Slideshow from the first in a series of four course-based 'Research Workshops' designed for students enrolled in Professor Kim Solga's ENG 2450E: Modern Drama class at The University of Western Ontario in 2010-11. Content prepared and delivered by Melanie Mills, Assistant Librarian, The D.B. Weldon Library.

1. ENG 2450E: Modern Drama
INTRODUCTORY
RESEARCH WORKSHOP
Melanie Mills,
Research & Instructional Services Librarian
The D.B. Weldon Library
21 October 2010

2. Research Workshop Series
Agenda
 Introductory Workshop
 October 21st, 2010 – 1 hour
 Annotated Bibliography Workshop
 November 11th, 2010 – 2 hours
 Methods & Materials I (Research Paper, DRAFT 1)
 February 10th, 2011 – 1 hour
 Methods & Materials II (Research Paper, DRAFT 2)
 March 10th, 2011 – 2 hours
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama (2010-11) Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library

3. Research Workshop Series
Course Objectives:
[…] understand and communicate […] the relationships
among theory, history, text and performance […];
craft strong research questions that invite investigation
and debate […];
distinguish among poor, fair, good, and excellent research
materials;
prepare annotated bibliographies, including evaluative
information about the strength and weakness of each
source; and
research and prepare papers […] engaging at some depth
with secondary source materials.
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama (2010-11) Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library

4. Introductory Workshop
Today’s Agenda
 Introduction to Western Libraries
 The Research Process, A Review
 Research Strategies, In Brief
Research as Performance !?!
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama (2010-11) Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library

5. Introduction to Western Libraries
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama (2010-11) Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
Facilities

6. Western Libraries (cont’d)
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama (2010-11) Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
Services
 Food & Learning Zones
 Individual and Group Study
 Printing & Photocopying
 Computing (sit-down, plug-in or wireless)
 Hours (vary by location, check website)

7. Western Libraries (cont’d)
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
Resources
 physical collection (books, journals, audio-visual
materials, microforms, etc).
 digital collection (e-books, e-journals, full-text
research databases, online repositories, etc).
 24/7 access to the digital library

8. The D.B. Weldon Library
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
Research Help
 E-mail, Chat, In-Person (www.lib.uwo.ca/weldon/)

9. www.lib.uwo.ca
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama (2010-11) Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library

10. The Research Process
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
Define
Research
Topic
Conduct
Preliminary
Research
Revise
Research
Topic
Refine
Research
(Re)Define

11. Research Methods & Materials
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
Strategies to help you get the very most
out of the rich research resources available
to you through Western Libraries!
 Methods
 Materials

12. Research Strategies
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
“Oh courage…oh yes! If only one had that… Then
life might be livable, in spite of everything.”
Hedda – Act Two
[research] [do]able,
Melanie Mills

13. Research as Performance!?
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
 The Company
 everyone (we’ll all take up a role)!
 The Scene
 constructing effective search strings
 Colleague – Critics
 Professor Solga, André, and any
other observers…

14. Search String Performance
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
Purpose:
 to demonstrate the process of constructing
effective search strings (hands-on)
 to get a sense of the group’s knowledge of,
and experience constructing search strings
(using strategies such as: search terms,
search syntax, etc).

15. Search String Performance
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
Guidelines:
 everyone must volunteer for a role and
take part in the ‘performance’
 gather, in groups, with fellow performers
who’ve been cast in the same ‘roles’
 review your roles, background information
 Student Researchers will begin the
performance by selecting a Research Tool

16. Search String Performance
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
The RULES:
1) only the Student Researchers and Student
Peers can talk and/or ask questions;
2) Search Terms and Search Syntax must stay
in the exact order in which they are placed;
3) Resource Types appear in the search
results, only after the search is complete

17. Post Performance Discussion
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
 One thing that you learned…
 One thing that surprised you…
 One thing you’d like to learn more about!

18. Thank you!
ENG 2450E: Modern Drama Melanie Mills, The D.B. Weldon Library
 Next time…
Annotated Bibliography Workshop
November 11th, 2010 – 2 hours
 SURVEY COMING VIA E-MAIL!