Effective Library Research

Library Guide
No. 1.1

1. Select and define your topic.

Ask yourself some questions to help you define the focus for your research: What are the key concepts in your topic? Are there any geographical or chronological limitations?

If you are expected to choose your own topic for a research assignment, consider these questions:

Is the topic of interest to you?
Does the topic meet the requirements of the assignment given by your course instructor?
How much time do you have to research and complete this assignment?

NARROWING A TOPIC: Topics that cover too much material are the most common difficulty for students. Is your research question too broad, or too ambitious? Can you select a narrower topic that you will be able to treat effectively in the time available?

BROADENING A TOPIC: If a research topic is too new, or too specifically defined, you may have difficulty finding published sources of information on that topic. Can you define your topic in broader, more general terms that will be easier to research?

2. Do some background reading on the topic.

This can help you to familiarize yourself with key concepts or relevant names and dates, and identify some recommended titles for follow-up reading.

Does the Library have any handbooks, encyclopedias, or other reference resources relevant to your topic? (Try browsing the Online Reference Shelf (http://ereference.uwaterloo.ca/), or the Library's Reference collection in the appropriate call number area, or ask for help at the Information Desk.)
Does the Library have "research guides" or " bibliographies" on your topic? These often include annotations or evaluative comments about the books and articles listed. Bibliographies can direct you to a wide range of resources relevant to a particular topic or field of research. (Subject headings in TRELLIS may include the term "Bibliography," e.g., "Family Canada Bibliography.")

3. Find some books on your topic using TRELLIS.

Do a Subject search using terms that describe your topic.
If you have difficulty matching your terminology to the subject headings in TRELLIS, you can:

Use the Library of Congress Subject Headings volumes to look up alternative terms. (These volumes are located near Information Desks in the Davis Centre and Dana Porter Libraries.)
Watch for "See also" buttons in TRELLIS. Those can lead to related subject terms on your topic. If one of the terms listed seems appropriate to your topic, click on it to launch a search, with that subject heading, in TRELLIS.
Do a Keyword search in TRELLIS using key terms that describe your topic. Keyword searching allows you more flexibility in your choice of terms.

4. Find some articles on your topic.

Journals are an excellent source of information. Articles in periodicals (which include journals, magazines, and newspapers) can often provide in-depth and/or scholarly research on some specific aspect of a topic, as well as currency, i.e., the latest news or thought on a subject.

To find relevant periodical articles on your topic, use an appropriate periodical database t. Many databases also include other types of current publications such as conference proceedings, books, book chapters, reviews, and technical paper literature.

The Research Databases page (http://journal-indexes.uwaterloo.ca/) provides Web access to many different databases subscribed to by the UW Library.
Many of the databases listed on the Research Database are paid for by the library, and thus require UW authentication. (Use Connect from Home )
When in doubt, ask at the Information Desk in the Library. The staff person on duty will help you to select an appropriate database for your topic.

Each journal database indexes many different publications. Some of the cited publications may not be held in local libraries. You will have to search in TRELLIS or the E-journal Titles page (http://sfx.scholarsportal.info/waterloo/az) to find out if the volume and issue for a specific periodical article is available from TUG Libraries.

For more information about identifying and locating articles on selected topics, see:
Library Guide No. 1.4, "Finding Periodical Articles" (http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/libguides/1-4/)

5. Check other sources of information.

Other sources of information that could be useful to you include: government documents, including statistics; statistics from other sources; book reviews; and reports. Ask at the Information Desk for the most effective way to access these resources.

6. Write down all the necessary information.

Be sure to write down all the information you will need to document the sources you used for your essay, term paper, etc.

For a book: author's (or editor's) name; title; place of publication; publisher's name; and date of publication.
For an article: author's name; title of the article; name of the journal; volume number and date; and inclusive pages.
For Internet resources you should also include the date you accessed the source. For more information about tracking and citing information accessed through the Internet see this page: Citing Internet Documents (http://tug.lib.uwaterloo.ca/internetsearch/cite_docs.html).

Margaret Hendley (96/06).
Revised by Erin Murphy (2002/02)
Revised by Christy Branston (2006/12)

For assistance enquire at one of the Library Information Desks or consult the Ask a Librarian Web page at: http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/asklib/

Library Guide, No. 1.1 Effective Library Research
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/libguides/1-1.html
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Last Updated: November 28, 2008