Library Seminar Summary PDF

Preview

Summary

Library assignment INQR 101...

Description

Catherine Morales Library Research Seminar Monday, October 2 *Seminar Completed on Friday, September 22 @ 9:30am 1. What types of sources are available through the Jerry Falwell Library? How can you use the library to locate sources for your Inquiry Project? Some of the sources available at the Jerry Falwell Library include books, journals, newspapers, movies, and databases. The easiest way to locate sources available in the library is to search in the search bar on the main webpage. You can also use the computers in the library to search through sources. 2. How does having a well-developed research question help you develop keywords and a search strategy? A well-developed research question is specific and clear, and as a result you can easily identify the key words of your topic. Also, once you nail down a research question, you can then begin looking for the best places to search for sources. For example, if your questions has to do with science, then you might search in a scientific database to find sources. 3. What is the idea of a search “keyword,” and what are some keywords that you can use for your Inquiry Project? A “keyword” is a word related to your topic, that the search engine will look for inside all of its material. Keyword searches are broader than subject searches, and will bring up more results. Some keywords I can use in my project might be: religious, worldview, America, changing, government, constitution, and impact. 4. What strategies can you use to filter your results if your search brings back a large number? How can you expand your number of results if your search doesn’t back enough? One way you can limit your search is by using filters like date, language, and country. Another way is to go into a specific database, and search only the sources that are broadly related to your topic. You can also use quotation marks to tell databases to search a phrase instead of individual words. One way you can broaden you search is by using the word OR, which would increase the number of results you get.

5. What are some subject-specific databases that you think could relate to your Inquiry project topic?

One database I could use would be in the government category, called the Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale has both references and primary sources that are in PDF form, and cover a wide range of topics tied to government. Another database I could use is in the religion and philosophy category, because my topic has to do with religious worldviews in America. One specific database is the ATLA religion Database, which has journals, essays, and books that cover topics related to church history, world religions, and religious worldviews in history....