TWU Libraries

Unit 1

Get Started

How to decide what you are looking for.

• Get ideas on What to Research
• Pick a Focus for Your Topic
• Organize Your Research

Unit 2

Find Books

How to search Library Catalogs to identify and access Books, Journals and other Library Materials...

• Understand the online catalog “My Account” features
• Determine effective Search Terms
• Use Search Strategies (and, or, not, quotations, ...) -- Search Types ( author, title, keyword, ...) --and Search Limits (date, language, collection, ...) to retrieve the most relevant hits from your search
• Get (print and/or electronic) books, journals and other library materials you find in catalogs

Unit 3

Find Articles

Learn how to use Databases to find Journal Articles.

• Select the appropriate databases
• Decide which words will help you locate the articles you need.
• Use and, or, not to broaden or narrow your search
• Limit your search terms to specific fields (author, title, source, ...)
• Use expanders or limiters (date, language, audience, ...)
• Determine specific subject headings
• Use a thesaurus to identify terms that may narrow or focus your search.
• Get (print and/or electronic) journal articles you find in databases.

Unit 4

Find Info on the Internet

Tips for finding Information on the Internet

• Decide when to search the Internet for information
• Understand the functions of subject directories, search engines, and meta search engines
• Identify appropriate search terms to make your search more specific and eliminate useless hits
• Use Search Strategies such as Punctuation (quotations, brackets, ...) Terms (and, or, not,) and Symbols ( +plus or -minus)
• Use limiters (date, language, domains, ...)

Unit 5

Evaluate what you find

Can you really trust this information?

• Quantity
• Diversity
• Currency
• Quality & Reliability
• Organization / Ease of Use

Unit 6

Use and Cite Info Ethically

Give credit where credit is due!

• Cite Resources
• Comply With Copyright
• Avoid Plagiarism

Unit 7

Test What You've Learned

• Level I
• Level II

Other

Your comments and suggestions are appreciated.
Please complete our short evaluation.

Blackboard slides (available upon request)

1. Recognize and articulate the need for information
2. Identify and use a wide variety of information sources
3. Select and use online catalogs, databases, and the Internet to find and retrieve information
4. Access and use information ethically and legally
5. Analyze and evaluate information