LAKSAMEE PUTNAMLPUTNAM@TOWSON.EDU

RESEARCH & INSTRUCTION LIBRARIAN

TSEM: Research Process and Searching

Agenda

How to formulate a search

Finding Books: Cook Library Catalogs

Finding Articles: Databases

Citation Resources

Hands on database practice

How can I help you?

In class session to learn how to use resourcesPhone help 410.704.3359.Chat help

Go to Library website and click “Ask a Librarian”One-on-one appointmentsHelp at the reference desk

Web “Pre-Searching”

Why not start your search online? The Invisible Web

http://goshen.libguides.com/beyond_googling

Can you trust this information?

TED video: Online filter bubble – Eli Pariser http://

www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles.html

Web “Pre-Searching”

Why start your search online?

Find background information

Help solidify research topic

Find new terminology to use as keywords

Find links and/or citations to other sources

Formulating a Keyword Search

1. Choose a Topic

Formulating a Keyword Search

1. Choose a Topic Zero in mathematics

Formulating a Keyword Search

2. Narrow/Broaden your search

Formulating a Keyword Search

2. Narrow/Broaden your search The role of zero in the development of mathematics

Formulating a Keyword Search

3. Identify the key concepts

Formulating a Keyword Search

3. Identify the key concepts Zero

Mathematics

Development

Formulating a Keyword Search

4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms

Zero

Mathematics

Development

Formulating a Keyword Search

4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms Zero

Mathematics Math Mathematical Numerical Algebra Trigonometry

Development History Analysis Role

Formulating a Keyword Search

5. Formulate your search utilizing various combinations of your words

String them together using AND/OR/NOT

Truncate *

Good searching starts with good keywords

Boolean “search connectors”

AND OR NOT

For example:

zero AND mathematics• Combining >1 topic

Development OR history• Combining synonymous terms

Search Tip #1

Use AND when you need to combine more than one topic

Zero AND mathematics

mathematics

zero

Search Tip #2

Use OR to combine synonymous terms (to get results regardless of what term an author uses).

history development

Search Tip #3

Use truncation!

mathem* finds mathematic mathematical mathematics

Etc…

Search Tip #4

Phrase Searching… Use quotations to keep a keyword phrase intact

(words will be searched in the specific order)

Examples: “golden ratio” “Pythagorean theorem”

Find a Book

http://cooklibrary.towson.edu

Towson BooksUSMAI BooksInterlibrary Loan

Demo!

Find an Article

Looking for specific research about your topic

The library subscribes to thousands of journals (but not all of them)

Databases help you search through multiple journals

Use subject specific databases to help narrow your article search

Find an Article

Go to the Math Subject Gateway

Recommended databases- Academic Search Premier ScienceDirect Web of Science

Scholarly vs Popular http://cooklibrary.towson.edu/helpguides/guides/schol

arly_demo/scholarly_demo.swf

Writing and Citing Resources

Cook Library

Quick Tools

Citing Sources

Allows your readers to verify and identify where the information and ideas in your paper originated

Gives credit to the owners of the ideas (avoiding plagiarism)

Provides a connection between your research and the research of related sources

Let’s start searching!

Form keywords

Then begin researching your own topic Find a book and an article

As you are finding information on your topic please fill in your paper worksheet and this digital worksheet

http://bit.ly/VisualMath

Questions?

Feel free to contact me: Laksamee Putnam lputnam@towson.edu 410.704.3746. Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU

Or any reference librarian: Visit Cook Library Reference Desk 410.704.2462. IM – tucookchat