REVIEW from PART ONE

What tools do I use to find information?

From Part One you already know what's here and where.
Now you need to know how to use it to do your assignments.

Agenda of Part Two

PART TWO--Using the Library

What is this assignment?

Read the assignment carefully THREE times. This is the most important part--if you don't understand SOMETHING, ask your instructor to elucidate and keep asking until it is totally clear!!!

If you are NOT doing a research paper skip to sources of information.

If you are doing a research paper then. . . What general topic will I start exploring?

• Pick a topic that is relevant to the course, but which also interests you.
• Don't pick a topic only because you think your instructor will like it--this is the path to mindlessness.
• Don't pick a topic that has been done a million times--it will certainly bore both you and your professor and may lead to the most grevious of academic sins--plagiarism.
• Nothing interests you? Then look at some magazines and journals in the field and get an idea of something that MIGHT interest you. Also, get a life!

Will it work? Would anybody care? Is it OK with my teacher?

• Formulate an interesting question about your topic. Be sure that it is a real question and one worth your time thinking about for several weeks.
• Explore the question a little bit to be sure that it is a workable idea for an academic paper--not too easy, but not so complex that it will bury you.
• Do a quick search of an encyclopedia, the catalog and a general index like InfoTrac's Expanded Academic ASAP to see what kind of information is published on the topic. (see below for instructions on using the computers to do this).
• Initial searching may give you other ideas about the direction and focus of your research question.
• If you find too much material, you may have to focus on some aspect of your topic and make your question more specific.
• If you don't find enough material, you may have to broaden your perspective.
• Check with your professor about your topic. You don't want to spend and any of your precious time on a topic which he/she might disapprove.
• Remember, if the assignment calls for a controversial topic, pick one with at least two legitimate points-of-view, not something like "serial murderers."

What sources have the kind of information I need?

• When you talk to your professor about your possible topic, ask him/her about where to go to find info on this topic. Don't want to talk to your teacher? Afraid? GET OVER IT! As experts in a field of study, your instructor is the first person you should ask for help.
• The second person you should visit is the reference librarian at the reference desk in the library. Explain your research problem and ask them for a list of sources that you should use. Ask them which one to start with and then where to go from there. Go back often for more guidance--they are your lifeline!
• What you will need are:

If you are writing a long paper, chances are that you will need information from ALL of these resources.

Where do I go to find these sources? (How to use these sources is next in PART THREE.)

• Start with a broad overview of a topic by going to an encyclopedia. Under "Eletronic Reference Books" on the homepage you'll find several online encyclopedias.
• Next stop is the catalog. Remember it will get you to books, whether they are specialized encyclopedias or reference books or circulating monographs. The SOUTHcat catalog is the first link on the University Library homepage. Start by looking for a specialized encyclopedia on your topic. Then try for books you can check out. Don't know how to use the catalog? CLICK HERE!
• "Article, Indexes, Databases" the second link on the homepage will get you to academic journal articles. The best place to start is with the general indexes like:
  • Ebsco's Academic Search Premier
  • InfoTrac's Expanded Academic ASAP
• Next check out subject-specific indexes organized by by general subject area or in a title list also under "Article, Indexes, Databases" to see if there is an index appropriate for a specialized topic. (The reference librarian can be a big help choosing the right index!) NEED HELP using indexes? CLICK HERE!
• For non-academic topics try consumer magazines in Ebsco's Masterfile Premier or InfoTrac's OneFile
• For events, facts and editorials try newpaper articles in Lexis-Nexis General News or Ebsco's Newspaper Source.
• For "how to" articles in trade journals check out Lexis-Nexis General News and change pull-down menu to "magazines &journals."
• Next check out the Internet. Use a good search engine like Google Advanced Search or Yahoo Advanced Search where you can limit your searches to the more trustworthy domains like .gov or .edu.