| Using
the Library
The
American University Library has over 1 million volumes
and over 150 electronic databases, 3200 periodicals,
7700 films and videos, 985,000 microforms, and numerous
holdings in other material formats. The collection
is housed in two buildings: the main Bender Library
and the Music Library in the Katzen Arts Center.
In addition, the Washington College of Law Library
serves the research needs of the broader American
University community.
ALADIN is the Washington Research Library Consortium's
system of networked library catalogs and databases.
Doing
research for a paper may initially seem daunting. The following
steps are to Help you get started. Reference
Librarians are available on the first floor of the library if
you have questions or need assistance using the library's resources.
Also, there is an Electronic
Reference Desk available for submitting questions online.
STEP
1: IDENTIFY YOUR TOPIC
- Write
a clear thesis statement for your paper. Identify
the main concepts or keywords.
- Decide
what types of sources you will need: books, articles,
internet resources, etc.
STEP
2: GATHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION
- Look
up your keywords or main concepts in general or
specialized encyclopedias or dictionaries. Look
for bibliographies at the end of the entries to
see if they lead you to additional sources.
- Check
to see if there is a Research Guide for your subject
area. These are available in the Reference Department
on the first floor of the library and list general
and specialized sources of information to Help
you start your research.
STEP
3: SEARCH FOR BOOKS IN CATALOGS
- Select
the WRLC Libraries Catalog from the ALADIN web site to search for books
and other materials held by American University
Library and other libraries in the WRLC Consortium.
*
To find subject headings which may be used in
a Subject search, consult the red Library
of Congress Subject Headings books located in
the reference area near Index Table 1.
*
You may combine keywords using Boolean operators
in a Keyword search.
- Connect
to OCLC's WorldCat through ALADIN to search for books and other materials available
in libraries worldwide.
- Connect
to other library catalogs available online through http://www.libdex.com/.
STEP
4: SEARCH FOR PERIODICAL ARTICLES IN INDEXES
AND DATABASES
Periodicals
are continuous publications such as journals,
newspapers, or magazines. They are issued regularly
(daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly).
CURRENT
PERIODICALS are kept behind the Periodicals
Desk in the LOWER LEVEL of the library.
BACK
ISSUES of periodicals are either on microfilm,
microfiche, or bound in the LOWER LEVEL of the
library. Ask at the Periodicals Desk for assistance.
- To
determine if the library owns a particular periodical,
search by JOURNAL TITLE in the WRLC Libraries
Catalog.
- To
find individual periodical articles, use an
index or ALADIN database. An index gives the
author and title of an article, the name of the
publication in which it appears, the issue (volume,
number, date), and the page numbers. Some indexes
include short summaries of the articles. These
are called abstracts.
- Indexes
and abstracts are available in different formats: printed volumes,
CD-ROMs, or in one of the ALADIN
databases. Some cover a variety of topics.
Others are subject specific. There are guides
to indexes and CD-ROMs available near the reference
desk. Ask a librarian for assistance.
- Scholarly
vs. Popular Periodical Articles
The
following table includes guidelines for determining
if an article is scholarly or popular. If you
are unsure, ask a reference librarian for assistance.
Scholarly
Articles |
Popular
Articles |
| Found
in academic journals. |
Found
in magazines. |
| Text-oriented;
few photographs or illustrations. |
"Glossy";
includes photos or illustrations. |
| Almost
always list the author and the author's credentials. |
Sometimes
no author is listed and credentials are missing. |
| Intended
for an expert, academic audience. |
Intended
for a general audience. |
| Content
is narrowly focused and generally discipline-specific. |
Content
is popular and may simply provide a general
overview. |
| Articles
include footnotes or a bibliography. |
Articles
seldom document the research involved. |
STEP
5: SEARCH FOR INTERNET RESOURCES
STEP 6: EVALUATE
WHAT YOU FIND
- After
you have located sources for your research, the
next step is to evaluate them. When considering
a book or article's appropriateness for your research,
investigate the following factors:
Authorship:
Who is the author? What is his/her area of expertise?
What are his/her credentials? Is the author affiliated
with an institution or organization? Is there
bias in the author's writing? Has he/she been
cited by others in the field?
Publisher:
Is the publisher reputable or scholarly?
Content:
What is the intended audience of the book/article?
Is the information accurate? Is it comprehensive?
Is it suitable for your purposes? Is it fact or
opinion? How much prior knowledge do you need
to understand the material? Is there a bibliography?
An index?
Currency:
What is the date of publication? Is the material
current enough for your purposes? Has the material
been revised or updated?
- For
further suggestions, see Cornell University's
"How To
Evaluate the Sources You Find".
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