This document provides an overview of a library instruction session on the research process for a GERO 101 class. It discusses the differences between scholarly and popular sources, how to formulate effective keyword searches, and methods for finding books and articles. The document also covers avoiding plagiarism, citing sources in APA style, and includes an invitation for students to practice database searches in groups and provide feedback.

1. L A K S A M E E P U T N A M
L P U T N A M @ T O W S O N . E D U
R E S E A R C H & I N S T R U C T I O N L I B R A R I A N
GERO 101:
The Research Process
Slides: http://bit.ly/sp2014geroslides

2. How can I help you?
 Laksamee Putnam
 lputnam@towson.edu
 Cook Library Reference:
 410.704.2462.
 IM/email
 Phone: 410.704.3746.
 Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU
 Albert S. Cook facebook profile!
 Slides: http://bit.ly/sp2014geroslides

3. A quick plug…
 National Library of
Medicine – Yellow Paper
exhibit 3rd Floor
 During a time when women
were challenging traditional
ideas about gender that
excluded them from political
and intellectual life, artist
and writer Charlotte Perkins
Gilman, who was
discouraged from pursuing
a career to preserve her
health, rejected these ideas
in a terrifying short story
titled "The Yellow Wall-
Paper."

4. Agenda
 Scholarly vs Popular
 How to formulate a search
 Finding Books/Articles
 APA Citations
 Hands on database practice

5. Scholarly vs Popular
 Scholarly
 Example 1
 Example 2
 Popular
 Example 1
 Example 2

6. Scholarly vs Popular
 Scholarly
 Written by an expert for
other experts
 Support your argument
with high quality
information
 Popular
 Entertaining but lack
depth
 Grab people’s interests but
should not be your only
resource

7. Scholarly vs Popular
 DuckDuckGo (2012). There are no “regular results”
on Google anymore.
 http://vimeo.com/duckduckgo/bubble

8. Formulating a Keyword Search
1. Choose a Topic
In your groups decide on a topic, write it on the whiteboard!

9. Formulating a Keyword Search
1. Choose a Topic
 End of life care of elderly

10. Formulating a Keyword Search
2. Narrow/Broaden your search
Consider your group topic, break it up
Create a few possible subtopics

11. Formulating a Keyword Search
2. Narrow/Broaden your search
 Elderly depression in end of life care

12. Formulating a Keyword Search
3. Identify the key concepts
Take one of your subtopics and write keywords describing it

13. Formulating a Keyword Search
3. Identify the key concepts
 Elder
 Depression
 End of life care

14. Formulating a Keyword Search
4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms
How else can you describe your topic, write down synonyms

15. Formulating a Keyword Search
4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms
 Elder
 Elder*
 Senior
 Aged
 Older person
 Older adult
 Depression
 hopelessness
 End of life care
 Palliative care
 Terminal care

16. Formulating a Keyword Search
5. Formulate your search utilizing various
combinations of your words
 String them together using AND/OR/NOT
 Truncate *
 Any “phrases”?

17. Formulating a Keyword Search
6. Evaluate what you find
 Check for CRAP
Currency
Reliability
Authority
Purpose/Point
of View
 Examples
 Pacific Northwest Tree
Octopus
 Autism and Vaccines

18. 3 ways to find Books
 http://cooklibrary.towson.edu
 Towson Books
 USMAI Books
 Interlibrary Loan

19. Finding Articles
 Go to the Gerontology Subject Gateway
 Numerous databases to choose from
 Search more than one
 Use your keywords and refine your search

20. Plagiarism
 Using someone’s ideas or expression of those
ideas (words, pictures, music, etc)
 Without giving proper credit

21. It’s out there, why not reuse it?
 Acknowledge where you
found the information
 Support your argument
 Allows others to find
additional informationWatson, M. (2013, March 4) Copyright –
the right to copy? Lariushin’s monographs
of plant families. Botanic Stories.
Retrieved from
http://stories.rbge.org.uk/archives/1321

22. APA Style
 Help Guide
 APA book is
available in the
library
 OWL or Diane
Hacker
Science Student. [Photographer]. Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica Image
Quest.http://quest.eb.com/images/115_2674314

23. APA style
 Journal Article:
 Author last name, first initial(s). (Year). Title of article. Title of
Journal, Volume(issue), pages. doi:xxxxxx
 Book:
 Author last name, first initial(s). (Year). Book title. Publication
information: place (city and state abbreviation), publisher’s
name.

24. Let’s start searching!
 Research your topic with your group!
 Begin by filling out this online spreadsheet
 http://bit.ly/sp2014gerows
 After you are done please go here to send me
feedback on this session
 http://bit.ly/VLiBPh

25. Questions?
 Feel free to contact me:
 Laksamee Putnam
 lputnam@towson.edu
 410.704.3746.
 Twitter: @LibrarianLaks
 Or any reference librarian:
 Visit Cook Library Reference Desk
 410.704.2462.
 IM – tucookchat