Introduction to Library Research

1. Introduction toLibrary Research Part 2: The MSB Online Library and Evaluating Sources

2. How to know where to look? • In part one last week, we talked about • choosing a topic, • choosing a type of search (subject, citation, or keyword) and • strategies for choosing keywords. • This week we’ll learn to • choose where to look (databases, catalog, websites) and • how to evaluate what we find.

3. How to know where to look? • Think of your search like shopping. • Choose your source based on what you’re looking for. For example, if you’re looking for ice cream you wouldn’t go to a shoe store. You’d go to a grocery store or a specific ice cream store like Dairy Queen. Think of searching like that.

4. MSB Online Library • Starts here: http://library.msbcollege.edu/ The online library contains: • Over 46,000journal, magazine and newspapers online, spanning ≈30 years. • Over 5,700 e-books. • Recommended web sites. • Onlinehelp And more – explore the site! Be sure to notice the Online Student’s page.

6. Databases • What are databases? 1) A private* collection of e-"stuff"**2) A specific search engine for finding and getting the "stuff"

7. Databases * Private? • In the library databases, the “stuff” is proprietary stuff, that you have to pay to see • Not going to find it on the “free” internet (Google, MSN, etc.) Example: • Consumer Reportshas a website that offers a small selection of free articles. However, if you try to click through to any of their recommendations or buying guides, you will quickly be asked to buy a subscription to get access. However, the library databases include e-versions of Consumer Reports, so you can go to the database (ProQuest), do a search for Consumer Reports and your product, and find the full-color reviews, charts and buying guides for free

8. Databases The library pays so that you don’t have to! But that’s why you must: 1) Go through the library website 2) Log in – each time you click through to a database, you will see a log in screen…

9. …that looks like this. Use the same info that you use to log in Blackboard and your student email.

10. Databases ** “Stuff”? Databases contain many types of electronic documents • E-journals, articles, newspaper stories etc. • Professional reports • E-books and e-book excerpts • laws and legal docs, business intelligence, financial data, images, website links • general documents Databases have professional sources that include: articles from journals, reports, trade publications and news

11. Databases “Articles make up the majority of database contents, so it’s ok to think of it as: Articles = Databases or “I need to find an article” = “I need to use a database” …but be aware that there is ALSO much more in there.

12. Let’s Tour the Databases 360 Search E-journal portal EBSCO, Gale, and ProQuest

13. To access the databases • Start at the library homepage (http://library.msbcollege.edu/ ) • Click on “Subscription Databases” to find articles from journals, reports, trade publications and news

14. You’ll see a menu of links to all of our database services, plus short descriptions of what each service provides. We’ll start by exploring 360 Search and the E-Journal Search! These three services in the top row each link to a collection of many different databases. (The other eight links on the page each go to one separate database) However, since these top three are all multi-database links, they contain the most content and end up being the services students use most. So we’ll take a few moments to cover these three links. You see twelve links here, but MSB actually provides over 3 dozen different databases.

15. First let’s explore: 360 Search • Search almost all databases at once! • Great for finding an article, if you already know the title, but aren’t sure what database to use.

16. Select Advanced to search with Boolean Operators The default search is by database, but you can search by subject too. Click on the subject to see which databases are included in the search

17. Narrow search with topics Sort by title, author, source Go to the article by clicking on the article title or the Journal by clicking on the Source

18. E-Journal Search • When you know the journal you want, find it fast!

19. HOST EBSCO When you click this logo on the library databases page, you will see…

20. …this EBSCO menu. These links in the middle of the page are links to each of the separate EBSCO databases. If you want to search one specific database, find it here and follow the link.

21. These links at the top of the page will let you search more than one EBSCO database at once.

22. This is a view of the EBSCO search screen. …links for other types of searches… …and limiters down below.

23. This is a view of an EBSCO results screen. Click on the title of a result OR the “Full Text” links …to see the content.

24. Notes: 2) For more EBSCO help, there are more EBSCO tutorials here: http://students.msbcollege.edu/library/guides/ …or ask your librarian. 1) A couple EBSCO databases have search interfaces that look slightly different, but operate in the same way.

25. Now let’s look at Gale was formerly known as InfoTrac. When you click this logo on the library databases page, you will see…

26. …the menu of all the Gale databases. Each link on this page is a link to one specific database. One way to search is to find the database you want and click the blue, underlined title of the database.

27. Remember to scroll all the way down the list when looking at the Gale databases. There are more than 20 available.

28. If you want to search more than one database, you can either use the Quick Search box… …or check off a number of databases from the list and click the “continue” button above to search many Gale databases at once.

29. At the search interface, be sure to click the “More search options” link… …to make sure you get all the search options. NOTE: Make sure the “documents with full text” box is checked for each search

30. Notes: 1) Many Gale databases have specialized search interfaces. However, these special interfaces usually are easier to use and have good built-in help. Again, there is a longer Gale tutorial at: http://students.msbcollege.edu/library/guides/

31. And now, When you click this icon on the library database page…

32. …you will be brought directly to the search page. You can search from here of course, but you will automatically search all four ProQuest databases.

33. But if you open the “Database” drop-down menu you can see and choose from the different ProQuest databases.

34. Remember to check off the “Full text documents” box for each search. And consider exploring the “More search options” link for help building your search.

35. Once again, if you want more information on ProQuest, there is a tutorial at: http://students.msbcollege.edu/library/guides/

36. Databases: more information Hopefully, that gives you a basic idea of how library databases are accessed, how they look, and how you can search them. I can’t cover each database here, but free to explore them on your own. You can also ask me (your Online Librarian) for more information on any particular database. For help choosing a database, please see our guide to databases by topic: http://students.msbcollege.edu/library/guides/dbguide.html

37. E-Books Find them in the catalog, some databases, and Books 24x7 MSB Library e-books are found in our Online Catalog • Follow catalog link on library homepage • Search MSB e-books • Follow the link in the catalog record See the e-book guide here: http://students.msbcollege.edu/library/ebooks/ for details

38. E-books • Most of our e-books are provided by a service called NetLibrary • There is a small collection of Gale Virtual Reference Library and Greenwood books that are both in the catalog and from the databases page • Some databases have e-book excerpts

39. Books24x7 • Not part of the MSB Library, but is part of MSB Online. • Business and IT topics only (so far) • Access through SharePoint Our help page (including login information)for Books24x7 can be found here: http://students.msbcollege.edu/library/resources/247.html

40. Web sources The Library is here to help you search the web and find good research websites. We have a collection of Recommended Websites for many programs and topics on our library webpage. To find these, click on the Recommended Websites link on the library homepage, then browse through the different categories.

41. Web sources One other tip: instead of sorting through millions of results in Google, Yahoo or MSN searches, try out the Librarians’ Index to the Internet at: http://lii.org/ The LII works just like any other search engine, except it has two major benefits: • It only searches a collection of librarian selected research sites - sites that have been chosen for having good information • It doesn’t contain all the commercial or advertising results you get in Google etc. - no more having to weed through useless Amazon.com or e-Bay results trying to find informative sites.

42. Additional Tips • If you have a citation, you know where to look! Look up the information in the database listed. • Cheney, C. L. (2005). Brothers gonna work it out: Sexual • politics in the golden age of rap nationalism. New • York: New York University Press. Retrieved May 23, 2007, from NetLibrary. • Garrity, B., & Concepcion, M. (2007, May). A Hip-Hop • History Lesson. Billboard. 119(18). 8. Retrieved May 23, 2007, from EBSCO MegaFILE database.

43. Additional Tips You could look up the information in 360 Search • Cheney, C. L. (2005). Brothers gonna work it out: Sexual • politics in the golden age of rap nationalism. New • York: New York University Press. Retrieved May 23, 2007, from NetLibrary. • Garrity, B., & Concepcion, M. (2007, May). A Hip-Hop • History Lesson. Billboard. 119(18). 8. Retrieved May 23, 2007, from EBSCO MegaFILE database. or look up the Journal title in the Journal Search!

44. Additional Tips If there’s only a URL, then look on the internet. If there’s only a URL, then look on the internet. National Museum of American History. (2006, July). National museum of American history displays recent hip-hop acquisitions. Retrieved May 23, 2007, from http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/news/pressrele ase.cfm?key=29&newskey=383

45. Evaluating Sources What does it matter where I find it, as long as I get the information? Remember the shopping analogy? There are also quality issues.

46. The Secrets of Sources • Credible sources make your argument stronger • Your teachers are watching! • Your bosses will be watching!

47. Secrets of Sources • Published materials (traditional sense) USUALLY have better reputations • Why? Because of: • Editors – reading the material ahead of time • Publishing companies – only letting good stuff be published • Library materials – librarians only selecting credible sources for the collection The idea is that other respectable folks are checking the stuff ahead of time. BUT – there are differences, not everything is A+ material. For example, some publishers choose items for popularity or good marketing rather than for reliable information.

48. Secrets of Sources There is a spectrum of credibility among traditional sources. Three general categories of material exist among published material: • Scholarly/Peer Reviewed/Academic materials vs. • Trade Publications vs. • Popular Sources Please take a look at the guide describing these materials on the library website. http://students.msbcollege.edu/library/guides/popularscholarlytrades.pdf The guide talks about these in terms of magazines and journals, but the same ideas can be applied to books and other published documents.

49. Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed/Academic Characteristics: • Scholarly communication – written for scholars by scholars in a particular field. • Research findings • Few illustrations Examples: Medical Sciences: Journal of the American Medical Association Business: Academy of Management Review

50. Trade/Professional Characteristics: • For workers in a specific field • Written by professionals for professionals • Purpose: keep reader’s updated • “how to” • Usually numerous illustrations Examples Medical Sciences: Family Practice Management Business: Harvard Business Review