Question: What value lies in articles? Why, for example, would a researcher choose a journal article over a book?
Answer: Journal articles offer recent, in-depth research on a topic and frequently focus on very narrow topics.
Question: What value lies in biographical information?
Answer: Biographies and autobiographies provide insights into individuals' lives and achievements.
Biographies come in all shapes and sizes: some offer just factual information (full name, birth and death dates, place of birth, career history, etc.) while others provide more in-depth essays as well as references for further reading.
When examining biographies, keep in mind who wrote and published the information and decide whether or not that author/publisher had any possible biases.
Question: What value lies in book reviews?
Answer: Book reviews are a good measure of contemporary reaction to a work. They typically contain information about a book's plot, style, and quality of writing, as well as the author's credentials. They may also give comparisons to other similar titles.
Book reviews can be as brief as one paragraph or several thousand words, but generally do not contain the kind of in-depth analysis found in literary criticism.
Books are generally reviewed near the date of publication or within the first two years after publication.
Photo by carvedintrees
Question: What value lies in books? Why, for example, would a researcher choose a book over a journal?
Answer: Because of their length, books tend to provide more comprehensive treatment of a topic. Books can also be useful for providing footnotes to additional materials.
Index Card by Reeding Lessons, February 3, 2007 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Accessed: July 11, 2011
Question: Why cite sources?
Answer: Citing the sources you use supports your ideas, validates your argument, gives credit to the originator of the idea, leads readers to additional information about your topic, makes you an authority on the subject, and helps prevent plagiarism.
Question: What value lies in using dissertations, especially when they can sometimes be so hard to track down?
Answer: Dissertations and theses offer the latest research from graduate students, identifying trends in the field. They may also be the only place to find information about obscure or under-researched topics.
As research tools, they are invaluable for their extensive bibliographies.
Question: Why would you use Google Book Search?
Answer: Google Book Search (unlike Library Search or WorldCAT) searches the full-text of the books in its inventory. Library Search and WorldCAT are limited to searching only title, author, subject heading and other specific and limited information about a book.
Because Google Book Search lets you search within books, you can often see a table of contents, an index, or excerpts from portion of a book. You can then locate the book in a nearby library.
Question: Why would you use Google Scholar?
Answer: Google Scholar identifies scholarly research materials from a broad range of subject areas, and it often includes the full text of articles that can't be found through Temple Libraries.
Google Scholar offers a "cited by" feature--it will display a list of documents that cited the document you originally retrieved. This can be useful for finding additional sources fore your research, and in determining how influential a source has been. The list only includes documents available in Google Scholar, however
Look for the Find Full-Text @ TU link to access available full-text articles. Or, go into the preferences of Google Scholar and select Temple University from Library Links. Click here for instructions on how to link Google Scholar to Temple Libraries.
Why not use Google Scholar? While Google Scholar can be a great way to find full text articles and supplement your research, Google's algorithm does not allow the kind of precise searching possible when using scholarly databases or Library Search. Furthermore, many resources only available through your Temple Libraries account will not be available through Google Scholar.
Question: What value lies in journals? Why, for example, would a researcher choose a journal over a book?
Answer: Journals are often the best way to learn about the latest research in a discipline.
The articles are written by scholars and can cover very specific topics or narrow fields of research in the field. The bibliographies included often point to other relevant research.
Since journals are published on a regular or periodic basis, they are sometimes called "periodicals."
Question: What value lies in news sources? Why would a researcher choose a newspaper or magazine over a book or scholarly journal article?
Answer: News sources can be great resources for local information. They can supply names, dates, facts and figures. along with quotes. Ultimately, news sources are valuable for their immediacy, recording events as they happen. Historical news databases can also be crucial in understanding events from the past.
Question: What value lies in a reference work? Why, for example, would a researcher bother to consult a scholarly encyclopedia?
Answer: Reference works help researchers contextualize their topics and in turn begin to ask the right questions. They set the stage for more efficient database searching; researchers cannot elicit relevant search results if they don't know which search terms to use.
Reference works also contain bibliographies that lead researchers to the most respected secondary and most useful primary sources on a topic.
In short, reference works are a great way to begin your research.
Question: What value lies in statistics? Why would a researcher use statistical or polling information?
Answer: Statistics can be very persuasive. They can help clarify and put an argument into perspective. Keep in mind, though: statistical data is only as good as the people who create it, the quality of their work, and how well they relay their personal or organizational bias.
Question: What value lies in trade journals? Why would a researcher choose a trade journal over a newspaper or even a scholarly journal?
Answer: Trade journals can be great resources for behind-the-scenes industry information because they report on trends, new products, and techniques useful to people already in that trade or business. The articles are short in length and can supply names, dates, facts and figures, along with quotes.
Question: What value lies in searching the "free" Web?
Answer: The "free" Web can be a good research source for:
It can also be a good way to find material out of which you can formulate a research question.
While the free Web is a good tool for finding information, it is often not the best place to begin academic research. When using information from the web, be sure to check it for accuracy, reliability, authority, and currency.
Image by Fakefunk - https://www.w3.org/Illustrations/LetsShare.ai.ps, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Question: What value lies in using state and/or city-produced information?
Answer: Some information concerning the state of Pennsylvania or the city of Philadelphia is only available from the departments, committees, organizations, and programs that produce it.
Question: What value lies in using Temple-produced information? Why, for example, would a researcher interview a Temple administrator or use a department's annual statistics?
Answer: Some information concerning Temple University and its students, staff, and faculty is only available from the departments, organizations, and programs that produce it.
Determine which departments or programs on campus might have a connection to your topic, and review the information they provide--from websites, press releases, annual reports, etc. Then, determine whom from that department or program you can contact for further information.
Question: What value lies in incorporating visual aids in your presentations?
Answer: Visual aids can clarify information for the audience and help you, as the presenter, focus on the topic at hand.
Visual aids make your presentation more engaging for the audience. They can also help you as the presenter feel more at ease and provide you with memory aids to help you remember your main points.
Primary sources are firsthand accounts of an event - or original records created during its time period - which do not contain any outside interpretation. Examples include:
Primary sources are usefel because they give researchers a better understanding of an event, written by someone who experienced or witnessed the event in question.
Secondary sources are one step removed from the original event. They provide criticism or interpretation of a primary source.
For more information, check out this video.
Periodical directories can help you:
Two good periodical directories for Literary Studies include:
Public records may or may not be online. It often depends upon the state or country resources from which the records originated. You may need to contact or visit the physical location, such as a county court house, in order to actually see the records. Check online first, but be prepared to call or travel to the location if necessary.
Public Records & Libraries
Libraries typically do not have any more access to public records than you do; however, libraries do subscribe to specialized databases that help with some kinds of proprietary information, such as corporate and industry profiles.
Good Sources for Locating Public Records
Confidential or Private Records
Public access to records such as employee records, student transcripts, patient health records, etc. may be restricted by the agency holding them; an FOIA request may be requred. You can usually see your own records by request with proof of identification.
-- Content adapted from Diana Nichols, Journalism Librarian at Ohio University
