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English 110 Library Session Queens College Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library. Alexandra de Luise & Megan Margino Office: Rosenthal 343 Phone: 718-997-3748 Email: alexandra.deluise@qc.cuny.edu. What Does the Library Offer?. Library Website: qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/library/ Research Services
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English 110 Library SessionQueens CollegeBenjamin S. Rosenthal Library Alexandra de Luise & Megan Margino Office: Rosenthal 343 Phone: 718-997-3748 Email: alexandra.deluise@qc.cuny.edu
What Does the Library Offer? • Library Website: qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/library/ • Research Services • Ask a Librarian • Research Guides • Tutorials • CUNY CLICS, Interlibrary Loan • Borrowing: • Books • Media • Accessing journals from home
What is a Research Paper? • Draw on what others have to say about a topic by using resources to offer a unique perspective on an issue • Investigate, evaluate, and offer new interpretations of sources It is not: • Unconscious regurgitations of sources • Topic summary • Opinion piece (Purdue OWL,)
Argumentative vs. Analytical Argumentative Research Paper • Introduce topic • Inform reader of stance (thesis) • Persuasive – topic should be controversial/debatable Analytical Research Paper • Asks a research question, but no stance is taken (Purdue OWL)
How to Pick a Topic? Brainstorm: • What question do you want to answer? • What are scholarly questions concerning my topic? *You might not end up writing about your initial topic • Research topics often develop from ongoing research Gale Virtual Reference Library: provides topic overviews
Developing a Thesis • Should be: • Broad enough to promise a variety of sources • Narrow enough for you to research in depth • Original enough to interest you and your readers • Worthwhile enough to offer information and insights A thesis statement should be specific and may change as you write *Usually appears at the end of the first paragraph
Thesis Ideas I want to write about: • Housing in NYC What part of my topic most interests me? • Public housing, housing cost, social factors of occupants Narrow your topic down further: • Living conditions of NYC public housing
Possible Thesis Question Does public housing in New York City provide adequate living conditions for its residents? Search terms: • Public Housing • New York City • Living Conditions
Identify and Evaluate Sources Different types: Peer-reviewed journals Magazines • Have undergone peer-review process • Written by experts in the field • Audience: Scholars, researchers and students • Intended for general public • Can include personal narrative/opinion • Bibliography is rare
How to Find Books & Media • Use the CUNY Catalog • “Find Books & Media” from the library homepage • All CUNY schools share the same catalog • Boolean Operators • AND: Narrows search • New York AND Housing • OR: Broadens search results • Public Housing OR Low-Income Housing • NOT: Eliminates certain keywords from search • New York City NOT New York State
Research Help • Research Services office • Room 344 • Open: Day, evening, weekend • In-person, phone, email Outside Resources: Free services that locate items & bring them here for you • CLICS service • Interlibrary Loan • Queens Public Library System • Can use QC ID to check out materials