This document provides tips for conducting library research, including starting with relevant sources like encyclopedias, newspapers, or scholarly articles depending on the type of information needed. It recommends using subject searches in databases and the book catalog to find more targeted results compared to keyword searches. Finally, it suggests finding additional sources by citation tracing, subject tracing, and asking librarians for help with any other research needs.

1. TOP TIPS FOR
LIBRARY RESEARCH
JOUR 2310 Fashion, Media, and Culture

2. 1. RESEARCH GUIDES

3. Find recommended sources

4. 2. START WITH
SOURCES

5. What information type fits your need?
◦ Background information (definitions, important people and events)
◦ Encyclopedias (ex. Literati)
◦ Specialized encyclopedias (ex. Star struck: an encyclopedia of celebrity culture)
◦ Newspapers
◦ Books
◦ Analysis
◦ Scholarly articles (very specific)
◦ Books of essays
◦ Evidence
◦ Primary sources
◦ Data, statistics
◦ Original research

6. What information tool fits that type?
◦ Internet
◦ Databases
◦ Newspapers
◦ Journal articles
◦ Magazine articles
◦ Images
◦ Statistics
◦ Book catalog

7. A word about Discover SMU

8. 3. DATABASES,
NOT JUST FOR
ARTICLES…

9. Find a database by subject

10. Recommended databases on guides

11. 4. A BOOK COULD BE
YOUR BEST BET

12. Complete coverage of a topic

13. 5. SUBJECTS FOR
POWER SEARCHES

14. How does subject searching work?
◦ How does a database pull results based on what you type in the box?
◦ Words are matched to any terms appearing in the text
◦ What are the problems with keyword searches?
◦ Trash results
◦ Need to search with different ways of saying the same thing
◦ Need to come up with terms on your own
◦ How are subjects more powerful?
◦ Applied by a human
◦ No synonym problem
◦ More relevant results
◦ Can browse a list of terms

15. Subject searches
work in databases
and the book
catalog

16. 6. FIND ONE SOURCE,
AND THEN FIND
MORE

17. Citation tracing

18. Subject tracing

19. 7. BORROW FROM
OTHER LIBRARIES

20. Intralibrary loan for articles

21. Books, too…

22. 8. ASK FOR HELP

23. For help with any research needs