This document provides an overview of research resources and services available through Ohio Northern University Libraries. It begins with introductions and contact information for reference librarians. It then describes the libraries on campus and how to access resources using a student ID number. The bulk of the document outlines the seven steps of the research process and provides guidance on developing topics, finding background information, using catalogs, evaluating internet and database sources, and citing sources. It promotes library databases and discovery tools for finding journal articles and encourages students to consult librarians for research help.

1. Science
Fiction and
Philosophy
Dr. Katayama
Trex 1001
Prof. Jenny Donley
Catalog and Knowledge Architect Librarian
Heterick Memorial Library
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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 – Weds
● 8-4 Friday
● reference@onu.edu

3. Libraries at ONU
Taggart Law Library Heterick Memorial Library
Undergraduate Library:
accessible to all
Law School 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. Identify and develop your topic:
How to start your research
● 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. Find Background Information:
Background Research
• Background research = Reference books
and encyclopedias
• Library catalog
• Look at Electronic Reference Sources
box on the tab for this class on the
TREX research guide for a link to the
library’s databases as well as links to
electronic encyclopedias and reference
materials.

10. Use catalogs to find books and media:
POLAR, OhioLINK, and ILL
• POLAR: Access 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. Use catalogs to find books and media:
POLAR and OhioLINK

12. Use catalogs to find books and media:
POLAR catalog

13. Use catalogs to find books and media:
POLAR catalog
● 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 (primarily 2nd floor), the general circulating collection (3rd
floor) or e-books available online.
e-book
reference
e-book
circulating

14. Use catalogs to find books and media:
OhioLINK catalog
● Over 90 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 search OhioLINK and
submit requests. It is also available through the Heterick
homepage
● Most requests arrive in 2-3 working days
● There is no charge to request materials through OhioLINK
● Limited to 100 items checked out at a time
● MAY RENEW UP TO 4 TIMES!

15. Use catalogs to find books and media:
OhioLINK catalog
1. From the POLAR catalog, click on
the OhioLINK icon to access the
consortium catalog.

16. Use catalogs to find books and media:
OhioLINK catalog
2. Click on the icon.

17. Use catalogs to find books and media:
OhioLINK catalog
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.

18. Find internet resources
(if appropriate for the assignment)
• 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.

19. Critically analyzing web sources using
• Currency
Find internet resources:
the CRAAP Test
• Relevance/Coverage
• Authority
• Accuracy
• Purpose/Objectivity
• Timeliness of the information
• Depth and importance of the
information
• Source of the information
• Reliability of the information
• Possible bias present in the
information

20. Find internet resources:
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

21. Web research vs. Library databases
Internet
• Material from numerous
sources, individuals,
government, etc.
• Search engines must work
with material prepared without
regard for specific software
• Quality of material varies
• Generally do not access for-profit
information
• Content often anonymous and
undated
Databases
• Usually created by a single publisher
• Content pre-arranged for easy
searching
• Quality-controlled by editorial staff
• Most are available only to
subscribers
• Sources are usually identified and
dated
• Databases often focus on a specific
subject or discipline, but some cover
several areas

22. Using databases to find periodical articles:
Overview of databases
• What is the basic definition of a library database?
• A library database is an electronic (online) catalog or index
• Library databases contain information about published items
• Library databases are searchable
• The library subscribes to many databases so the ONU community has access
to these resources. When you’re searching a database, you are not searching
“the web.”
• What types of items are indexed by library databases?
• Articles in Journals/Magazines/Newspapers
• Reference Information (i.e. entries from Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, etc.)
• Books & other documents
Source: http://web.calstatela.edu/library/whatisadatabase.htm

23. Use databases to find periodical articles:
Popular vs. scholarly periodicals
● A periodical is something that is published at regular
intervals. Magazines and journals are both periodicals,
however…
● Magazines are periodicals that contain more popular
content. They tend to have glossy pages, lots of pictures,
and can be read and understood by the general public.
They contain shorter articles written by a staff of journalists.
● Journals are periodicals that
contain scholarly and peer-reviewed
articles, written by
scholars and researchers, that are
aimed at professionals in the field.
The articles are longer and have
extensive bibliographies at the
ends of the articles.

24. Using databases to find periodical articles:
Journal Finder shortcut to periodicals

25. Using databases to find periodical articles:
Choosing a database
• Helpful databases to jump
start your research:
• Academic Search
Complete
• JSTOR
• MasterFILE Premier
• Points of View
• Psychology and
Behavioral Sciences
Collection
• Religion and Philosophy
Collection
• SocINDEX with full text
• Search by subject/discipline to find subject
specific databases

26. SEARCH…
the Discovery Layer

27. Use databases to find periodical articles:
SEARCH Discovery Layer
• What it includes:
• POLAR 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
• OhioLINK Central Catalog

28. Use databases to find periodical articles:
SEARCH Discovery Layer

29. Use databases to find periodical articles:
SEARCH results for POLAR

30. Use databases to find periodical articles:
SEARCH results for OhioLINK

31. Use databases to find periodical articles:
SEARCH results for eBooks

32. Use databases to find periodical articles:
SEARCH results Full Text

33. Use databases to find periodical articles:
SEARCH results for Find It @ ONU
1.
3.
2.
4.

34. Use databases to find periodical articles:
SEARCH results for ILL
1.
2.
Alternate option:

35. Use databases to find periodical articles:
Facets to limit your results

36. Evaluate and cite what you find:
RefWorks Bibliographic Citation Software

37. Evaluate and cite what you find:
RefWorks Bibliographic Citation Software
See “RefWorks” tab on the Research Guide

38. Cite what you find:
Standard citation 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.

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