Introduction toLibrary Research

Part 2:

The Globe Education Network (GEN) Online Library and Evaluating Sources

Welcome! The session will begin 8/11/09 at 9 a.m.

Elaine Settergren, esettergren@globeuniversity.edu

April 2009 – Elaine Settergren

Today’s Library Lessons

• GEN Online Library– Databases and E-journals

• Academic Search Premier [EBSCO]

• Academic OneFile [Gale]• ProQuest Newsstand• 360 Search• E-Journal Portal

– E-books– Recommended websites

• Evaluating Sources– Types of sources

• Academic vs. trade vs. popular

– Websites

Where to look?• Like Shopping

• Choose your source based on what you’re looking for

GEN Online Library• http://www.globeeducationnetwork.com/library/

The online library contains:

• Over 39,000 journals online, spanning ≈30 years in 84 databases.

• Over 7,500 e-books.

• Recommended web sites.

• Online help

And more – explore the site!

Databases

What are library databases?

Databases

What are library databases?

1) A private collection of e-"stuff”

2) A specific search engine for finding

and getting the "stuff"

DatabasesPrivate?

– proprietary– Not for “free” on the internet (Google, MSN, etc.)

Example:Consumer Reports website – Must buy a subscription

Library databases such as EBSCO Academic Search Premier– e-versions of Consumer Reports – full-color reviews, charts and buying guides– Free (for you – library pays!)

Databases

The library pays so that you don’t have to!

But that’s why you must:1) Go to the library website

2) Log in

Password: firstname.lastname

Username: last 4 digits of your SS#

Databases“Stuff”?

Professional sources– E-journals, articles, newspaper stories etc.– Professional reports– E-books and e-book excerpts– laws and legal docs, business intelligence,

financial data, images – general documentsDatabases have professional sources that include: articles from

journals, reports, trade publications and news

Let’s Tour the Databases

•EBSCO, Gale, and ProQuest

• 360 Search

•E-journal portal

Academic Search Premier [EBSCO]

• Interdisciplinary

• Many Scholarly

• Many Full text

Academic OneFile [Gale]

• Interdisciplinary

• Many Scholarly

• Many Full text

ProQuest Newsstand

• News: local, national, international

• Current events and editorials

First let’s explore:

360 Search

• Search many databases at once!

• Great for: – Searching by topic (“research by topic” guides)– Finding an article, if you already know the title.

E-Journal Portal

• When you know the journal you want, find it fast!

E-BooksFind them in the GU/MSB catalog, some databases, and Books 24x7

Search the Online Catalog for library e-books

1.Follow catalog link on library homepage2.Search3.Narrow to “electronic”4.Follow the “online access” link in the catalog record

See the e-book guide here:http://www.globeeducationnetwork.com/library/research-guides/

guides-to-resources/e-books-guide/ for details

Books24x7• Not part of the GEN Library, but is part of GEN

Online.

• Business and IT topics only (so far)

• Access through SkillSoft

Our help page for Books24x7 can be found here:http://www.globeeducationnetwork.com/library/research-

guides/guides-to-resources/e-books-guide/books-24x7-help/

Web sources

Research by Topic

• By program/gen ed

• Selected by GEN Librarians

Help! • General Research Guides• Research by Topic Guides• Ask the librarian. I’m happy to help!

APA Citation TipsIn-Text

Author’s name Date of publicationPage # (sometimes)

This will lead the reader to the References at the back of your paper.

ReferencesNameDateArticle TitleJournal TitleJournal Volume #Page #sDate you accessed itDatabase

This will lead the reader to the source.

Additional Tips

• If you already have a citation, you’ll know where to look!

• Cheney, C. L. (2005). Brothers gonna work it out: Sexual

politics in the golden age of rap nationalism. New

York: New York University Press. Retrieved from NetLibrary.

• Garrity, B., & Concepcion, M. (2007, May). A Hip-Hop

History Lesson. Billboard. 119(18), p. 8. Retrieved from EBSCO MegaFILE database.

Evaluating Sources

What does it matter where I find it, as long as I get the information?

Remember the shopping analogy? There are also quality issues.

The Secrets of Sources

• Credible sources make your argument stronger

– Your teachers are watching!

– Your bosses will be watching!

Types of Sources

• Scholarly/Peer Reviewed/Academic materials vs.

• Trade/Professional Publicationsvs.

• Popular Sources

Spectrum of credibility

Not everything fits neatly into a categoryThere are also other categories: consider Newspapers for instance

Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed/Academic

Characteristics:

• Scholarly communication

• Research findings

• Always cites sources

• Few illustrations

Trade/Professional

Characteristics: • For workers in a specific field

– Written by professionals for professionals

• Purpose: keep reader’s updated• “how to”• Usually numerous illustrations

Popular

Characteristics: • Readers = general public• Written by journalists/editors to inform or

entertain• Rarely cites sources• Many illustrations and ads – “glossy”

What do you think?Family Practice Management

New England Journal of Medicine

Health

How to evaluate a website?

Finding Respectable Websites

• Who is backing/endorsing/publishing/writing the information?

• Why?– Selling stuff? Joke? To inform? To entertain?– Fair? Balanced? Objective?

• How does it compare?

• Can you trust the information? How?– Does the website cite its sources?

Explain its research? Anything?

Website Evaluation

• Compare– Check the info against something

else

• Corroborate– Check enough sources to get the

whole story– Confirm, verify

• Context– Does the context of the website

affect the information?

Where to look?

1. For news about the recent outbreaks of swine flu.

2. For research about the effects of second hand smoke

3. For historical information about earthquakes in California

4. For opinions about health care reform in the U.S.

In conclusion…• Exploratory research = Explore!• Focused research = “shop” and trial & error

1. What sort of info do you want?• Overview? In-depth? Statistics?• Scholarly? Popular? Trade?• Book? Article? Recent? Historical?

2. What type of searching? What keywords/subjects?3. Where will you look?

• Databases? Which one?• Library catalog for books? • Websites? Which search engine?

4. Not successful? Ask a librarian or try a new strategy.

Questions? Comments?

Contact the Online Librarian:

Elaine Settergren

esettergren@globeuniversity.edu

http://www.globeeducationnetwork.com/library/