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*Help & Using the Library: 3. Finding Sources

Sources

What is it?

Examples
Scholarly Journal

A collection of articles written by scholars in an academic or professional field. Articles in journals can cover very specific topics or narrow fields of research.

Often peer reviewed by scholars, researchers, and experts in the field.

Use to find research studies or scholarly analyses of a relatively narrow topic; references that point to relevant research.

 

American Journal of Business American

History Communication Quarterly
Book

Covers virtually any topic, fact or fiction. For research purposes, you will probably be looking for books that synthesize all the information on one topic to support a particular argument or thesis. Can be scholarly or popular.

Scholarly books are often peer reviewed; popular books are reviewed and edited by publication staff.

Use to find in-depth information; summaries of relevant research; overview of topic.

 

Concise Rules of APA Style

To Kill a Mockingbird
Newspaper

A collection of articles about current events usually published daily. Since there is at least one in every city, it is a great source for local information.

Reviewed and edited by publication staff.

Use to find current information about events; editorials, commentaries, expert or popular opinions.

 

Miles City Star

The New York Times
Magazine

A collection of articles and images about diverse topics of popular interest and current events. Usually, these articles are written by journalists and are geared toward the average adult.

Reviewed and edited by publication staff.

Use to find information about popular culture; up-to-date information about current events.

 

ProRodeo

National Geographic
Encyclopedia

Collections of short, factual entries often written by different contributors who are knowledgeable about the topic.

Reviewed and edited by publication staff.

Use to find background information, key ideas, dates, and concepts.

 

Encyclopedia of Business and Finance

Encyclopedia of Global Religion

Library Resources

Catalog - provides access to thousands of books in the library, ebooks available instantly online, videos available in the library, and streaming video available instantly online. The catalog simultaneously searches the library's databases for thousands of scholarly journal, magazine, and newspaper articles; image collections; statistical data, and much more!

Journal Search - provides access to specific journals. This is particularly helpful if you know the citation of an article or you just want to browse a single journal.

Resource Guides - provide access to resources categorized by subject to help you throughout the entire research process.

Library & Research Terms

  • APA Style: a bibliographic citation format outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
  • Abstract: a brief summary of the topics covered in an article or book
  • Almanac: a publication, usually an annual, containing useful facts and statistical information
  • Annual: an item that is published once a year
  • Article: a written essay or report on a subject. Articles appear in magazines, journals, newspapers, and in encyclopedias, among others
  • Author/Creator: the writer of a book or article. The author may be one person, several people, or a "corporate body" such as a government agency, professional association, or company
  • Bibliographic Record: a record that describes an item in the collection; the bib record includes call number, author, title, publication information, paging, subject headings, etc.
  • Bibliography: a list of publications (books, articles, dissertations, etc.) usually on a subject or by a particular author. A bibliography may be a full book or a brief list in books or journal articles
  • Biography: an account of a person's life
  • Book: also called a monograph in the library world, a book may appear in printed or electronic form. Books can be a collection of published essays from different authors organized by an editor, or the work of one or more authors who created the content
  • Boolean Searching: uses three basic Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to link concepts in database searching
  • Call Number: a unique identifying number given to each book acquired by a library. The call number serves to group books together according to subject in an organizational scheme and can be used to locate the book in the library's stacks
  • Citation: information such as author, title, pagination, and dates that identifies an information item (book, article, website, etc.). Sufficient information is included to locate the original item
  • Database: a database of either full-text documents or citations and abstracts which can be searched
  • Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC): an internationally applied decimal system of library classification which uses a three-figure code from 000 to 999 to represent the major branches of knowledge, and allows finer classification to be made by the addition of further figures after a decimal point
  • Dissertation: original research usually required for a Ph.D. degree
  • Edition: all copies of a title issued by the same publisher on the same date
  • Encyclopedia: a reference source containing information on a variety of topics. This information may be supplied in short paragraphs or in lengthy articles that include citations to other works on the same topic. Encyclopedias can be general - covering all topics or specialized - focusing on a particular discipline such as art or philosophy
  • Evaluation of Information: the goal in evaluating information is to determine a source's credibility, accuracy, and to determine any bias in the presentation of material or in the conclusions that are drawn from the facts and statistics it cites as evidence
  • Full text: the contents of an article available online
  • Government Information: reports, articles, and statistics provided by state and federal governments
  • Holdings: all the materials in various formats owned by a library
  • ISBN: International Standard Book Number; a unique ten or thirteen digit number assigned to every printed book
  • ISSN: International Standard Serial Number; a unique eight-digit number assigned to every serial publication
  • Index: can be as simple as a guide to a book's content, often found in the back of a book, or an online guide to a page, subject, or website
  • Information Literacy: the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information. 
  • Item Record: an item record represents a physical piece in the library; it consists of fixed and variable fields that are used to describe the item and to record circulation information
  • Journal: a type of periodical, often issued by a society or institution, containing news, proceedings, transactions and articles about work carried out in a particular discipline, intended for a scholarly audience. These are often refereed by a committee of peer reviewers
  • Keyword Searching: using a word or combination of words to search a database. Keyword looks for words in titles, corporate names, subject headings, and contents notes. A broader term than descriptor or subject heading
  • Keywords: keywords are the terms that come to mind when you think of your topic. Search engines like Google and Yahoo allow you to enter as many keywords as you like, but library databases might require you to determine which subject terms best fit your topic to find the best resources
  • LCSH (Library of Congress Subject Headings): a controlled vocabulary used to describe the contents of works. Materials classified with Library of Congress call numbers use these subject headings
  • Library Catalog:  a collection of bibliographic records, each of which is represented by a physical item - the catalog is searchable by patrons via the OPAC
  • Location: where the physical item is shelved in the library
  • Magazine: a type of serial publication that is intended for a general reading audience and contains articles of popular interest
  • Monograph: a book that is complete in one physical piece
  • Non-profit: an organization that is established for purposes other than directly creating revenue for profit. Information from non-profits can be reliable and accurate. However, beware of marketing organizations that are created as non-profits to give the appearance of greater credibility and objectivity
  • OPAC: (Online Public Access Catalog) is the interface used to search the catalog
  • Peer Review: a process in which articles submitted to a journal are reviewed by scholars in the author's field prior to publication - this helps to ensure that each article meets high standards for quality, accuracy, and relevance
  • Periodical: written magazine, newspaper, academic journal, or trade publication that is published in regular intervals: e.g., daily, monthly, weekly, quarterly
  • Plagiarism: the presentation of another person's ideas, work, or words as one's own work without providing proper citations
  • Popular Source: information, especially articles, written to entertain or inform the general public: e.g., National Geographic, Time, Sports Illustrated, and People
  • Primary Source: original manuscripts, contemporary records, or documents created at the time an event occurred
  • Research: the process of searching for and locating needed information; managing, analyzing and evaluating the information; and using the information for a specific purpose
  • Resource Guides: online subject guides provided by MCC Library - these guides can be used to determine recommended library resources for different subjects
  • Scholarly Source: information, especially journal articles, written by and for experts in a particular field of study
  • Search Strategy: a systematic process used to find the most relevant information on a topic
  • Secondary Source: works that are not original manuscripts or contemporary records or documents associated with an event, but which critique, comment on, or build upon these primary sources
  • Serial: a publication that is issued in parts indefinitely over time; includes journals, periodicals, magazines, almanacs, annual reports, etc.
  • Source: an information item consulted when conducting research; e.g., book, journal, website
  • Stacks: library book collections are organized on shelves called "stacks."
  • Subject Headings: a controlled vocabulary assigned by an indexer. Subject headings are used in catalogs and indexes to group together items by subject
  • Thesaurus: a list of words that are applicable to a specific subject area; usually is a controlled vocabulary list
  • Thesis: original research often required for a Master’s degree
  • Truncation: the shortening or cutting off part of a keyword. The keyword is shortened so that it will match with all terms starting with the same stem; e.g., librar* will match with library, libraries, librarian, librarianship, etc.
  • URL: the acronym stands for Uniform Resource Locator, or more simply, "Web address"
  • Works Cited: MLA citation calls for a 'works cited' page that is a listing of resources, or citations, formatted using MLA citation style

Not all information sources are of the same value; information can be biased, inaccurate, or simply inappropriate for a specific assignment.

It is, therefore, necessary for you to carefully evaluate every information source (print and online) that you consult.

When searching for information on the Internet, you need to be critical. Here are a few reasons:

  • anyone can post information, which can be unreliable and inaccurate
  • the amount of information online can be overwhelming; there are currently more than a billion websites in existence
  • when searching the web, you get A LOT of results, many of which may not be relevant
  • websites may have an agenda or may be trying to sell you something
  • search results bring varying results, only some of which may be relevant for your research
  • scholarly sources are usually not available on the "free web" - they are located primarily in library databases

The links below provide more information on the need to evaluate sources as well as additional methods of evaluation. 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else's work, including the work of other students, as one's own. Any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged unless the information is common knowledge. What is considered "common knowledge" may differ from course to course (https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/definition.html)

Plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward (http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/what-is-plagiarism)

Citations

Document sources completely to:

  • Give credit to authors whose works you have used
  • Provide a trail so others can locate the materials you consulted
  • Provide evidence of your research
  • One strategy to avoid plagiarizing

As you conduct research, you will consult different sources of information. A professor may request primary, secondary, or tertiary sources. What does that mean? This guide explains these terms and gives examples for each. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: The types of information that can be considered primary sources may vary depending on the subject discipline, and also on how you are using the material. For example:

  • A magazine article reporting on recent studies linking the reduction of energy consumption to the compact fluorescent light bulb would be a secondary source.
  • A research article or study proving this would be a primary source.
  • However, if you were studying how compact fluorescent light bulbs are presented in the popular media, the magazine article could be considered a primary source.

Across disciplines, contexts, and perspectives, the definition of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources differ. If you are unsure what your source is, ask your instructor or contact a librarian.

Modified from: William Madison Randal Library, Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources

For Example:

Primary Secondary Tertiary
Civil War diary book on Civil War battle list of battle sites
painting by Manet article critiquing the painting encyclopedia of Impressionism
poem by Wordsworth essay about themes in the poem biography of author

More Information: