Library -- RESEARCH STRATEGIES

Westfield State College Ely Library

Research Strategies

Finding Books	Finding Articles on Campus	Information Problem Solving
Other Libraries	Finding Articles off Campus	Tips for Success
Tutorial: How to Write a Literature Review (Adelphi University)		Avoiding Plagiarism

BOOKS
Start with the REFERENCE COLLECTION. Use the Reference Collection on the First Floor to gather background information, summaries, and statistics from general and subject specific encyclopedias, dictionaries, guides, and statistical sources.

Place your topic in context before conducting more in-depth research.
Pick up a Subject Research Guide at the Reference Desk or find it online at http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/resguides.htm

ARTICLES
To find BOOKS, VIDEOS, & CD's in this library, use the ELY LIBRARY CATALOG

Access: WWW browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer
Internet Address: http://catalog.lib.wsc.ma.edu/

If you are having trouble locating materials on a subject, consult the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) - 5 red volumes near the card catalog. Use them for finding:

books listed under these subjects in the Ely Library Catalog
valid subjects that relate to your search (UF terms are invalid)
Narrow Terms (NT), Related Terms (RT) and Broad Terms (BT) that are listed below subject headings. These terms may also be used for subject searches in the online catalog; they help to narrow or expand your search.
additional subjects and ideas by scanning alphabetically.
See Guide to Searching the Ely Library Catalog

To find references to ARTICLES in PERIODICALS (Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers) which may be available in full-text, use the DATABASES located on the Ely Library Homepage.

Access: WWW browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer
Internet Address: ON & OFF CAMPUS: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/

To access a database you know the name of, go to Quick Links under Databases.
To find databases for a specific subject area such as Business, go to By Subject under Databases.
For General and Introductory research, use databases such as

Academic Search Premier
Expanded Academic ASAP
MasterFile Premier
General Reference Center

For Subject Specific research, use a database focusing on your subject such as

ERIC (for Education)
PsycInfo (for Psychology)
General BusinessFile (for Business)
Criminal Justice Abstracts (for Criminal Justice)
America: History & Life (for American History)
Biography Resource Center (for Biographical material)
Literature Resource Center (for criticism on a specific author or work).
Etc.

By Subject.

See Database Searching Guides for tips on navigating each database successfully.
After you have searched a database, check on the availability of journals by using the list of Full Text Periodical Titles (online & print).

For OFF CAMPUS access: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/
Limited toWSC Community

If you live off campus and are a registered student, you will be able to log on directly from the list of databases on our home page. Use your email ID (i.e. first initial, last name, last four digits of your campus wide ID) and your email password. These should all be lower case except the A if you are using your "A number" as a password.

To find BOOKS, JOURNAL TITLES, and materials in OTHER LIBRARIES: Connect to OTHER LIBRARY CATALOGS.

Access: WWW browser such as Netscape or Internet Explorer
Internet Address: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/masslibs.htm

A GUIDE TO INFORMATION PROBLEM SOLVING

Ask yourself these questions as you proceed with your assignments:

1) Define your task - What is the problem?

Use Reference Books for background information gathering

2) Determine your strategy - What are all the possible sources of information? Which are the best ones?

Remember to use books, journals, and the carefully constructed subscription databases Ely Library provides along with any free Internet sites you may find.

3) Locate and access your materials - Where are these sources available? Where is the information within each source?

Note Location information when looking for books in Ely Library. Stacks are accessed to the right of the Circulation Desk by stairs or elevator.
Do not limit yourself to full text materials available online. There are many scholarly journals available only in paper. Use the list of Full Text Periodical Directory to find out what is available in each format.

4) Read and evaluate the material you have retrieved. It is a good idea to revise your search with the knowledge you have gained from reading!

5) Use the information - What information does the source provide? Which part is worth applying to this task?

6) Synthesize -How does the information from all the sources fit together? How is it best presented?

7) Evaluate -Was the information problem solved? What could be done differently?

EASY TIPS FOR SUCCESS:

Refer to Database and/or Subject Guides available both online and at Reference.
Look for HELP features within the database you are using.
Everything is NOT available on the Internet.
Ask a Reference Librarian for assistance.
Give yourself enough TIME to do the research. HINT: Two days is usually not enough.
Make a 1:1 appointment with a Reference Librarian. Schedule and forms are located at the Reference Desk
E-mail the Reference Dept at ASKUS@wsc.ma.edu

URL: http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/resstrat.htm
Page maintained by Corinne Ebbs
November 18, 2007