From the Jerwood Library, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. For third-year Music undergraduates (jazz) learning about developing a research topic, using online music research resources and evaluating sources.

1. Edith Speller and Helen Mason
Jerwood Library of the Performing Arts
MUSIC HISTORY IN
CONTEXT 6 (JAZZ)
INFORMATION SKILLS

2. AIM
To enable you to develop your understanding of your topic
through research and choose between available resources
on your topic.

3. STRUCTURE OF SESSION
1. Developing your research topic
2. Alexander Street for recordings and research
3. Research time
4. Evaluating sources

4. DEVELOPING YOUR
RESEARCH TOPIC

5. RESEARCH ACTION PLAN

6. USING BOOKS TO DEVELOP YOUR TOPIC
• Search by subject
• If no results, try title or ‘search everything’
• Limit type to book
e.g. Ornette Coleman
Jerwood Library catalogue

7. QUICKSEARCH
Access QuickSearch via the Library Links menu on Moodle.
From home, enter your Trinity Laban login (same as for Moodle).
Use advanced search.

8. QUICKSEARCH
TIPS
• Look carefully at your results to choose what to read or
whether to modify your search.
• Use the Source Types filter to choose between audio, video,
scores or written information.
• Use “double quotes” around search keywords to find that
exact phrase.
• Use an asterisk (*) to search for words starting the same
way e.g. virtuos* will find virtuoso, virtuosity, virtuosic…
• Experiment with other filters to see what you find.
• Think carefully about keywords especially where they have
non-musical meanings!

9. “Doing research is not like strolling along an easy,
well-marked path to a familiar destination; it’s more
like zigzagging up and down a rocky hill through
overgrown woods, sometimes in a fog, searching
for something you won’t recognize until you see it.”
Wayne C. Booth et al, The Craft of Research, 4th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 2016, 30.

10. ALEXANDER STREET
• Find online recordings, liner notes and e-books
• Access via Moodle > Links menu > Library Links >
Online Resources > Alexander Street

11. RESEARCH TIME

12. Explore the topic and
see what catches
your eye
Find recordings, liner
notes etc
DEVELOPING YOUR TOPIC
ALEXANDER STREET
QUICKSEARCH
Get an overview
GROVE MUSIC ONLINE
Find relevant books
in the library
JERWOOD LIBRARY CATALOGUE

13. CHOOSING SOURCES

14. THE CRAP TEST
• Currency
• Reliability
• Authority
• Purpose/Point of View

15. SOME SOURCES OF WRITTEN INFORMATION
• Book chapter
• Journal article
• Webpage
• Grove article
• Wikipedia article

16. FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS
Q: Which sources would you be comfortable with
citing in your presentation?
A: We suggest all but Wikipedia & website due
to lack of authority and reliability
Q: How would you check an author’s authority in
the subject?
A: Find what else they’ve written via the library
catalogue & QuickSearch. Google them to find
their biography and affiliations

17. SUMMARY
You should now…
1. Be able to develop your research topic using prior
knowledge and library resources.
2. Know how to evaluate sources of information depending
on your research requirements in order to choose which
resources to use
3. Know where to get help with finding and evaluating
resources.

18. ANY QUESTIONS?
• Email: jlpa@trinitylaban.ac.uk
• Web chat via Library catalogue or Jerwood Library Info
on Moodle
• Twitter: @jerwoodlib
• Facebook: facebook.com/jerwoodlibrary
• Blog: jerwoodlibrary.wordpress.com
• Research workbooks are available on Moodle – visit the
Jerwood Library information page under Library links.