INDEX

• The Library Research Cycle
• How do I pick a topic?
• How do I know if I need to narrow the topic, and how do I do that?
• How do I organize my search?
• How do I find a book on my topic?
• How do I find articles about my topic?
• How do I know if NDSU has the journal?
• What if I can't find what I need in the PALS databases?
• How do I find other supporting information?
• How do I evaluate the information I find?
• How do I write the paper?

THE LIBRARY RESEARCH CYCLE

• Pick a general topic.

• Narrow the topic.

• State your specific information need in several clear, specific sentences.

• Write down key terms and synonyms.

• Formulate your search strategy.

• Choose the appropriate database(s).

• Conduct the information search.

• Evaluate your retrieved information.

• Modify your strategy and redo the search, if necessary.

HOW DO I PICK A TOPIC?

• Carefully read and follow the guidelines for the specific assignment.

• For ideas, consult any of the following:
  • Textbooks
  • Magazines or Journals
  • Newspapers
  • Television
  • The Online Catalog or other databases from the Library
  • People
  • Encyclopedias
  • Other

• Be prepared to modify or change your topic after conducting some library research.

One of the most common mistakes made by students when writing a paper: The failure to sufficiently narrow the topic.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I NEED TO NARROW THE TOPIC, AND HOW DO I DO THAT?

• Use your common sense. For example: the topic "Volcanoes" is probably too broad.

• Conduct a preliminary literature search using the online catalog and other appropriate databases.

• Examine the results. If the search retrieves a large number of "hits", you probably need to narrow your topic. For example, in PALS, type: "Volcano# Montserrat" or "Volcano# Pinatubo". (PALS assumes an "AND" between search terms. This means that all of the search terms that you type must be present in a record in order for the record to retrieved).

  By the way, the # symbol is the "truncation symbol" in the PALS databases. It represents any symbol or symbols, including a space. Appropriate use of truncation symbols will greatly enhance your literature search. Inappropriate use will give you a lot of garbage. For example, "rock#" will get you "rock", and "rocks", but also "rocker", "rocking", "rocket", "rockets", etc.

• Even if you don't get a large number of "hits", consider whether the retrieved information will result in a well organized, coherent paper. If not, revise your topic.

• To avoid the above situation, start your literature search as early as possible. Conduct a preliminary literature search to find out if material is available at all, and if it is available locally. If material must be ordered through Interlibrary Loan, consider whether it will arrive in time for writing your paper. You might consider a different topic.

HOW DO I ORGANIZE MY SEARCH?

• Try to organize your thoughts into one or two clear sentences. For example, "I want to know how the current Montserrat volcanic eruption has effected the local population and whether some adverse effects could have been avoided.

• Most "search engines" currently do not operate by using concepts. At this point, the computer programs simply match symbols. One "typo" can ruin your search. And if you typed in the concept above, the program would only retrieve items containing ALL of the main words: "want know how current montserrat volcanic .....". You get the idea. Your results would probably be "zero". So you need reduce your topic to a few key words and synonyms of the key words.

• Write down key words and synonyms of the key words. It might help to use the following form until you get used to conducting searches. For example:

CONCEPT 1	(AND)	CONCEPT 2	(AND)	CONCEPT 3
volcano		Montserrat		destruction
OR		OR		OR
volcanoes		Caribbean		death#
OR		.		OR
volcanic		.		natural disaster#
OR		.		OR
volcanic eruption		.		evacuat#
.		.		OR
.		.		predict#

HOW DO I FIND A BOOK ON MY TOPIC?

Use the NDSU Online catalog, called PALS. There are two versions of PALS, Classic and Web. The following shows you how to use WebPALS.

USE THE "BACK BUTTON" ON YOUR WEB BROWSER TO RETURN TO THIS TUTORIAL AFTER VIEWING AN EXAMPLE.

• Go to the Library Home Page on the World Wide Web: http://www.lib.nsdu.nodak.edu

• Click on the green WebPALS button in the upper right corner. Example of results.

• Click the big, blue "Search PALS" button. Example of results.

• The Online Catalog defaults to NDSU, to the Catalog, and to keyword. Example.

• Click "Submit" to accept the defaults.

• Type in your search terms. For example, "volcan# montserrat". You may not be able to find a book on your specific topic. Could the information you seek be IN a book on a more general topic? Very current topics will probably be in articles rather than in a book, but you may find background material, for example, the history of volcanic activity in the region. For example, "volcan# world".

• Click the submit button and a list will be displayed.

• Click on the record that you wish to see, for example number 5. The record gives you information such as title, author, publication date, publisher, number of pages, and location of the book in the library (we use the Library of Congress system for books), and whether it is already checked out. Other useful information includes subject headings which you could use to find more information on the topic.

• If you are in the Main Library and you wish to print the record, there is a print button at the top of the screen. Click it, and the record will print out at one of the three laser printers in the reference area of the library.

• If you wish to return to the list, click the "Results List" button at the bottom of the screen, or use the Netscape "back" button.

• Try different combinations of your keywords.

The catalog will indicate if the book is at one of the three branch libraries.

If NDSU does not have a book on your topic, you may wish to search other libraries:

• Click "Change Library or Database".

• Click the dropdown arrow for the Libraries menu near the top of the screen by the blue submit button. Select either "all PALS libraries" or "TriCollege Consortium"..

• Click Submit.

• Redo your search

• You can order a book that is at another library. At the bottom of the screen, click the "Submit ILL Request" button and fill in the boxes. The first three must be filled in or the request will not be processed. The "date needed by" should be the true date needed by. All requests are filled as soon as possible. Too short of a "date needed by" may result in having the request returned to you unfilled.

• The time to receive an Interlibrary Loan depends on many factors: when you turned it in (most universities only work on ILLs during normal hours and only on weekdays), how far away we have to go to get it, and how fast the lending library processes it. ALWAYS START LIBRARY WORK AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

HOW DO I FIND ARTICLES ABOUT MY TOPIC?

• If you are already in the PALS databases, click "Change library or database".

• Pick the appropriate periodicals database. Consult a Reference Librarian if in doubt. You might want to try "General Magazines" first:

• Click the box in front of "General Magazines", and then click the "Submit" button.

• The default is for keyword.

• Type in your keywords and click "Submit". For example: "montserrat volcan#".

• Follow the same procedures as for books. EXCEPT:

• The full text of some articles is available from PALS. Those entries having full text are indicated with an asterisk (*) after the date.

• To view or print the article, click on the entry number (for example, number 18), then click the blue "view article" button at the top left. To print, click the print button. To e-mail the article to yourself, click "print options" and follow the directions.

• To go back to the list click "Results List".

• To revise your search, click "Limit Search".

HOW DO I KNOW IF NDSU HAS THE JOURNAL?

• If the article appears in full text in General Magazines, then it doesn't usually matter whether NDSU has the journal...unless you need the illustrations.

• If NDSU does NOT have any issues of the journal, "Library does not own citation title" will appear at "Location".

• If NDSU owns ANY issue of the journal in question, the Dewey Decimal call number will appear at "Location". We may or may not own the particular issue you need, and it may be in either paper, microfiche, or microfilm. Check the printout at the Reference Desk for specific information about journals holdings. You may wish to check the CATALOG to see if we have the particular issue and what format it is in. This is easier to do in "Classic PALS" than in "WebPALS". Ask a Reference Librarian for help.

• If NDSU does not own the journal issue, you can order the article through InterLibrary Loan.

Remember that most electronic indexes only contain references to material published since the 1980's (the time period varies with database). If you need older material, you may need to use the print indexes. Ask a Reference Librarian.

Journals and Magazines are located in the basement by Dewey Decimal number. Current issues are shelved first, and then the numbers start over with older issues. Microfilm and microfiche are also in the basement, as are newspapers. There are microfilm and microfiche readers/printers in the basement also. There is a color scanner and color printer in the reference area.

WHAT IF I CAN'T FIND WHAT I NEED IN THE PALS DATABASES?

• NDSU subscribes to many other electronic indexes. These are subject-specific. Most of the materials indexed in these databases are scholarly, and more technical than articles indexed in the General Magazine index. Each set of databases (SPIRS, FirstSearch, etc.) has unique features, different truncation symbols, different search strategies, etc. Ask a Reference Librarian if you would like to try these databases.

HOW DO I FIND OTHER SUPPORTING INFORMATION?

• Go to the Library Home Page: http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ and click on Reference and Research Services.

• Consult other print encyclopedias (reference area).

• Find specialized encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries by using the Online Catalog (PALS). For example, a keyword search or a subject heading-keyword search for "handbook# geology".

• Statistics: Finding specific statistics related to your subject may be more difficult than you might think. Start early and consult a Subject Librarian.

HOW DO I EVALUATE THE INFORMATION I FIND?

Ask yourself some of the following questions:

• Does this fit the requirements of the assignment?

• Does it fit my topic?

• Is it from the correct time period? (both the year of publication and the time period of my topic)

• Does the level of technical difficulty fit my needs? (Too technical? Not technical enough?)

• Is the information accurate, trustworthy, complete? (Who published it? What are the credentials of the author(s)? Is the journal refereed? Were there any comments about the article in subsequent issues of the journal?)

• Do I have enough information for this paper?

• If the information is from the Web, evaluation may be more difficult. Check the author (Was it a 6th grader?), the currency (When was the page posted, last update?), the source of the information (should be stated), how comprehensive, the general "tone".

For more information on Library Research Strategies, consult INFORMATION SEARCH STRATEGY

HOW DO I WRITE THE PAPER?

• Follow the guidelines given to you in the assignment.

• You may wish to consult SUGGESTED STEPS FOR WRITING A PAPER.

• Stop in at the Center for Writers in the Main Library. They are available to help you with any aspect of your paper. Check for their office hours.

• It is a good idea to use a word processor to write your paper. Corrections and editing are much easier. Do NOT use the computers in the Library Reference Area for word processing. Computer clusters are available for word processing in different areas of campus, including the second floor of the Library.

• Start early. Computer clusters may be full, or the one you planned on using may be booked for a class, or equipment may malfunction.

• Bring a disk, just in case.

• Back up your work frequently. Computer Glitches happen.

• START EARLY.

• Write the paper, put it aside for a day, and then re-read it. Edit as needed.

• Have someone else read your paper and give comments, but trust your own judgment.

• Use spell-check, but re-read the final version. Some embarrassing mistakes have been made by accidentally accepting a suggestion from a spell-checker!

• START EARLY! (I can't say this too much).