Research Guides: Loper 126 Library Searching and Finding Resources Guide: How to Use This Guide

Suggestions

The videos in this libguide are available for you to assign to your classes, as needed. Please consider attaching an assignment relevant to your class. Some examples are listed here and we encourage you to change them to fit your class. Please do contact your liaison librarian if you would like assistance

1. Source Evaluation:
Retrieve and compare two sources of information on the same topic, such as: popular magazine / academic journal

2. Annotated Bibliography/Research List:
Compile (#) sources on the same topic for this annotated bibliography, cited in proper APA format. Follow these steps when writing each of your annotations.

Step 1: Citation: Cite the source correctly using a referencing style (such as MLA).

Step 2: Relevance/Main Purpose: How does this source relate to your topic? What does this source add to the general knowledge on your topic?

Step 3: Relevance/Audience: What is the intended audience level of this source and is it appropriate for your topic?

Step 4: Authority/Author: Qualifications of the author (e.g., John Smith, a Russian history professor at USC, based his research on recently discovered documents). Is this source cited by other sources writing on the same topic?

Step 5: Accuracy/Evidence: Are the author’s claims supported by evidence in the form of references, citations, endnotes, or a bibliography?

Step 6: Rationale/Bias: Is there a bias in relation to your topic (e.g., “However, Smith’s case is somewhat weakened by an anti-German bias”)? State whether or not bias is present.

3. Research Diary/Diary Log:
You are going to write a total of 4 research diary entries in the diary log template provided. Each time you search for information on your research project topic, you will add an entry to your research diary. Additional assignments include the following:
• Write four research diary entries (each one written at different dates/times) using the diary log template below
• Write a 2-page narrative based on your research diary entries after you have completed your final research project
• For each research diary entry, choose at least one library resource as one of your search tools. Search in 4 different library resources by the time you have written all 4 diary entries

Diary Log:
Describe the process of looking for scholarly information on an assigned topic: what steps were taken, what worked and didn’t work, and the criteria used to evaluate the information.