This document provides guidance on developing research skills such as choosing a focused topic, evaluating sources for credibility and bias, and using library resources like databases, subject guides, the catalog, and interlibrary loan to find relevant sources. It outlines tools for searching databases like Education Research Complete, finding journal articles, and getting research assistance from the library staff.

1. Research Skills:
EDCI 500
Laura Berberian
Stafford Campus Reference Librarian
lberberi@umw.edu

2. Developing a Topic
• Topic should not be too broad or too narrow
• Use a thesaurus in a research database, such
as ERIC, to look up synonyms of your search
terms
• Define the scope of your topic-who are your
subjects? Example: adolescent male readers

3. Evaluating Sources
• Credibility- what are the author’s credentials?
• Accuracy-are there errors? Disproven
theories?
• Currency-outmoded information
• Bias-is the author affiliated with a corporation
or political organization?

4. • Online access to thousands of scholarly
journal articles, magazines, and newspapers
• 380,000 items in the library’s collection
• Access to books and eBooks
• Online subject guides
• Interlibrary loan (to borrow items from other
libraries)

5. Library Home Page
http://libraries.umw.edu/

6. Research by Subject

7. Education-Stafford Subject Guide

8. Education Research Complete
•Place words in
quotation marks to
search for an exact
phrase
•From the drop-down
menu, you can search
within the abstract or
entire text of an article
•Use an * to search for
multiple word endings
•Limit to “full text” and
“scholarly peer-
reviewed journals”
•limit by date and
language

9. Education Research Complete: Search Results
Click on the PDF or HTML Full Text
link to read the article

10. Education Research Complete: Search Results
•You can email,
save and print
articles
•View the
reference citation
by clicking on the
yellow paper icon

11. Education Full Text
•Use “Advanced Search”
•Select “full text” and “Scholarly (Peer Reviewed)”
•Limit search by publication type

12. Journal Finder
• Search for the Journal Title
Links to Database
Links to Catalog

13. Getting to an Article
• Click on “Locate Article” within a database to
search all of our other databases for that
article
• Search the Journal Finder for the Journal Title

14. Searching the Library Catalog:
Advanced Search
Search by subject, title,
author, etc.
Limit search to
books available at
the Stafford
Campus-“Stafford
Stacks”

15. UMW Libraries Catalog

16. What if my materials are at the main campus Library?
What if UMW doesn’t have what I need?
• Use interlibrary loan (ILLiad) to request materials not located
at the Stafford Library
– Create an online ILLiad Account
– Submit requests through Library’s website
– Request books, articles, dissertations
– Books are free
– $2 fee for articles located at Simpson Library
– Delivered to Stafford Library

17. Searching the Web
• Search by domain: site:.edu, site:.gov or
site:.org for educational, government, and
NGO websites
• In Google Scholar, you can search for items in
UMW Libraries’ collection by going to
“Preferences” and typing “University of Mary
Washington” in the Library Links search box
• Click “Save Preferences”

18. Need help? Have Questions?
• Come to the Library
– Mondays – Thursdays: 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.
– Fridays: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.
– Saturdays: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Contact the Library Staff
– stafflib@umw.edu
– 540-286-8025
– IM: cgpslibrary
• Set up a Research Appointment
– lberberi@umw.edu
– 540-286-8057
– IM: staffordlibrarian