The facets and key questions below are from the Researcher Skill Development Framework. Research is cyclical, and a librarian can help you navigate through this process.
The library provides access to a variety of materials, including:
The library generally does not have textbooks, but you have options:
If you have previously shown a DVD in class and are now teaching online, the library can help. Contact your subject librarian for assistance or see more information for Online Access to Videos for Classes.
Field Searching - search for words only in the title, subjects, etc. to try to limit your results to more relevant articles
Subject Searching - start with a thesaurus and add relevant terms to search
Pearl Growing - do a general search, look at what words relevant articles use, see which subject terms are helpful, and revise original search incorporating new information.
Literature reviews are something you will find yourself doing during Graduate school. It's important to learn how to identify a literature review and how to write one. The library has a comprehensive guide on literature reviews.
There are many different ways to organize your references, but the easiest way is through a citation manager. Citation managers allow us to save, organize, and share articles and references. A few of the citation managers that the library promotes are Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote; EndNote is a subscription-based citation manager, Zotero and Mendeley are free to use. Find more general information in the Citation Managers Research Guide and find more in-depth guidance for getting started with a free citation manager in the Zotero Research Guide.
The library has created a citation styles guide for additional information on the different citation styles. Find more information in the Citation Styles Research Guide.
The subject of plagiarism is complex and this guide addresses it for students and faculty in a more positive manner by empowering writers with knowledge to avoid common pitfalls. The Ethical Use of Sources and Writing Guide also contains a basic tutorial that can be assigned. Referrals to other campus entities that support learning about this topic is included.