Research Workshop
Anthropology 002D: Culture & Gender
Some common research problems
+ how you can solve them
Simon Elichko
Social Sciences & Data Librarian
(they/them)
Some common research problems:
Paywalls
Poor-quality video
Broken links
Confirmation bias
Paywalls
"You've run out of free articles for the month..."
Paywalls → Library Subscriptions
You can get articles from thousands of newspapers, magazines, and journals through Swarthmore's Libraries.
Find a specific article or publication:
Explore publications:
How do you access a news article
that's behind a paywall?
-
Search Tripod for the publication title (e.g. New York Times, The Economist, New Yorker), not the article title. (example search)
-
Look for the publication in your results. Click on the best match to continue. Find access links under "View Online." (example with links)
Feel free to use the chat button if you need help.
-
Can't find the publication in Tripod?
• Double-check: Ask a librarian (like Simon) for help!
• Request it: Go to Borrow Beyond TriCo, then choose the journal article request link.
Fill out the form to request a PDF of the article.
Borrowing & Reading Library Books
Some books in Tripod are available to read online.
You can borrow books from the TriCo libraries. Generally you can keep them for the semester.
How does requesting work? The book will be brought to the library front desk for you, usually the next day. Works for books at Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, and Haverford.
For physical copies, you can get the book from the shelf or request it.
source: McMaster University Library
Library Book Basics
Example call number:
HQ1163 .H55 2022
H: Social Sciences
| Call number starts with | Floor in McCabe |
|---|---|
| A-E | Lower Floor |
| F-K | 2nd Floor |
| L-Z | 3rd Floor |
Tutorial: How to find a book in McCabe
Paywalls
Broken Links
Poor-Quality Video
Confirmation Bias
Paywalls
Broken Links
Poor-Quality Video
Confirmation Bias
Web Archives
You can web archives if you come across a broken link, or to see what a website looked like at an earlier point in time.
Example: Greenpeace anti-coal campaign
How to find an archived page:
- Copy the URL
- Look it up in Wayback Machine
More web archives:
Paywalls
Broken Links
Poor-Quality Video
Confirmation Bias
Streaming Video Databases from the Libraries
Can't find it streaming?
McCabe DVD Collection
(DVD drives available to borrow, too)
Know what you want to watch?
Try searching Tripod for the
movie or show.
Paywalls
Broken Links
Poor-Quality Video
Confirmation Bias
Confirmation Bias?
"...in a database containing millions of sentences, full-text search can turn up twenty examples of anything."
Underwood, Ted. “Theorizing Research Practices We Forgot to Theorize Twenty Years Ago.” Representations 127, no. 1 (August 2014): 64–72. https://doi.org/10.1525/rep.2014.127.1.64.
Confirmation Bias?
Try exploring a range of available resources, instead of just trying one usual pathway.
See the ANTH 002D Research Guide for links
How can you become a more skilled and critical researcher? Ask for help.
Get peer support from RIAs
Chat in Tripod • librarian@swarthmore.edu
Make an appointment