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How do I… …find information for my assignments?
| Date post: | 13-May-2015 |
| Category: |
Education |
| Upload: | hll-info-desk |
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How do I… …find information for my assignments?
Why can’t I just use the Internet?
The Internet has lots of
great information,
but not all websites are appropriate
for college and university assignments.
Why?
There are no controls on the Internet
Anyone can create a website and saywhatever they want.
Too much information! It’s hard to sort through it all to find what you need.
You need to know you have reliable information for college & university assignments.
This is where the Library comes in…
The Library provides
many reliable information sources,
and can help you find what you need
for your assignments!
474-3450 ext. 4221
See us at the Information Deskif you need any assistance in the Library!
“Okay, how do I find information
in the Library?”
Understand your assignment!
Read it over carefully.
What is it you are expected to do?
If something isn’t clear to you,
ask your instructor.
First step...
Choose a Topic
Pick something you’re interested in.
Make your topic specific.
Do some background reading to get familiar with your topic.
Look up terms you don’t understand.
Background Reading
• Reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.)
• Your course textbook
• Check the Catalogue for other books related to your topic
To find reference books you can use online...
Go to www.eclibrary.ca and choose E-Resources.
Select Reference…
Read the descriptions to help you choose which reference source to use.
Next decide…what kinds of information you need.
Books?
Journal articles?
Newspapers?
Statistics & data?
Maps?
Government documents?
Websites?
The kind of information you need depends onthe type of assignment you have to do.
Are you writing an essay or research paper?
Do you need facts or opinion?
Do you need current or historical information?
Are you looking at different viewpoints
about an issue?
Finding Books and Articles…
Think of the main concepts of your topic.
Sample topic:
What are the effects of global warming on weather?
The main concepts are:
global warmingweather
Keywords
Global warming and weather are
called keywords.
They are what you use to search
for books and articles.
Search using single words or short phrasesthat represent the main idea(s) of your topic.
You can narrow a search by adding another search term.
Join multiple search terms with “and”.
Click on a title for more information.
Note the Call Number and Locationto help you find the item.
Call Numbers…
...act as an item’s address on the shelves.
...are a combination of letters and numbers.
... are read line by line.
QC
981.8
.C5
F446
2006
If the item is an E-Book, click on the http link.
Finding Articles…
Articles are great when you want:
• Information on a specific topic• Up-to-date information on current events,
new products, trends, or the latest research on a topic
• Different viewpoints on an issue
To find articles on any topic…
You search online,
through the Library website
www.eclibrary.ca
The Library subscribes to many
databases
which provide you access to
thousands of online magazines,
journals, newspapers & similar publications.
Databases allow you to search several publications at once...
...so your searching is faster andmore efficient than browsing
one publication at a time!
Many of the Library’s
articles are available
in their entirety
through these databases.
Some articles are available
only in print or microform formats.
These are kept in the
Periodicals Collection
at the back of the Library.
What’s the differencebetween a
journal and a magazine?
Journal Articles
• Scholarly• Written by subject experts• Report on original
research• Specific audience• Usually > 5 pages• Abstracts• References• Usually no pictures• No advertisements
Magazine Articles
• General-interest • Written by reporters,
feature editors• Meant to entertain• Wide audience• Usually < 5 pages• No abstracts or references• Glossy, with pictures• Advertisements
Select a subject or a type of resourceto access databases.
General databases provide articles on a variety of subjects.
Other databases are subject-specific.
Subject-specific databases:Proquest Nursing CBCA Business Historical AbstractsPsycINFOProject MuseSPORTDiscus
Some general databases:
Academic Search Premier
Vocational Studies Complete
CBCA Reference and Current
EventsCPI.Q. Canadian Periodicals
Canadian Newsstand
Designing Your Search
Use single words or short phrases
that best represent
the main ideas of your topic.
Join 2 or more search terms with “and”.
Searching for articles in Academic Search Premier…
If you get too many articles, you need to narrow your search.
Adding another search term results in fewer, more relevant results.
Clicking on a subject heading adds it to your search.
Clicking on Academic Journals will limit
your results to these publications only.
To find out more about an article, hold your cursor over or click on the title.
To get the full article…
Look for a full text link, or click on
Off-Campus Access to E-Resources
Nipissing students:
Username = WebAdvisor ID
Password = WebAdvisor password
Canadore students:Username = student number
Password = birthdate (mmddyy)
How can I find outif the Library has a certain
magazine, journal or newspaper?
Enter the name of the publication.
Journals by Title
will tell you:
• If the Library has the publication, and
• the dates and formats available.
Tip: Use Journals by Title to find an article when you have a citation and don’t know what database it is in.
Click on here to access the
publication online
GO
Click on here to check the print
holdings in the Catalogue
GO
Evaluate the information you find…
No matter where your
information comes from,
you need to look at it
critically to decide if it is reliable
and relevant to your assignment.
Ask yourself a few questions...
Who is the author?
Is the information current?
Is the information relevant to your topic?
Is the information intended to entertain, provide facts, promote an opinion, or try to sell you something?
Was it written at a level appropriate for
your topic and type of assignment?
• Write it down,• save it on a USB key,• email it to yourself, or• print your information
You will need to include all your sources in a list of references.
Make sure you keep track of all the sources you use for information.
Need help in the Library?
Please come to the
Information Desk
if you need any assistance in the Library!
Or contact us at:
474-3450 ext. 4221 or
