This document provides an overview of research strategies and resources for students. It discusses developing a focused topic and search strategy, evaluating scholarly and non-scholarly sources, primary and secondary sources, types of databases including full-text, abstract, eBook collections, and criteria for analyzing internet sources. The purpose is to introduce library research strategies and resources to effectively conduct research.

1. -- Research Process Checklist
-- Scholarly & Non-Scholarly Sources
-- Article Comparison
-- Analyze & Evaluate Resources
-- Primary & Secondary Sources
-- Types of Databases
-- Analyze Internet Sources
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Purpose: To introduce library research strategies

2. Research Process Checklist…..
 Use abstracts or indexes to
find journal articles
 Formulate an effective
search strategy
 Find the journals / articles
 Evaluate sources
 Cite your sources
 Identify and clearly define your
topic
◦ ** Avoid broad subjects
(information overload)
** Narrow topics will limit
your sources (not enough
information)
 Find background information
 Use WorldCat Discovery
Local, Horizon Catalog or
eJournal Portal to locate library
resources
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3. --Non-scholarly articles are
written in popular magazines
-- information is not
researched
--articles are often biased and
based on opinions
--Scholarly articles are written
by professionals in the field
-- subject matter experts
-- information and data has
been researched & reviewed
by colleagues in the field
 What are……?
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4.  Written by journalists and
reporters (popular)
 Leisure, entertainment &
general interest (popular)
 Non-technical (popular)
 No references or bibliographies
(popular)
 Published daily, weekly or
monthly (popular)
 Published monthly, quarterly,
semiannually, etc. (scholarly
 Published monthly, quarterly,
semiannually, etc. (scholarly)
 Current research (scholarly)
 Statistical data (scholarly)
 Informative & authoritative
(scholarly)
 Primary sources for laboratory
and field research (scholarly)
 Written by subject matter
experts (scholarly)
 Peer reviewed (scholarly)
 Bibliographies/References
included (scholarly)
 Scholarly vs Popular…?
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5. 1. Primary sources are first-
hand accounts of history
◦ Interviews, speeches or
personal narratives
◦ Photos, artifacts,
manuscripts or original
works
◦ Biographies
◦ Autobiographies
◦ Census, government or
historical documents
◦ Statistical data or
surveys
2. Secondary sources
are interpretations of primary
sources. Original research or
work has been analyzed and
evaluated
◦ Reviews, monographs
◦ Literary criticism
◦ Encyclopedias, dictionaries,
handbooks, etc
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6. Scholarly Journals
Scholars, researchers, practitioners
Experts in the field (faculty members,
researchers)
Includes a bibliography, references, notes,
and/or works cited section
Editorial board of outside scholars (known as
peer review)
Scholarly or professional organization
Assumes a level of knowledge in the field
Indexed in subject-specialized indexes such as
ERIC , MEDLINE, Social Work Abstracts,
BioOne, Sociological Abstracts, AGRICOLA or
Physical Education Index
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7. Popular Magazines
General public
Magazine staff members, journalists, freelance
writers
Rarely includes footnotes
Editors work for publisher
Commercial, for profit
Easy to read, aimed at the layperson
Indexed in general periodical indexes such as Index
to Black Periodicals or Readers' Guide to Periodical
Literature
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8. Review and Evaluation Checklist
Have you selected primary or secondary sources?
Are your sources informative, authoritative, relevant,
objective & comprehensive?
Are your reference books subject specific?
Are your articles written by subject matter experts?
Are they peer reviewed?
Has the source been cited before?
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9.  Full text databases - full text databases contain the entire
journal article and abstract
 Topics are subject specific or multidisciplinary
 Examples: BioOne, SAGE eJournals, LexisNexis,
SpringerLink eJournals, JSTOR, ACM Digital Library,
SPIE, Science Direct Subject Collections, EBSCOHost
Databases, ProQuest Databases, Oxford eJournals, Optics
InfoBase, Project Muse Basic Research and Annual
Reviews
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10.  Abstract Databases - are not full text
 Provide citation or abstract information
 Topics are subject specific or multidisciplinary
◦ Examples: ERIC, FIRSTSEARCH, MEDLINE, AGRICOLA,
PROQUEST ABSTRACT Databases (ASFA: Aquatic Science
and Fisheries Abstracts, BioOne, Applied Social Sciences
Index and Abstracts, Physical Education Index, Design
and Applied Arts Index and more ), Social Work
Abstracts & PsyInfo
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11.  Full collection of eBooks - the entire book is
available online
◦ Examples: Springer eBooks, ebrary, Sage
eReference, EBSCO eBooks, American Chemical
Society, CREDO Reference, Encyclopedia of Social
Work, Psychiatry Online and McGraw Hill Access
Science
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Why use Internet websites?
-- Reliable websites are
informative, authoritative &
comprehensive.
-- Information presented can
be verified (.gov, .org, .edu)
* Supreme Court of the
United States
* U.S. Census Bureau
* American FactFinder
* 911 Commission Report
Reason not to use websites
-- Information overload
-- Most sites are commercial
-- No ownership to information
provided
-- No set standards
-- Not peer reviewed, biased
information & not checked for
accuracy
-- No verification of information
published
-- Sites are often taken off line
Analyzing Internet Sources

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