To do solid academic research, college students need to look beyond the computer search engine. This short, practical book introduces students to the important components of the information-seeking process. The Elements of Library Research provides a foundation for success in any research assignment, from a freshman paper to a senior thesis. Unlike guides that describe the research process but do not explain its logic, this book focuses entirely on basic concepts, strategies, tools, and tactics for research--in both electronic and print formats. Drawing on decades of experience with undergraduates, reference librarian Mary George arms students with the critical thinking skills and procedures they need to approach any academic project with confidence. Ways to turn a topic into a research question Techniques for effective online searches How to evaluate primary and secondary sources When and how to confer with reference librarians and faculty How to avoid plagiarism Glossary of key terms, from Boolean search to peer review Checklists, timelines, and hints for successful research projects

Many college students remain puzzled by card catalogs, can't find books they need, and fail to use many of the important resources of the library despite tours, explanations, and much assistance from librarians. In this book, a community college librarian provides the direction students need to utilize the resources typically found in a community c

Kuhlthau (communication, information and library studies, Rutgers U.) provides a practical guide for teaching students how to gather information in a library for a research assignment. Seven stages of the library research process are covered: initiating a research assignment, selecting a topic, exploring information, formulating a focus, collecting information, preparing to present, and assessing the process. The first edition was published in 1985 as a program for teaching students to do a research paper, was reprinted in 1994, and appears here for the first time in paperback form. No subject index. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Who should do library research and reporting? This book, Checklists for Doing Library Research and Reporting, is written primarily for those beginning college students who are doing library research and reporting for the first time. It has been planned to free the students from uncertainties and to give them confidence in their own assignment by giving them a clear understanding of the basic sources and fundamental principles underlying good research and writing. What this book is all about? The ultimate goal of this guide is to help students become successful and independent college researchers and research writers. To achieve this goal, the best way to learn how is from those source writers cited in this book and what they have said or written about research and academic writing. This book is a road map to scholarly research and writing, a way to reach the ultimate goal. The book of checklist is a result of the author of this book's intensive research and a compilation of other experts' concepts, ideas, and research techniques, aimed at information finding and research writing. Parts 1 5 of this book deals with basic library research techniques, parts 6 9 discuss advanced library research techniques. This book should be useful in the following different ways: (1) it works as a pool of guidelines, methods, and procedures selected from various sources on research and writing not available in a single document; (2) it serves as a resource guide that will allow students to choose and use library materials at their own rate; (3) it works as an information consultant or guardian to the individual who will constantly do library research and reporting; (4) it offers as a supplementary aid that constitutes four books in one: (a) introduction to research, (b) educational research, (c) access to information, and (d) research and report writing; (5) it helps students learn and gain research and writing skills. More importantly, the students can use this guide and checklist alone where no instructor is available. After studying this text checklist, the students will be able to comprehend the information given by the experts in this book and add their own ideas to create the best possible results of their own tasks.

Discovery tools are now becoming more common in the academic library landscape, and more products are now available from vendors. While librarians are advocating and promoting their use by students and faculty, they are also evaluating their searching capabilities, their usefulness, and on-going maintenance requirements. This work is geared to librarians considering the implementation of a discovery tool. As a result, it addresses the selection and implementation of such a tool, its relationship to information literacy and catalog maintenance, usability testing, and assessment. Issues such as database and catalog searching and the quality of searching queries are also addressed. A comprehensive review of the literature serves as a valuable resource. Librarians will appreciate the highly practical nature of the volume as it is enriched by a number of varied case studies. This book was published as a special triple issue of College & Undergraduate Libraries.