USING THE LIBRARY TO DO RESEARCH

Click here to view a PowerPoint presentation on the research process.

When you do any type of research, always be sure to write down or print out the full bibliographic citation on each source that you use so that you can document your research.

Visit our Reference page to use our research reference tools provided for your convenience.

SEARCHING METHODS

1. Subject Headings and Keywords

Before computers were invented, all searching in library catalogs and indexes was based on subject headings. Each book and periodical article was carefully examined and subject headings were selected to describe the main subjects of the book or article. College libraries generally used the Library of Congress Subject Headings. These subject headings are quite specific but can be hard to remember.

The problem with subject headings is that people often can't figure out which subject heading to look under. Also, librarians and indexers can only make a limited number of subject headings to describe each book or article. Large catalogs or indexes become tricky to use as researchers work their way through many sub-headings.

When computers were invented, keyword searching became possible. Keyword searching allows a user to search for every word in the title of a book or every word in an entire magazine article. It often makes it easier to find the subject you want in a catalog or index.

However, keyword searching has disadvantages, too. If you are searching in a large database, you may retrieve many more references than you can look through. When a word has more than one meaning, you may retrieve many citations on a subject of no interest to you. As you learn to do research in your two years at Louisburg College, you will learn the advantages of both subject headings and keywords and when to use each of these searching methods.

2. Catalogs and Indexes

In libraries, catalogs are used to find out which books, magazines, or audiovisual items are owned by a library. An index is used to find information on a particular subject within a book or magazine. For instance, the computer catalog will tell you that the library owns Time magazine, but you need to use an index to know which issue of Time magazine has an article on a particular subject, like pollution.

Both catalogs and indexes are accessed on computers, so students can easily become confused about the differences in catalogs and indexes. Ask us for help. Learning the differences between catalogs and indexes is one of the most important skills in library research.

3. How to Find a Book

All libraries have catalogs to help you to locate the books owned by that library. All catalogs allow you to find a book by the author's name, the title of the book, or the subject of the book.

The catalog for the Cecil W. Robbins Library is on the Internet. Use any computer with Internet access and point the web browser to http://192.168.1.4/. The computer catalog includes all books, periodicals, and videos owned by the library and audiovisual department. It also includes some older AV materials such as records and media kits. The Audiovisual Department has a card catalog that lists all of the older AV materials.

Using the Computer Catalog

The first computer screen looks like this. Most students can find what they need by searching one or two words from this basic search screen. In this example, the student will search for books by or about Stephen King

The student will get the results below. There are nine occurrences of "Stephen King" in the library's catalog, and this screen lists these nine items (to save space, only the first four are shown). Words in red will tell you if the entry is for the title of a book, the subject of a book, or the author of a book. The screen also indicates if the book is available in the library, or if the book is checked out or overdue. This screen will also give the call number and location of the book.

The screen may indicate there are more results to look at, as in the second listing. The library has 14 books in which Stephen King is the author. Everything that is underlined is hypertext, meaning you can "click" on the words to get more information.

If the student clicks on item #2, King, Stephen, 1947- Author Matches 14 items the screen below will appear. It lists the 14 books written by Stephen King that the library owns (to save space, only the first four are shown). Click on the title you are interested in to get further information. It will give the complete bibliographic description of the book, and gives the location and call number of all the copies of this book. Clicking on #1 will show that the book is shelved upstairs on the balcony. The long number, PS3561 .I483 B57 2001, is the call number for this book.

The Save to List button will save the information for this book. After the student has saved each book that looks useful, the Review List button may be used to print a one-page list of call numbers and bibliographic citations for all the books.

On occasion, you may see the term [electronic resource] after the title (as in the first, second and fourth titles below). These books can be read online. To access these resources, follow the steps below:

• Click on a title in the catalog with [electronic resource] after it.
• Click on the link in the electronic resource field that says http:www.netlibrary.com. 
• Click on View this e-Book, to see if it is something that you are interested in.  If you would like to check it out, click on Checkout for 4 hr.  This brings you to a screen with a link that says Create a free Account Here.
• Click on link and follow steps to create an account.

Important! You must create your account while logged on to the Louisburg College campus network. Once your account is created, you can access it remotely from another location.  You cannot create your account from an off-campus location. If you have any questions concerning how to access to these resources, ask a librarian.

4. NC LIVE (Electronic indexes)

The library has access to many online indexes via NC LIVE, which is a virtual library funded by the State of North Carolina. A number of these indexes also provide the full text of periodical and newspaper articles as well as the full text of many electronic books. A partial listing of the NC LIVE databases is below.

NC LIVE can be accessed from your personal computer at home or in your residence hall. The address is www.nclive.org. A password is required. The librarians will provide new passwords for NC Live each semester. This password is only for use by currently registered Louisburg College students and by Louisburg College faculty and staff. Your family and friends can obtain a public password for NC Live from their local public library in North Carolina.

5. Using the Internet

The Internet consists of many computer networks all over the world that can communicate with each other. Over the years, the Internet has evolved to the point where anyone with computer access can post or publish any information on the Internet. Depending on your needs, this makes the Internet either extremely useful for obtaining new and expert information or extremely useless when you page through many ads, personal home pages, or unneeded information.

Pentium computers are available on the main floor of the library for student access to the Internet. Internet Explorer is the browser used on the machines. During times of heavy research, priority is given to research needs over email or chat groups. Students may sign up for an account with a free email service, such as Yahoo.com.

All students must adhere to the library's posted "Computer Use Policy."

A. Evaluating Sources

When you use a library, a professional librarian has already evaluated the materials in the library for usefulness and accuracy. However, when using the Internet, YOU are responsible for evaluating the documents you find. Here are some guidelines to help you get started. (Summarized from lib.nmsu.ed/staff/susabeck/evalcrit.html.)

1. Accuracy

Is the information reliable and error-free?

Has an expert checked the page to make sure it is correct?

2. Authority

Who is the author of the document? Is the document signed?

What are the author's qualifications?

Who sponsors the page? What is the sponsor's reputation?

3. Objectivity

Is the information biased?

Is the Web page designed to influence your opinion?

Is there advertising on the page?

4. Currency

Is the document dated? When was it last updated?

Are the links current or expired?

B. Finding Information on the Internet

Search engines are computer programs that help you find information on the Internet. Google, Excite, HotBot, Dogpile, and Yahoo! are all search engines. Each search engine has different rules for structuring a search. Look on the computer screen for help or tips on using each search engine. Ask a librarian to help you with searching.