1. L A K S A M E E P U T N A M
L P U T N A M @ T O W S O N . E D U
R E S E A R C H & I N S T R U C T I O N L I B R A R I A N
GERO 101:
The Research Process
Slides: http://slidesha.re/19wbApj

2. A quick plug…
 Academic Resource Fair!
 Tomorrow 3:30-5:30PM
 Want advising assistance? Need
to find a scholarly article? Want
help with your paper? Need a
tutor? Want to learn about
disability support services? Stop
by the library and learn about
the many resources and tools
available for your academic
success. Snacks will be provided
and prizes will be given away!
Enter our drawing to win a
prize! Stop by for 10 minutes or
stay the entire time!
Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdkrebs/6812988187/

3. How can I help you?
 Laksamee Putnam
 lputnam@towson.edu
 Cook Library Reference:
 410.704.2462.
 IM/email
 Phone: 410.704.3746.
 Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU
 Albert S. Cook facebook profile!
 Slides: http://slidesha.re/19wbApj

4. Agenda
 Scholarly vs Popular
 How to formulate a search
 Finding Books/Articles
 APA Citations
 Hands on database practice

5. Scholarly vs Popular
 Scholarly  Popular

6. Scholarly vs Popular
 Scholarly
 Written by an expert for
other experts
 Support your argument
with high quality
information
 Popular
 Entertaining but lack
depth
 Grab people’s interests but
should not be your only
resource

7. Scholarly vs Popular
 DuckDuckGo (2012). There are no “regular results”
on Google anymore.
 http://vimeo.com/duckduckgo/bubble

8. Formulating a Keyword Search
1. Choose a Topic

9. Formulating a Keyword Search
1. Choose a Topic
 End of life care of elderly

10. Formulating a Keyword Search
2. Narrow/Broaden your search

11. Formulating a Keyword Search
2. Narrow/Broaden your search
 Elderly depression in end of life care

12. Formulating a Keyword Search
3. Identify the key concepts

13. Formulating a Keyword Search
3. Identify the key concepts
 Elder
 Depression
 End of life care

14. Formulating a Keyword Search
4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms
 Elder
 Depression
 End of life care

15. Formulating a Keyword Search
4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms
 Elder
 Elder*
 Senior
 Aged
 Older person
 Older adult
 Depression
 hopelessness
 End of life care
 Palliative care
 Terminal care

16. Formulating a Keyword Search
5. Formulate your search utilizing various
combinations of your words
 String them together using AND/OR/NOT
 Truncate *

17. Formulating a Keyword Search
6. Evaluate what you find
 Check for CRAP
Currency
Reliability
Authority
Purpose/Point
of View
 Examples
 Pacific Northwest Tree
Octopus
 Autism and Vaccines

18. 3 ways to find Books
 http://cooklibrary.towson.edu
 Towson Books
 USMAI Books
 Interlibrary Loan

19. Finding Articles
 Go to the Gerontology Subject Gateway
 Numerous databases to choose from
 Search more than one
 Use your keywords and refine your search

20. It’s out there, why not reuse it?
 What does intellectual
property mean to you? Is it
an important idea, why or
why not?
 With so much information
out there, is there such a
thing as an original idea?
Does that mean you have to
credit every single person?
 How does plagiarism affect
academia/gerentology?
Watson, M. (2013, March 4) Copyright –
the right to copy? Lariushin’s monographs
of plant families. Botanic Stories.
Retrieved from
http://stories.rbge.org.uk/archives/1321

21. Plagiarism
 Using someone’s ideas or expression of those
ideas (words, pictures, music, etc)
 Without giving proper credit

22. APA Style
 Help Guide
 APA book is
available in the
library
 OWL or Diane
Hacker
Science Student. [Photographer]. Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica Image
Quest.http://quest.eb.com/images/115_2674314

23. APA style
 Journal Article:
 Author last name, first initial(s). Title of article. Title of
Journal, Volume(issue), pages. doi:xxxxxx
 Book:
 Author last name, first initial(s). (Year). Book title. Publication
information: place (city and state abbreviation), publisher’s
name.

24. Let’s start searching!
 Research your own topic!
 Begin by filling out this online spreadsheet
 http://bit.ly/1eWnXQh
 After you are done please go here to send me
feedback on this session
 http://bit.ly/VLiBPh

25. Questions?
 Feel free to contact me:
 Laksamee Putnam
 lputnam@towson.edu
 410.704.3746.
 Twitter: @LibrarianLaks
 Or any reference librarian:
 Visit Cook Library Reference Desk
 410.704.2462.
 IM – tucookchat