This document provides an overview and objectives for an FSC 632 Library Resources class, including how to find and evaluate sources for literature reviews. It discusses developing topics, conducting background research, and searching databases and catalogs. Tips are provided on distinguishing primary and peer-reviewed sources, narrowing topics, avoiding plagiarism, and citing sources properly. Students are encouraged to contact the subject specialist or library for help with research and are introduced to resources like Summon, specialized databases, and Interlibrary Loan.

1. FSC 632
Library Resources
Linda Galloway
2015

2. Class objectives
• Find background information
• Develop your topic
• Literature Research
– Find peer-reviewed, primary sources
– Evaluate sources
– Compose Literature Reviews
– Cite resources
• Finding other materials @ the libraries
– Books, videos, other items
• Library services

3. Help!!
• Contact your subject specialist, Linda
Galloway: galloway@syr.edu
• Syracuse University Libraries:
library.syr.edu
• General help:
http://library.syr.edu/research/askus

5. Why??
Find
Evaluate
Synthesize
Ethically use
Information

6. Background Information
• Google
• Encyclopedias
–Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences
–Wikipedia
• Books and other media

7. Start with your research
assignment…
• Develop a research topic by:
– Evaluating topic
– Background reading/ review literature
– Developing a list of search terms
– Writing a clarifying paragraph, thesis
statement (something to prove or disprove)
OR a research question

8. Choose a topic you are interested in.
Carefully define and develop your topic.
A well defined topic is easier to search.

9. Developing your Topic
1. Choose a topic that interests you.
2. Evaluate your topic.
3. Get a working knowledge of your
topic. (develop keyword list)
4. Identify controversies or questions.
5. Develop your research question.
6. Write your clarifying paragraph.

10. Wikipedia
“False Confessions”

11. Let’s develop our topic
1. Choose a topic that interests you (false confessions)
2. Evaluate your topic (Too broad or narrow?)
3. Get a working knowledge of your topic. (develop
keyword list) (How to do this??)
4. Identify controversies or questions (Background
reading)
5. Develop your research question (Why?)
6. Write your clarifying paragraph (Or introduction, or
abstract)

12. Narrowing a Topic
Worksheet

13. Finding Articles

15. Full text, no
newspapers
Journal articles only
Set date range 2006-present

16. think before (and while) you
search….
What types of articles do you want?
Newspaper
Magazine
Website
Journal
Peer-reviewed, primary source journal
article

17. Recognize the difference
between a magazine and a
journal…..
Peer review:
 suitability for publication
 credibility
 quality control

18. Primary Sources
& Peer Review
Primary Source - Original document
containing firsthand information
– Lab notebooks, interviews
– Original research including journal articles
and preprints
A peer reviewed primary source is a work that is
evaluated by experts in the field of study prior to
publication. Serves as a measure of quality.

19. Primary Forensic Scientific
Literature
• Find citations to articles in databases
• Find full text of articles in journals
• Original scientific research articles
– Not review articles
– Not books
• Check for scholarly status (you want a
peer-reviewed or refereed journal) by
consulting ULRICH’S database

20. Finding Articles

22. Remote Access to
Library Resources
• Almost all resources are available off
campus via our proxy server
• Log on once and until you close your
browser are recognized as an SU student
• Get to databases/resources via the SU
Library web site so you are recognized as
a student; http://library.syr.edu

23. http://researchguides.library.syr.edu/forensic

24. Primary Sources
& Peer Review
Primary Source - Original document
containing firsthand information
– Diaries, interviews
– Original research including journal articles
and preprints
A peer reviewed primary source is a work that is
evaluated by experts in the field of study prior to
publication. Think of this as quality control.

25. Scopus

26. Re-sorted by Relevance…

27. One good article can lead you to….
Cited References below

28. Generate a citation to this article

29. Is the journal peer-reviewed?

31. Demo Searches in
Proquest Database
(eyewitness AND bias)

32. Finding Books
Electronic Book
In print: HV8073 .H77 2010
In print: QA276 .A264 2010

36. Finding Film &
Video

38. Legal & News Resources

39. http://researchguides.library.syr.edu/forensics

43. Search for:
confession AND false AND interrogation
in “Look up a Legal Case”
yielded 300+ results

44. Questions??

45. Avoiding Plagiarism and
Citing Sources

46. What is Plagiarism?
• Copy from published sources without
adequate documentation
• Paraphrase from a written source
without giving credit to the author
• Paraphrase from the web without
giving credit

50. Examples of APA sources
Gunn, A. (2006). Essential forensic biology.
Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Price, H. L., & Dahl, L. C. (2014). Order and
strength matter for evaluation of alibi and
eyewitness evidence. Applied Cognitive
Psychology, 28(2), 143-150.

51. Final tips…

52. Forensic Science Resources
• Wealth of resources at SU!
– However….we don’t have everything
• Interlibrary Loan Services
– Try to get you what you need asap
– Journal articles, books, chapters, etc.
– Service is free – register here:
• https://illiad.syr.edu/

53. https://scholar.google.com/

57. Google
Google
Scholar
Summon
Specialized
databases
Broad,
Interdisciplinary
search Tools
Focused, subject-
specific search engines

58. Need help?
Come visit –
Sci-Tech Library
(Carnegie)
galloway@syr.edu
OR
http://library.syr.edu/research
/askus/

59. Questions???