The document provides an overview of library resources and research tools available at Ohio Northern University. It discusses the main libraries on campus, the online catalog POLAR, the OhioLINK consortium catalog, and databases for finding articles. It outlines the seven steps of the research process, including developing a topic, finding background information, using catalogs and databases, evaluating sources, and citing sources. Key databases recommended for starting research are Academic Search Complete, MasterFILE Premier, and others depending on subject area. The discovery tool SEARCH allows searching across many library resources at once.

1. Science
Fiction and
Philosophy
Dr. Katayama
Trex 1001
Jenny Donley
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http://honsbioethics.clevelandhistory.org/files/2011/08/retro_brain.jpg
Catalog and Serials Librarian
Heterick Memorial Library

2. Introduction
● Welcome!
● Jenny Donley, j-donley.1@onu.edu
● Feel free to visit or email
● Librarians on duty:
● 8-4:30, 6-9 Mon – Thurs
● 8-4 Friday
● reference@onu.edu

3. Libraries at ONU
Taggart Law Library
Heterick Memorial Library
Law School Library:
accessible to all
Undergraduate Library:
accessible to all

4. ONU card = Library ID
Remember to always
use all 11 digits!

5. How am I supposed to remember
all of this stuff?

6. Research Guides

7. How to do research:
Seven Steps of the Research Process
● STEP 1: IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP YOUR TOPIC
● STEP 2: FIND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
● STEP 3: USE CATALOGS TO FIND BOOKS AND MEDIA
● STEP 4: FIND INTERNET RESOURCES (if appropriate for the assignment)
● STEP 5: USE DATABASES TO FIND PERIODICAL ARTICLES
● STEP 6: EVALUATE WHAT YOU FIND
● STEP 7: CITE WHAT YOU FIND
Amended with permission by the Librarians at the Olin and Uris Libraries of Cornell University

8. How to do research: identify and
develop your topic
● State your topic as a question
● Identify main concepts or keywords
● Test the topic: Look for keywords, synonyms, and related
terms for the information sought
● Subject headings in catalogs
● Built-in thesauri in many databases
● Reference sources, textbooks, lecture notes, readings
● Librarians, Instructors
● Internet

9. How to do research:
Find Background Information

10. Research Tools - Catalogs
• POLAR: Accessing physical and electronic items
located at HML (Heterick Memorial Library) as well as
LAW (Taggart Law Library).
• OhioLINK: Next step if you can’t find what you want in
the HML or LAW collections.
• ILL: Option of last resort for books and articles.

11. Find a book: POLAR

12. Find a book: POLAR
● Books are arranged on the shelves using Dewey Decimal Classification
Numbers. Think of the these numbers as the shelf address for a book.
● Books found in POLAR will be part of the reference collection (1st floor),
juvenile collection (2nd floor), the circulating collection (3rd floor) or e-books
available online.
e-book
reference
e-book
circulating

13. Find a book: OhioLINK
● Most of the university and college libraries in Ohio share
their materials through a consortium catalog called
OhioLINK.
● There are around 10 million items available
● A link from POLAR permits you to submit requests.
Available from the Heterick homepage
● Most requests arrive in 2-3 working days
● No charge
● Limited to 100 items at a time
● MAY RENEW UP TO 4 TIMES!

14. Find a book: POLAR and OhioLINK
1. Click on the OhioLINK icon to
access the consortium catalog.

15. Find a book: OhioLINK
2. Click on the
icon.

16. Find a book: OhioLINK
3. Select Ohio Northern U.
4. Enter your first and last name
and all 11 digits exactly as they
appear on your ID.
5. Be sure to select Heterick as
your pick up location and then click
submit.
6. An email will be sent when the
item is ready for pickup.

17. Internet Tools
• Does the information located satisfy the research need?
• Is the information factual and unbiased?
• See additional tips for evaluating web sources and web
pages in the Research Guide.

18. Internet Tools: CRAAP Test
• Currency
• Timeliness of the information
• Relevance/Coverage
• Depth and importance of the
information
• Authority
• Source of the information
• Accuracy
• Reliability of the information
• Purpose/Objectivity
• Possible bias present in the
information

19. Internet Tools:
Critically analyzing web sources
• What? is the page/site about
• Who? created and maintains this site
• Where? Is the information coming from
• Why? Is the information presented on the web
• When? Was the page created or last updated
• How? Accurate or credible is the page
From the University of Wisconsin Library
worksheet for evaluating web sites

20. Research Tools:
Periodicals and Articles
● A periodical is something that is published at
regular intervals
● Magazines and journals are both periodicals,
however…
● Magazines are typically a more “popular” type of
periodical
●
Journals are scholarly or
professional peer reviewed
periodicals

21. Research Tools:
Periodicals and Articles

22. Research Tools: Databases
• Tools for locating journal and
newspaper articles
• Most are subject-specific, but some are
multi-disciplinary
• Many give access to full text articles
• Heterick has 240+ databases

23. Research Tools: Databases

24. Research Tools: Databases
• Helpful databases to jump start your research:
• Academic Search Complete
• MasterFILE Premier
• Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
• MEDLINE with full text
• Religion and Philosophy Collection
• SocINDEX with full text
• Search by subject/discipline to find subject specific
databases
But now we have an even easier tool
to get your research started…

25. SEARCH…
the Discovery Layer

26. Research Tools: SEARCH
• What is included in SEARCH?
• POLAR catalog
• OhioLINK catalog
• Article-level searching for all EBSCO databases
• Article-level searching for a variety of other databases:
JSTOR, Hoover’s, AccessPharmacy, etc.
• Title-level searching for most other databases: IEEE,
CIAO, Proquest Nursing & Allied Health

27. SEARCH

28. SEARCH : POLAR

29. SEARCH : OhioLINK

30. SEARCH : eBooks

31. SEARCH : Full Text PDF or
HTML

32. SEARCH : Find It @ ONU

33. SEARCH : ILL

34. Facets: Limit your results and
focus your topic

35. How to do research: Cite what
you find using standard formats
These are the three citation styles that are most
frequently used at ONU:
● MLA (Modern Language Association)
● APA (American Psychological Association)
● CMS (Chicago Manual of Style)
Always ask your professors which citation style
you should use for their particular class.

36. Bibliographic Citation Software:
RefWorks

37. Bibliographic Citation Software:
RefWorks
See “RefWorks” tab on the Research Guide

38. Happy
Researching!
Remember, the librarians
are here to help you with
your research. Come and
see us!
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