New to IUPUI? Feeling overwhelmed? The IUPUI Libraries and Librarians are here to help!
Suggestions on how to begin:
1. What are your needs?
This means figuring out which librarian is best suited for your project, as well as what the project is. If are doing a simple book search, the reference desk or circulation desk staff may be able to help you. If you need to find many resources to support your research, it's worth making an appointment (or several) with the subject librarian who is skilled in your area.
When meeting with the librarian, keep the following in mind:
In addition: Look up your keywords in the indexes to subject encyclopedias. Read articles in these encyclopedias to set the context for your research. Note any relevant items in the bibliographies at the end of the encyclopedia articles. Additional background information may be found in your lecture notes, textbooks, and reserve readings.
2. Get to know the resources.
There are 5 libraries on the IUPUI campus (UL, Dental, Medical, Law, & Herron), and many more in the IU system. Your public library may also have resources, as well as the state library. You will need to have a Jagtag for checking out materials.
Helpful definitions:
3. Evaluate what you find.
Answering the following questions will be helpful in your analysis of your resources:
1. Who wrote it?
A.What are the author's credentials--institutional affiliation (where he or she works), educational background, past writings, or experience? Is the book or article written on a topic in the author's area of expertise? You can use the various Who's Who publications for the U.S. and other countries and for specific subjects and the biographical information located in the publication itself to help determine the author's affiliation and credentials.
B. Has your instructor mentioned this author? Have you seen the author's name cited in other sources or bibliographies? Respected authors are cited frequently by other scholars. For this reason, always note those names that appear in many different sources.
C. Is the author associated with a reputable institution or organization? What are the basic values or goals of the organization or institution?
D. What is the date? Is there a later or earlier edition?
2. Content Analysis
A. Scan the table of contents or chapters to find out more about the resource.
B. Who is the intended audience? What type of audience is the author addressing? Is the publication aimed at a specialized or a general audience? Is this source too elementary, too technical, too advanced, or just right for your needs?
C. Objective Reasoning
Check the Data and Stats link for more on research (empirical) articles
(Information found on the Cornell University Library Page)