English A - E Research Guide (Introduction to Academic Writing): Finding Good Sources

The primary role of academic librarians is to assist students with successfully completing their research assignments and to build a library collection that supports those assignments.

The librarians who work at the Reference Desk can assist students with:

• Choosing a topic
• Devising successful search strategies
• Identifying the best resources for their topic
• Searching the catalog to find books or ebooks efficiently
• Selecting the most appropriate databases & searching those databases efficiently
• Evaluating a results list to select the most relevant books or articles for their topic
• Citing sources in MLA or APA style
• Searching the Internet efficiently
• and more

Contact a librarian:

• in person at the Reference Desk
• by telephone at 410-386-8340
• by email (ref_desk@carrollcc.edu) or
• by chat

The quality of results is directly related to the quality of the search.

Most search tools work the same way, including Internet search engines. 

Following these basic principles should produce better results.

• Begin with a list of keywords that represent your topic
  • identify synonyms & related terms
  • add to this list as you identify additional terms & try different searches
     
• Search simple
  • search with major concepts NOT full sentences
  • ignore words that have little meaning
  • the more words you add to the search, the more information you are eliminating from the results so search only with the most important, meaningful words
     
• Use search tips and/or help screens to search a tool most efficiently
  • or ask a librarian for assistance
     
• All search tools use AND between major concepts to narrow the search
  • This requires that each concept is present in every result on the results list
  • Example:  Gandhi AND philosophy
     
• With Google and the library catalog, the AND is assumed between all the words typed in the search box
  • with some tools you must type the AND between the search terms
     
• Use the Advanced Search in any search tool to assist in constructing a good search
  • the AND is provided between the search windows
     
• After the first search, consider whether the results were useful
  • look through the results to identify other possible search terms that might improve the results
  • refine your search if additional or better search terms have been identified
  • search again to find better results
     
• Whenever you see Subject Headings listed, use them to construct searches
  • they are always good search terms

Remember:

The better the search = better results = a better product = a better grade

Anyone can go to the Internet, type in some words, search, and find some information.

• As a college student, you are expected to know or learn how to find information in more than one source. 
• All information cannot be found on the Internet.

Any information source that has been through the publishing process has already been evaluated by scholars or editors for accuracy.

• Publishers of books and periodicals (scholarly journals, magazines, or newspapers) protect the reputation of their publications by publishing information that has been verified.

Students should concentrate on finding reliable sources of information, which may include sources that have been published and/or documents on the Internet.

Because it is a self-publishing medium, all information found on the Internet must be evaluated for currency, reliability, accuracy, authorship, and purpose.  This evaluation takes time.

• It is a good idea to start your search for information with resources provided by the library rather than only the Internet
• However, it also depends on the kind of information you are seeking.
• If you need a scholarly journal article, you should use a research database first.
• If you want a source from the U. S. Government, you should go to the Internet first.   

Reference sources (encyclopedias and dictionaries) are particularly valuable for getting started with your research.  They can help you: 

• Choose a topic
• Understand terminology
• Locate background information & understand a topic
• Identify good search terms
• Identify additional resources

Search the catalog under the Find Books tab above using the word "encyclopedias" along with a topic (psychology encyclopedias) to find an encyclopedia that might have an article on your topic. 

• The library also provides reference ebooks through the Gale Virtual Reference Library.  Give it a try! 
• All of these ebooks can also be accessed through the catalog.

If you aren't sure where to start your research, Ask a Librarian!

Find more information on evaluating sources under the Citing Sources tab above.

The library collects a variety of sources to support the classes taught at the college:

• books (encyclopedias + books on many topics)
• newspapers
• scholarly journals
• magazines
• DVDs
• music

In the electronic world in which we live, information comes in many formats:

• Ebooks (electronic books) are available through the library catalog along with descriptive & location information on books available in print
• Reference books (encyclopedias) are available in both print and ebook format
• Scholarly journal articles, magazine articles, & newspaper articles are available in both print & electronic formats
  • Research databases provided by the library are a good source for finding these articles in electronic format
  • Research databases may also include articles from Reference sources, audio, video, and more
• The Internet (find websites, PDF files, Powerpoint presentations, Word documents, video files, audio files, and more)
• Media (videos, tutorials, music, etc.)

Some previously published information is freely available on the Internet, but much of it is not.

Because the Internet is a self-publishing medium, all information found on the Internet must be evaluated.

• See the Evaluating Information Sources Tutorial

The format of the item does not determine its relevance or usefulness--the content is what is important. 

The same book may be available

• in print format at one library
• as an audio book on CD in another library, or
• as an ebook online in a third library. 

Just because an article is easily available electronically, does not mean that its the best source for a particular information need.

All information identifed after searching any source must be evaluated first for relevance to the research topic.