This document provides an overview of how to conduct research effectively. It discusses evaluating and citing sources, as well as organizing research materials. Key points include: evaluating sources using criteria like author authority and potential biases; citing sources properly from the beginning to avoid issues later; and taking detailed notes connected to citations in order to paraphrase and quote sources accurately. The document emphasizes that research is a process that benefits from planning, questioning, and seeking help when needed.

1. What you really need to know to get
started.
*

2. *
*Things to keep in mind before we dive in:
*1. Research is a PROCESS, like a journey.
*2. Every good journey requires planning.
*3. There’s no shame in asking for
directions when you get lost.

3. *
*How to find and evaluate sources.
*How to cite the sources you choose
to use.
*How to save yourself headaches
later by doing things thoughtfully
now (work smarter, not harder).

4. *

5. *
*POP QUIZ!
*What makes a source primary?
*A. It is not a book.
*B. It was produced at the time of the event.
*C. It is a first-hand account of the event, even if written years
later.
*D. Both B and C.
*ANSWER: D.

6. *
*Primary
*First-hand accounts (e.g. journals, letters,
memoirs)
*Artifacts contemporary with the event (e.g.
photographs)
*Secondary
*Any treatment which draws conclusions based on
primary sources (e.g. history book)

7. *
1. Books
2. Databases (The Deep Web)
3. The Internet (The Surface Web)

8. *
Most of the real gems on the
internet will never show up
in a Google Search. They
are part of the “Deep Web,”
stored behind password
protected firewalls in
databases and archives.
Take advantage of the
resources that the library
can give you access to!
About 8 billion
pages in the
Surface Web*
About 85 billion
pages in the
Deep Web*
*Bright Planet Corp. “Largest Deep Web Sites.” Sept. 8,2010. http://aip.completeplanet.com/aip-engines/help/largest_engines.jsp
(accessed September 8, 2010).

9. *
*1. The Surface Web
*Gain a basic familiarity with the topic, and a general idea about
which search terms (keywords) to use. Bookmark anything that
looks valuable.
*2. Databases
*Use your search terms to find great content.
*Use subject searching as well as keywords.
*Aim for primary sources in addition to secondary ones.
*3. Books
*Find more detailed or specific information.
*Find supporting arguments from credible scholars.

10. *
• Think backwards from the ideal item that you could
retrieve, to your search terms.
• Think in terms of keywords, and their synonyms.
• Be as specific as possible with your search to narrow the
results and target a great match.
• Use operators to search more effectively:
• “Quotes” keep phrases together (“apple pie”)
• OR searches for both terms (teens OR teenagers)
• NOT (-) eliminates results (war -Iraq)
• * is a wildcard (wom*n = women and woman)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8aYoVpdz8o

11. *
The databases gateway organizes all the databases
that you have access to in one spot.
TIP: Keep your Hawken library card handy!

12. *
Search for books from the entire CLEVNET
consortium, and place holds using your card.
TIP: Keep your Hawken library card handy!

13. *
*You need to evaluate them to ensure high
quality of scholarship, accuracy, usefulness
for your research, and to detect any biases.

14. *
*Author Authority
Who created the item? What is his or her affiliation? What is his or
her relationship to the information contained in the source?
*Audience and Purpose
Who is the intended audience? Why was the item created?
*Accuracy and Completeness
Is the evidence reliable and up to date? Are the important points
covered? How does the source compare to other similar sources? What
may have been left out?
*Footnotes and Documentation
Are the author's sources in secondary and reference literature clearly
identified with complete citations to allow you to find the original
source yourself?
*Perspective and Bias
How do the author's bias and perspective inform the arguments and
evidence presented?
Presnell, Jenny L. The Information-Literate Historian . New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

15. *
*To understand the value and limitations of a source, try to answer
the following questions:
*Is this source a firsthand account, written by a witness or
participant?
*Was it written at the time of the event or later?
*Is the account based on interviews or evidence from those
directly involved?
*To detect biases, try to answer these questions:
*Did the author have a stake in how an event was remembered?
Did he or she want this issue to be perceived in a particular way?
*Was the author writing for a specific audience?
*If possible, compare several primary sources against each other
to determine reliability and accuracy. If they conflict, consider
why this might be.
Bedford/St. Martin's. "Guidelines for Evaluating Primary Documents." Bedford/St. Martin's.
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/history/modules/guides/guide_documents.htm (accessed October 18, 2010).

16. *
Turn to someone seated next to you.
Come up with an easy way to remember
the evaluation criteria.
* (Hint: You can use
synonyms for these
words…)
*Author Authority
*Audience and Purpose
*Accuracy and Completeness
*Footnotes and Documentation
*Perspective and Bias

17. *
* T = Timeliness: The information is up to date.
* A = Authority: Author is qualified and has listed credentials.
* C = Coverage: Topic is deeply covered and cited.
* O = Objectivity: Document based on fact and not opinion.
* R = Reliability: Can the information be backed by other sources?
* E = Evidence: Do they explain and cite their evidence?
* A = Authority: Who wrote the article?
* D = Date: When was the website last updated?
* S = See if the author(s) have authority.
* M = Many sites give outdated information.
* A = A specific audience may be targeted.
* R = Reliability helps determine accuracy.
* T = Try to determine if information is unbiased.
Lincoln, Margaret. "Information Evaluation & Online Coursework." Knowledge Quest Jan.-Feb. 2010: 28-31. Print.

18. *
*Both the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
system and the Library of Congress (LC)
arrange materials according to their subject, so
that similar items are located next to or near
each other on the shelf.
*We need to be able to interpret both, since
Hawken library (and most small-medium public
libraries) uses Dewey, while Cleveland Public
Library and most universities use LC.

19. *
*A Dewey call number has three (okay, sometimes four) parts.
REF 909.0976 OXF
Prefix Code
(Optional)
Means the item
is in a special
collection area.
Ex: GN, REF
General
Subject Area
(Sorted
numerically
in Ascending
order)
Specific
Subject Area
(Sorted
numerically
in Ascending
order)
Author Last
Name
(Alphabetical)
Decimal
Point
100: General Works
200: Religion
300: Social Sciences
400: Language
500: Natural Sciences & Mathmatics
600: Technology (Applied Sciences)
700: The Arts
800: Literature & Rhetoric
900: Geography & History

20. *
REF
808
PER
REF
808.02
TUR
REF
808.003
SIN
REF
808
PERREF
808
GAI
More specific as we move to the right

21. *
*An LC call number ALSO has three (okay, sometimes four) parts.
DS35.53 .O96
Subject Division
Main Code
(21 Letters)
Subject Area
(Sorted numerically
in Ascending order)
Cutter Number
(Coded representation of
the author)
Subject Sub-
Division Code
(optional)A: General Works
B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
C: Auxiliary Sciences of History
D: World History and Histories of Africa, Asia, Europe, etc.
E: History of the Americas
F: History of the Americas
G: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
H: Social Sciences
J: Political Science
K: Law
L: Education
M: Music
N: Fine Arts
P: Language and Literature
Q: Science
R: Medicine
S: Agriculture
T: Technology
U: Military Science
V: Naval Science
Z: Bibliography, Library Science, Information Resources

22. *

23. *
*Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or
unpublished source (not always the original source).
* More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric
expression (e.g. [Newell84]) embedded in the body of an
intellectual work that denotes an entry in the bibliographic
references section of the work for the purpose of acknowledging
the relevance of the works of others to the topic of discussion at
the spot where the citation appears.
*Generally the combination of both the in-text citation and the
bibliographic entry constitutes what is commonly thought of as a
citation (whereas bibliographic entries by themselves are not).

24. *
*Direct quotations from a source;
*Images (including maps);
*Ideas paraphrased from a source;
*Statistics or facts;
*Pretty much anything that was not originally created
by you. (When in doubt, cite it.)

25. *
• Create your bibliography with templates based on your source.
• Annotate each source entry and generate your Annotated
Bibliography.
• Virtual notecards can link directly to your sources for easy citations.
• You can drag and drop your notecards into piles, or into an outline,
and keep track of tasks and deadlines associated with your
research.

26. *

27. *
*The first time: Evaluate and skim the source for
usefulness. If you think you might use it, create a
citation and annotate it with important points from
your evaluation, as well as the reasons why you think
the source will be useful.
*The second time: Read the source carefully and
capture notes, including quotations you want to use, as
well as your paraphrased summaries and your own
ideas which are linked to that source. From this point
on, you can work from your notes rather than re-
reading the source over and over.

28. *
*Always create a citation for your source when you first
find it. Don’t wait until the end! (This includes ALL
sources, even those from the web.)
*Create a citation for every source that you think you
might potentially use, and then tailor your final
bibliography based on what you actually use in your
paper.
*When you take notes, be sure to always connect them
back to their source so that you can properly cite them.
Specific page numbers matter.
*If you photocopy pages from a source, make sure you
clearly identify which source they came from so that
you can properly cite them.

29. *
*Your ability to write a great paper is
largely about your ability to pose
interesting and thoughtful questions to
answer.
*When you get stuck, don’t give up! Leave
yourself enough time to try different
approaches, and to ask for help if you
can’t figure it out.

30. *
*Are your brains full yet?
*They are?
*Okay.
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