1. TSEM: Research Process and
Searching
LAKSAMEE PUTNAM
LPUTNAM@TOWSON.EDU
RESEARCH & INSTRUCTION LIBRARIAN

2. Agenda
 How to start a search
 Evaluate resources
 Search tips and tricks
 Finding Books: Cook Library Catalogs
 Finding Articles: Databases
 Hands on database practice

3. How can I help you?
 In class session to learn how to use resources
 Phone help 410.704.3359.
 Email: lputnam@towson.edu
 Chat help
 Go to Library website and click “Ask a Librarian”
 One-on-one appointments
 Help at the reference desk

4. Web “Pre-Searching”
 Why not start your search on Google?
 The Invisible Web
 http://goshen.libguides.com/beyond_googling
 Can you trust this information?
 TED video:
 Online filter bubble – Eli Pariser
 http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bub
bles.html

5. Web “Pre-Searching”
 Why start your search on Google?
 Find background information
 Help solidify research topic
 Find new terminology to use as keywords
 Find links and/or citations to other sources

6. 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

7. Check for CRAP
 Currency
 Reliability
 Authority
 Purpose/Point of View

8. Check for CRAP
 Currency
 How recent is the information?
 Can you locate a date when the resource was
written/created/updated?
 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

9. 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

10. Check for CRAP
 Authority
 Can you determine who the author/creator is?
 What are their credentials (education, affiliation, experience,
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

11. 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

12. Formulating a Keyword Search
1. Choose a Topic

13. Formulating a Keyword Search
1. Choose a Topic
 Zero in mathematics

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

15. Formulating a Keyword Search
2. Narrow/Broaden your search
 The role of zero in the development of mathematics

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

17. Formulating a Keyword Search
3. Identify the key concepts
 Zero
 Mathematics
 Development

18. Formulating a Keyword Search
4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms
 Zero
 Mathematics
 Development

19. Formulating a Keyword Search
4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms
 Zero
 Mathematics
 Math
 Mathematical
 Numerical
 Algebra
 Trigonometry
 Development
 History
 Analysis
 Role

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

21. Good searching starts with good keywords
Boolean “search connectors”
AND OR NOT
For example:
zero AND mathematics
• Combining >1 topic
Development OR history
• Combining synonymous terms

22. Search Tip #1
 Use AND when you need to combine more than one
topic
zero mathematics
 Zero AND mathematics

23. Search Tip #2
 Use OR to combine synonymous terms (to get results
regardless of what term an author uses).
development history

24. Search Tip #3
 Use truncation!
 mathem* finds
 mathematic
 mathematical
 mathematics
 Etc…

25. Search Tip #4
 Phrase Searching…
 Use quotations to keep a keyword phrase intact (words will be
searched in the specific order)
 Examples:
 “golden ratio”
 “Pythagorean theorem”

26. Putting it all together…
 The role of zero in the development of mathematics
zero development mathem*
Nothing history numerical
“0” analysis algebra
zero OR nothing OR “0”
AND
development OR history OR analysis
AND
mathem* OR numerical OR algebra

27. Find a Book
 http://cooklibrary.towson.edu
 Towson Books
 Find the Collection and Call number
 USMAI Books
 Request it with the yellow button
 Interlibrary Loan
 For books not in Maryland and for articles we do not have

28. Find an Article
 Looking for specific research about your topic
 The library subscribes to thousands of journals (but
not all of them)
 Databases help you search through multiple journals
 Use subject specific databases to help narrow your
article search

29. Find an Article
 Go to the Math Subject Gateway
 Recommended databases-
 Academic Search Premier
 ScienceDirect
 Web of Science

30. Let’s start searching!
 Form keywords
 Then begin researching your own topic
 As you are finding information on your topic please
fill in this digital spreadsheet
 http://bit.ly/VisualMath

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