END 350: Library Basics
Key Library Links:
- OneSearch – is a great place to start searching through the library’s resources in one simple multidisciplinary search interface. The results will display books, articles, government documents, etc.
**To find full-text articles that are not available in other databases or online, use OneSearch and select OneSearch + Worldcat, type in the title of the article (title in quotes), then Search, this will expand your search and your article will appear indicting it is not available but you can use Delivery+ to obtain it. (make sure you are logged in). - Reserve - or Course Reserve: a collection of books or articles (pdfs) set aside at the Circulation Desk by your professor.
- Environmental Design Research Guide
- Research Tips – an online guide designed to help you perform research at the University at Buffalo’s University Libraries, includes citation help. Center for Excellence in Writing - 17 Norton
- My Account & Delivery+ – use for book renewal and interlibrary loan. Journal articles and book chapters are delivered electronically to your email and physical items are made available for pick-up at the UB library of your choice. (free of charge)
Borrowing/Loan Periods: Your UB Card serves as your library card. Current UB students, faculty and staff may use their cards to check out books and other materials at any campus library.
Self-check out kiosk/Check-out App - instructions for downloading the app and using the self-check out kiosk.
UB Print Anywhere: UB students receive a semesterly quota of free pages to print assignments at any of 40 print station kiosks. Learn how to easily print your assignments from any computer, a computing site, your smartphone, a USB drive and more.
Keywords and Concepts:
1. Briefly and clearly describe your research question/problem in a sentence or two.
2. Identify key concepts for your research question/problem and list them. (Research topics will have 2-3 concepts)
3. Identify alternative keywords to describe your key concepts. (Broader, narrower, and synonyms) ·What are more general terms that might be included in my topic? Or narrower terms? ·Identify major concepts on the topic and then attach synonyms that also describe the concept ·Are there categories I'd like to exclude?
4. Use all the keywords found to construct at least 2 keyword search statements using AND, OR, NOT
Keyword searching:
Keywords break down your topic or research question into the overall main ideas; these main ideas become simple keywords which you may use to search a library database. The keywords you choose for searching have a large impact on how many relevant records are retrieved.
TIP : Use a thesaurus to help you find synonyms for your keywords
Research framework is the underlying structure or approach to a research question. Using framework examples can make sure you have a clear understanding of your research and are able to communicate it fully.
Frameworks for research question:
SPICE:
|
WWH:
What was done? (intervention, exposure, policy, phenomenon) How does the what affect the who? |
Best Starting Points:
Background info:
Gale Virtual Reference Library - includes subject encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference works in broad subject areas, including issues related to planning.
Oxford Handbooks Online - a collection of Oxford Handbooks in four subject modules - Business and Management; Philosophy; Political Science; and Religion. Each handbook takes an aspect of its discipline and unpacks it, explaining the key issues, the classic and contemporary debates on those issues, and setting the agenda for how those debates might evolve.
Best Basic Resources Guide (created by UB Libraries)
- OneSearch This link opens in a new windowincluding articles, ebooks, government documents, newspapers, and other materials available online. Use Delivery+ to obtain them for items UB doesn't own.
- Google Books This link opens in a new windowWell over 15,000,000 books and magazine issues may be searched in Google Books. The numbers grow daily as Google moves forward with its mission of scanning literally all the world's books and magazines. Even materials that are not readable full text are nonetheless searchable. Some texts (pre-1923) may be read in their entirety; while others may be read across a limited number of pages (20% of the book) in 'preview' mode and some are only viewable in snippet view.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowo Click on "Settings" in the upper right-hand corner.
o Click on "Library Links" on the left-hand side
o On the next screen, type University at Buffalo into the "Library Links" box.
o Scroll down and click on "Save"
o Start searching.
o When you link to a full-text article from off campus you will be presented with a log-in screen. Log in with your UBIT name and password.
How to Create an Effective Research Question
Plagiarism
Librarian
303 Abbott Hall
Buffalo, NY 14214
rmorcutt@buffalo.edu