What strategies will you use to find sources in the University library going forward
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Welcome Graduate Students!These modules were designed by librarians to provide a foundation for graduate level library research. They are self-paced, so you can start anywhere and complete as much as you feel you need. Not sure where to start? Effective search strategiesResearch dataLocating research data can stimulate ideas about the kinds of data you might like to gather, as well as provide sources of information to explore and analyze for your own research. Research Data Avoiding plagiarism Learn how to define academic integrity, academic dishonesty and plagiarism, and more. Avoiding Plagiarism General databasesLearn to search core interdisciplinary databases, like JSTOR or Google Scholar. General Databases Literature reviewsLearn how to recognize the components and characteristics of a good literature review for a dissertations or theses. Literature Reviews Copyright & fair useLearn about the rights and responsibilities of a copyright owner, determining the copyright status of a work, and more. Copyright & Fair Use Specialized databasesManage your citationsLearn to use a variety of software tools that can help you store, organize and add your citations to research papers. Manage Your Citations Open accessLearn about open access publishing, your publishing options, and support at the UA. Open Access Explore library servicesEven the most library-savvy grad student can overlook services that will make their research easier and more efficient.
Instructors The For Instructors page provides useful tips and resources for teaching assistants:
Share your thoughts: What Library Services do you or would you likely use? Do you have suggestions for new services? Selecting a topic is the most important component of a successful search. Suggestions for finding a topic: •Discuss your topic ideas with your class instructor and/or a reference librarian. •Take a look at the Taking Sides series (do a title search on the words "taking sides" in the book catalog). These books offer an overview of many controversial topics and presents pro/con approaches to each topic. Great for getting ideas and for overview and background material. Also, look at current newspapers and news magazines for other current topic ideas. A couple of good databases to use are CQ Researcher and Opposing Viewpoints. •Look over the index and the article titles in a specialized encyclopedia that covers the subject area or discipline of your topic (for example, psychology, United States social history, women's studies, linguistics, environmental studies, etc.). •State your topic idea as a question, a phrase, or the title of an article or book on the subject. Sample topic: "Can playing the violin cause repetitive stress injury to wrists and arms?" •Now analyze the topic. Scrutinize the topic and identify keywords or phrases. If necessary, consult specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, controlled vocabulary lists, and thesauri for more terms. Divide the keywords or phrases into concepts. Sample: What are the 3 Step searching strategies?How to Construct an Effective Search Strategy. Step 1: Develop a research question or choose a topic.. Step 2: Identify the first step in your research process.. Step 3: Develop your search strategy using PICO.. Step 4: Brainstorm your search terms or identify terminology that must be included in your search.. What is the most effective search strategy?Key concepts from your research question are the most effective search terms to quickly locate relevant sources. Underline key nouns from your research question (for example, people, places, time periods, issues).
How can the librarian be of help in finding your sources?Pick a research topic.. Narrow down (or broaden) a topic.. Select the best library resource to find sources (books, ebooks, videos, online videos, articles). Find the best words and phrases to type in.. Evaluate the sources you find.. Cite those sources.. What is the most efficient way to search for articles in journals or magazines?Use online databases to find articles in journals, newspapers, and magazines (periodicals). You can search for periodical articles by the article author, title, or keyword by using databases in your subject area in Databases.
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