1. IDNM 101 :
Research with
Cook Library
Laksamee Putnam
Research & Instruction
lputnam@towson.edu
URL: http://bit.ly/sp2014idnmslides

2. On the side …
• Browzine trial app for the iPad
• Allows Towson University
journal subscriptions to be
accessed from an iPad
• Download the app then enter
your Towson University
credentials
• Find out more here:
• http://bit.ly/Q7FOvU

3. First…
 Laksamee Putnam
 lputnam@towson.edu
 Cook Library Reference:
 410.704.2462.
 IM/email
 Phone: 410.704.3746.
 Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU
 Albert S. Cook facebook profile!

4. Agenda
 Keywords
 Search strategy
 Finding articles
 Citation guides
 Evaluation

5. research ≠ needle in the haystack

6. Web “Pre-searching”
 Why NOT?
 Filter Bubbles
 Why start?
 Wikipedia
 DuckDuckGo

7. Creating Keywords
 Keywords come from
your topic
 I want to find
research articles that
use techniques such
as
chromatography, ge
l-eletrophoresis or
spectral analysis
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mmar
chin/5310398/sizes/m/in/photostrea
m/

8. Creating Keywords
 Think of synonyms for your keywords
 Think of specific ideas around your topic
 See what words other people use
 Add some possible keywords
 http://padlet.com/wall/88k3bay1mq

9. Search Strategy
 Boolean search connectors
 AND
 OR
 NOT

10. Search Strategy
 Boolean search connectors
 Climate change AND green house gas
 Climate change OR global warming
 Climate change NOT Polar bears

11. Search strategy
 Phrase searching
 Use quotations to keep a keyword phrase
intact (words will be searched in the specific
order)
 “climate change”
 “animal behavior”

12. Finding Articles
 Scholarly – Peer
Reviewed
 Use specific
keywords
Card Catalogue. [Photographer]. Retrieved from
Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest.
http://quest.eb.com/images/115_2838287

13. Finding Articles

14. Finding Articles
 Content providers you should use:
 Science Direct
 Scopus
 PubMed
 Social Science Citation Index
 Social Science Abstracts
 PsycINFO
 Check the Subject Gateways

15. Finding Articles
 Features to remember
 Yellow Findit button
 Citation creations
 Email yourself
 Also as you are searching
 Take a look at the article citations
 Make note of additional keywords

16. Citation guides

17. Evaluate what you find
 Go to one of the websites below and
analyze it
 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb1
 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb2
 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb3
 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb4
 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb5
 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb6
 http://bit.ly/cosmicweb7

18. Currency
Reliability
Authority
Purpose/Point of View
Check for CRAP

19. Check for CRAP
 Currency
 How recent is the
information?
 Can you locate a
date when the
resource was
written/created/upda
ted?
 Based on your
topic, is this current
enough?
 Why might the date
matter for your topic?
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
http://www.flickr.com/photos/helloeveryone123/393737
4193/sizes/m/in/photostream/

20. Check for CRAP
 Reliability
 What kind of
information is
included in the
resource?
 Does the author
provide citations &
references for
quotations & data
 Where am I
accessing this
information?
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
http://www.flickr.com/photos/schnappi/5930145952/sizes/l/in/photostrea
m/

21. Check for CRAP
 Authority
 Can you determine who
the author/creator is?
 What are their
credentials
(education, affiliation, e
xperience, etc.)?
 Who is the publisher or
sponsor of the work/site?
 Is this publisher/sponsor
reputable
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
http://rantchick.com/a-doctrine-on-respect/

22. Check for CRAP
 Purpose/Point of
View
 Is the content
primarily opinion?
 Is the information
balanced or
biased?
 What is the purpose
of the information? Is
it to inform, teach,
sell, entertain or
persuade
Guidelines for CRAP provided by the Jean and Alexander Heard
Library
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/5484085301/sizes
/m/in/photostream/

23. Go to the link below
 http://bit.ly/OS0BCq
 Create keywords
 Analyze what you find using CRAP
 Find a review article
 Find a research article
 Class Discussion: Science Databases

24. Please provide feedback
 Go to this survey to provide anonymous
feedback on the library session
 http://bit.ly/11tk7Uk

25. Questions?
 Laksamee Putnam
 lputnam@towson.edu
 Cook Library Reference:
 410.704.2462.
 IM/email
 Phone: 410.704.3746.