Research Methods & Data

AD140 Brendan Rapple

2 March, 2005

Today Libraries hold much more than just books:

Digital resources, journals, sound and video recordings, newspapers, maps, government documents, DVD’s, etc.

Point the user to the world of global information Not limited to what is physically in the building Online resources help open up access to the global world

Libraries acquire, organize and make accessible information in traditional and digital formats

Collections can often be accessed remotely

Modern Research Libraries

Increasingly Electronic Very Dynamic -- Ever Changing Highly Complex Very Varied Not Always Intuitive

Boston College Libraries Facts

Support teaching, learning, and research at Boston

College with:

• Over 2 million printed volumes

• Over three hundred research databases that can be accessed in the library or remotely

• Specialized libraries throughout campus

• Subject specialists available to assist you with all your information needs

Boston College Libraries and Centers

Complete List of Libraries and Centers

What is a Library?

Wrong to think of libraries as entities with four walls.

They’re far more than that

Role of Libraries Places of learning and knowledge pursuit

Repositories for published material

Provide access to electronic resources as well as print material

Quiet study places

Social places

Access to variety of equipment

• Photocopiers• Printers• Scanners• Computers

Online Databases

Advantages of Online Databases

Preliminary research from home or office

Search whole database at the same time

Online searching is much faster

Advantages of Online Databases

More complex searches than with print

(BODY IMAGE AND ADVERTISEMENTS AND (ANOREXIA OR BULIMIA)) NOT FEMALES

Generally, more sophisticated research

Advantages of Online Databases

Limit searches by restricting to

a range of years

a particular language

a specific document type

a particular audience group

Advantages of Online Databases

Download and manipulate search results

Even printing is preferable to writing or photo-copying from print indexes

E-Mail Searches to another

Advantages of Online Databases

Alert you by email to new publications

Able to specify peer reviewed articles

Immediate online help

Direct links to Internet Sites

Examples of Databases

Online database page from libraries web site: Online Databases

Browse databases by title

Browse databases by subject

Scholarly vs. Popular Resources

Scholarly Scholarly:

Scholarly journals contain reviews and articles written by experts in the field. Scholarly journals always cite their sources in the form of footnotes or bibliographies. They are generally published four or six times a year and are peer-reviewed journals.

Often contain original research

Examples: American Journal of Education; Harvard Business Review; Mind

Popular

Popular: Popular journals come in many formats and are most often

colorful in appearance, with lots of photographs and/or graphics. The most reliable kind of popular periodical often cites sources (though perhaps not in standard bibliographical format), but the less reliable kind will seldom cite sources.

Often cover current events and topics

Examples: Business Week; Time; Cosmopolitan

Other Useful Resources/Services

Boston College Library Web page Research Guides How do I…? Subject Quick Start

Contact a Subject Specialist

TIPS

Learn physical layout of library

Read help screens

Read instructions re. databases

Browse reference stacks

Ask for help

Remember

Everything not on computer

Not everything is available on the internet

Libraries are still useful, still essential for research!!

Types of Libraries

Public Libraries

Business Libraries

University Libraries

National Libraries

Historical Society Libraries

Company or Corporate Libraries

Government Depository Libraries

Special Libraries/Archival Centers

School Libraries