Doing Research in the Library

Jen Stutesman

Jennifer.stutesman@wwcc.edu

 

 

The library has many different types of resources to help you do your research. Some of these are the following:

 

  • WWCC Walnet Online Library Catalog – to your left as you enter library
  • Proquest Database – first group of computers on west side. Most recent!
  • The Library’s Home Page - http://wwcc.edu/lib
  • More computers with Internet Access – east and west side.
  • Print magazines, journals, books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, indexes, etc., etc., etc.

 

Search Hints - When conducting a search on the Internet: BE SKEPTICAL!!

In general, subject directories are good for narrowing down your topic; search engines are good for specific information needs, and work best when you have descriptive words to plug into them.

 

  • Think of a few unique descriptive words, distinctive names, or acronyms that describe what you want to search.
  • Can you think of any societies, organizations, or groups that might have information on your subject via their web page?
  • Do you need to search any of these words in a certain order? (i.e., “affirmative action” or “child labor”)
  • Are there variant spellings, synonyms, or words that could return irrelevant documents?
  • What broader topics could your topic be covered by? (i.e., “news and media” could be considered a broader topic of “graphic novels and comics.”)
  • Use a search engine like http://www.google.com, http://www.alltheweb.com, or http://www.msn.com. Find others by going to http://www.searchenginewatch.com/links/.
  • Don’t bog down in one search method if it doesn’t seem to be working – sometimes it isn’t you. Web pages are dynamic and change daily, and so do the search engines.
  • Be aware that a lot of search engines return results based on a mathematical algorithm, not a real person. Only you can decide if a web site is appropriate for your paper. Most teachers will want a more scholarly source, not one published and maintained by a 15 year-old in Iowa or wherever.
  • Remember, some of the most useful resources might not be available using a search engine; they might be password protected, have a “no robots” command on the web site, or are only created when you ask, therefore are not accessible by search engines.