How to Do Library Research

Feb. 21 Workshop: Background Research

Feb. 24 Workshop: Evaluating Sources

Refer to the page in this guide on Evaluating Sources if needed. 

Class Activity 

Let's say our research question is: Does using Instagram cause depression in teens?

Look at the source assigned to your group:

Groups 1 & 2: Marks, Paul. “Instagram Posts Can Hint at Depression.” New Scientist, vol. 231, no. 3089, 16 Sept. 2016, p. 22. Science Citation Index. 

Groups 3 & 4: Ramzan, Muhammad, et al. “Excessive Use of Instagram Causing Anxiety and Depression among Young Adults.” Pakistan Library & Information Science Journal, vol. 50, no. 3, July 2019, pp. 45–48. Library, Information Science, and Technology Abstracts. 

Groups 5 & 6: Valkenburg, Patti M., and Jochen Peter. "Internet Effects." Encyclopedia of Adolescence, edited by Roger J. R. Levesque, 2nd ed., Springer, 2018. Credo Reference. 

Discuss and present to the class:

(1) Is this source relevant to the research question? How so, or how not?

(2) Is this source credible for this research question and assignment? Why or why not?

(3) What purpose might this source serve in our essay? Background, example, argument, method? (See pp. 50-51 in The Curious Researcher)

Individual Evaluation Activity

  1. Look at one of the sources you included in your annotated bibliography. 
  2. Write an additional sentence on your annotated bibliography printout about why that source is credible for this essay or not, given what we've discussed about what makes something credible.  
  3. Write an additional sentence on your annotated bibliography printout about why that source is relevant to your research question or not, given what we've discussed about what makes something relevant and the different purposes a source can serve for your essay.
  4. See if you can find a source that is more credible and relevant using Multisearch or ProQuest All.
  5. Using this Google Form, cite the source you found in MLA style and complete the reflection.

Apr. 3 Workshop: Historical Narrative Research

Before our Zoom library session on April 3:

1. Find and read a Wikipedia article or other very general website about your historical event (or your historical time and place), so you know a bit about it before you start researching.

2. Watch the following two short videos. Be prepared by class on Friday to explain the difference between a primary, secondary, and reference source:

Google Doc worksheet for 8:00 a.m. class

Google Doc worksheet for 9:15 a.m. class

 

More information about choosing and combining keywords

 

Finding Reference Sources

 

Finding Secondary Sources

 

Finding Primary Sources

Google - do searches like: 

Ellis Island primary sources

Drive-in theater memories

Japanese internment oral history

Brooklyn 1980s photos

 

Internet Archive National Emergency Library of eBooks
Search for travel guides from your place and then click the years on the left you're interested in. Or find scholarly books about your event or era.

 

And search for old newspaper articles in these databases:

StoryCorps: Great Questions (optional resource)

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