Searching

• Search in a print indexOR

• Use one of the databases from the library’s “Electronic Resources” page--On- and off-campus access

• Don’t look for articles in the Catalog!

Periodical Indexes

• Online• Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)• Powersearch• Academic OneFile• Expanded Academic ASAP• General OneFile• National Newspaper Index• America: History & Life and Historical Abstracts• Biography Resource Center• Lexis-Nexis

To find an Article…Sorting

• Citation: gives you the information you need to track down the work

• Abstract: summary of article + citation

• Full Text: complete text of article + citation

To find an Article…Locating

• Found sources in a print index or database? Now, how do you find them?

Locating article…pt. 1

• If the source located was cited in a database…• Check to see if full-text is available

Locating article…pt. 2

• If the source located was cited in a print index or full-text was not available in a database…• Check the journal title in the Catalog by

doing a Title Search to see if Beaman has the journal in print

Locating articles…pt. 3

• If the source is not available in print in Beaman Library or full-text via database…• Check other local libraries (in WorldCat or

Athena) to see if they have the journal in print

• Request the article through Interlibrary Loan (Allow 2 weeks)

Periodicals - Location

Current (2010) magazines and journals are arranged alphabetically on open shelves for easy browsing.

Periodicals - Location

Bound periodicals are arranged alphabetically and chronologically.

Periodicals - Location

Some periodicals are kept on microfilm or microfiche.

World Wide Web Resources

• Academic .edu

• Government .gov

• Specialized/commercial.com/.org/.net

Online Indexes/Databases: Government

U. S. GovernmentLibrary of Congress

http://marvel.loc.gov

Congressional Directory http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cdirectory/i

ndex.html

Online Indexes/DatabasesEducation

• http://infomine.ucr.edu

…a virtual library of internet resources relevant to faculty, students, and research staff at the university level.

Electronic journals electronic booksBulletin boards databasesarticles

Online Indexes/DatabasesCommercial

Search specifically for scholarly literature:

theses peer reviewed papers booksabstracts technical reports

preprints

http://scholar.google.com/

Evaluating Information

• from monographs (books)

• from periodicals (journals)

• from databases/websites

Evaluating books

• Is it a recognized author?• Does it have timely content?• Does it contain documentation?

What is a Scholarly Journal?

For scholars or researchers in a specialized field (e.g. medicine, psychology)

Cites research Peer review (refereed) Includes notes and/or bibliography Usually quarterly or monthly Mostly print with graphs and/or tables Few or no ads

Web Site Evaluation—the WWW’s

Who says it? Author or sponsor Credentials of responsible party

Web Site Evaluation—the WWW’s

What does it claim, assert, etc.? Purpose of web site Biased, objective, fair Factual…in depth Correct grammar, spelling, etc.

Web Site Evaluation—the WWW’s

When was it said?• Publication date• Revisions• Links up-to-date

Interlibrary Loan

• Question: What do I do if a resource I need is not available in the Beaman Library?

• Answer: Use the Interlibrary loan service provided by Beaman Library

Interlibrary Loan

Facts about Interlibrary Loan:

• Interlibrary Loan is a service provided by Beaman Library to obtain materials NOT owned by Beaman Library.

• The conditions of this service are set by the National Interlibrary Loan Code.

• The loan period is determined by the lending library.

• Athena is an area consortium of local libraries who loan and borrow from one another without charge.

• Applications are available at the Reference desk or online in Catacomb.

Access form online: http://library.lipscomb.edu

SAIL

Search – indexes/databases (evaluate)Analyze – compare, contrast; separate

fact from opinionInventory – Do I have enough, too

much, too little?Learn – new information and new

information skills