Tim Miller
707.826.4959
twm2@humboldt.edu
Research
Crash
Course
Goals
What would YOU like to learn today?
Goals
Research Basics
Reading Scholarly Articles
Citations & Plagiarism
Basic Library Resources
Research Guides
What to Look For
Database List (Finding Articles)
Reference Resources
useful for choosing a topic, finding basic background information, and learning more about a topic of interest.
the list of databases help you to narrow down your search- the first 'rule' of research is to search in the right place!
InterLibrary Loan
Request Books & Articles
https://humboldt.illiad.oclc.org/illiad/logon.html
(To log in, use your HSU user ID & password)
InterLibrary Loan
Articles
Books & Other Print Materials
Pick up requests at the circulation desk
Requests are sent via email as electronic copies
You are not alone!
Ask-A-Librarian
Email the Research Help Desk
24/7 Chat
Contact individual librarians by specialty
Phone during reference hours
First Floor Research Help Desk (707) 826-3418
Humboldt Room/Government Documents (707) 826-3419
Research Strategy
- Choosing a topic
- Thinking of keywords
-
Searching in databases
- using Booleans
- filters
- subject headings
- saving your work
- citations
Assignment Requirements
- number of sources
- type of sources
- primary/secondary
- peer-review
- Recent sources
- publication date range
- What are you looking for?
- evidence for your arguments
- new ideas & recommendations
- ways to refine your topic
- Citations - style guide (MLA, APA, etc)
Assignment Requirements
Choosing a Topic
- Choose something interesting to you!
- Develop a few keywords based on what you already know about your topic
- think of synonyms/related terms
- how does this fit with the requirements of the assignment?
Starting a Search
Start broad and narrow down
Begin with a simple search
There are no magic tricks
Research requires time & patience
Try different things
there is no one search that will uncover everything that you're looking for- you will need to repeat, repeat, repeat
Booleans
AND, OR & NOT
Subject Headings
- Similar to hashtags in social media
- Curated by specialists
- Assigned to the article when it is added to the database
- Encapsulates a concept, not just a specific word
Let's try it out
Reading Scholarly Articles
Think about the author(s)
- Tips before you begin reading the article:
- Who is the author - what is their hypothesis/view?
- What does the abstract indicate?
- Purpose
- Methods
- Conclusions
Reading Scholarly Articles
Think about your needs
- Tips before you begin reading the article:
- What do you need from the article?
- What is the purpose of your paper/presentation?
- Evidence
- Background information
- Support your hypothesis/view
- Recommendations
- Conclusions
Structure of a scholarly Article
1
2
3
4
Abstract (summary)
Introduction (background & purpose)
Methods (what the author did)
Results (what the author found)
Discussion (what the results mean)
Conclusion (the implications)
References (what the author read)
Reading
Skip around
You do not need to read EVERYTHING
Read what applies to your topic
Look for useful content
Ideas that you might cite
Specifics to help you narrow your topic
Reading
Look for topic sentences
Skim for key sentences that appear at the beginning and end of paragraphs
Take notes
Save the citations when you find the article
Highlight sections
Write down notes - with page #s and article info
Citations & Plagiarism
Quote - Exact Language
Enclose in quotation marks
Cite the source (in-text, reference list)
Paraphrase - Your own words
Use significantly different language
Cite the source (in-text, reference list)
Citations & Plagiarism
Citation Guides
HSU Library Guide to APA Styles
Purdue Owl (Online Writing Lab)
APA Style Youtube Channel
HSU Library Citation Tutorial
APA Style Blog
Memorial University Libraries