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RESEARCH
INTRODUCTION
TO
PROFESSOR SARAH COHN
REFERENCE & INSTRUCTION LIBRARIAN
November 3, 2022
AGENDA
Why library?
Types of sources
Keywords & search strategies
Navigating library databases
Getting help
TODAY'S
What do you expect to find in a library database?
What are the benefits of using a library database?
What are the drawbacks of using a library database?
SOURCES
TYPES OF
Scholarly
- Original research
- Eyewitness accounts
- Letters, diaries, tweets, works of art
Popular
Primary
- Newspapers and magazines
- Written by journalists
- For everyone
- Current info on the topic
- Academic, Scholarly, Peer Reviewed journal articles
- Written by academics/researchers
- For other academics/researchers
- Original research, theories, findings
- Deep knowledge of the topic
TERMS
SEARCH
AKA KEYWORDS
what is your main topic?
what are the specifics?
combining different terms = different results
what are different ways to describe your ideas?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jgonzac/6306928175
STRATEGIES
SEARCH
use AND to connect terms
Palestine AND colonialism
Palestine AND uprisings AND self governance
use OR to connect synonyms
uprisings OR riots AND Palestine AND colonialism
use "..." for phrases or names
"self governance"
"Elie Wiesel"
DATABASES
LIBRARY
library.ccny.cuny.edu
OneSearch box
Databases link
- Access to all 300+ databases at CCNY
- Alphabetical or sort by subject
- Log in with your CityMail info
- Simple search bar option
- Meta-search
- Searches multiple databases at once
- Log in with your CUNY single login info
but not all of them!
OneSearch
Academic Search Complete
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
Multi-
Disciplinary
HELP
GETTING
Professor Sarah Cohn
Reference & Instruction Librarian
scohn@ccny.cuny.edu
Reference Desk
Monday-Thursday 10am-6pm
Friday 10am-2pm
library.ccny.cuny.edu/researchtoolkit
