Political Science:An Adventure in Research

Beaman LibraryFall 2007

Research is a process…

• It is ORGANIZED

• It is METHODICAL

• It is COMPREHENSIVE

The Researcher’s 2 questions…

• WHAT do I want to know?

• WHERE do I find that information?

Catacomb…the online catalog

All searching begins withthe online catalog.

Information Resources in Beaman Library

Reference books

Periodicals

Indexes

Databases/Websites

Reference Sources: Location Main Level – West Wing

Reference Sources: Types

EncyclopediasGeneralSubject

DictionariesHandbooksDirectoriesIndexesStatistical Sources

Periodicals - Location

Current (2007) magazines and journals are arranged alphabetically on open shelves for easy browsing.

Periodicals - Location

Bound periodicals are arranged alphabetically and chronologically.

Periodicals - Location

Some periodicals are kept on microfilm or microfiche.

Periodical Indexes (print)- Location

Periodical indexes are located on the main floor, east wing of Beaman Library.

Periodical IndexesPrint

• Biography Index• Business Periodicals Index• General Science Index• PAIS International Index• Social Sciences Index

Periodical Indexes

• Online• Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)• Powersearch• Academic OneFile• Expanded Academic ASAP• InfoTrac OneFile• National Newspaper Index• America: History & Life and Historical Abstracts• Biography Resource Center• Lexis-Nexis

World Wide Web Resources

• Academic .edu

• Government .gov

• Specialized/commercial.com/.org/.net

Online Indexes/Databases: Government

U. S. GovernmentLibrary of Congress

http://marvel.loc.gov

Congressional Directory http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cdirectory/

index.html

Online Indexes/DatabasesEducation

• http://infomine.ucr.edu

…a virtual library of internet resources relevant to faculty, students, and research staff at the university level.

Electronic journals electronic booksBulletin boards databasesarticles

Online Indexes/DatabasesCommercial

Search specifically for scholarly literature:

theses peer reviewed papers booksabstracts technical reports

preprints

http://scholar.google.com/

Evaluating Information

• from monographs (books)

• from periodicals (journals)

• from databases/websites

Evaluating books

• Is it a recognized author?• Does it have timely content?• Does it contain documentation?

What is a Scholarly Journal?

For scholars or researchers in a specialized field (e.g. medicine, psychology)

Cites research Peer review (refereed) Includes notes and/or bibliography Usually quarterly or monthly Mostly print with graphs and/or tables Few or no ads

Web Site Evaluation—the WWW’s

Who says it? Author or sponsor Credentials of responsible party

Web Site Evaluation—the WWW’s

What does it claim, assert, etc.? Purpose of web site Biased, objective, fair Factual…in depth Correct grammar, spelling, etc.

Web Site Evaluation—the WWW’s

When was it said?• Publication date• Revisions• Links up-to-date

Interlibrary Loan

• Question: What do I do if a resource I need is not available in the Beaman Library?

• Answer: Use the Interlibrary loan service provided by Beaman Library

Interlibrary Loan

Facts about Interlibrary Loan:

• Interlibrary Loan is a service provided by Beaman Library to obtain materials NOT owned by Beaman Library.

• The conditions of this service are set by the National Interlibrary Loan Code.

• The loan period is determined by the lending library.

• Athena is an area consortium of local libraries who loan and borrow from one another without charge.

• Applications are available at the Reference desk or online in Catacomb.

Access form online: http://library.lipscomb.edu

SAIL

Search – indexes/databases (evaluate)Analyze – compare, contrast; separate

fact from opinionInventory – Do I have enough, too

much, too little?Learn – new information and new

information skills

Your mission...

• Come up with a suitable topic (not too broad, not too narrow)

• Be able to find resources in all formats (books, articles, websites, etc.)

• Incorporate & cite these sources correctly (be careful not to plagiarize!)

• Remember: librarians are here to help you with your mission!