Conducting the Research
This blog is written as a task assigned by Vaidehi ma’am. In this particular blog I'm dealing with the topic “Conducting the Research” from Unit - 1 “Research and Writing”.
First one should understand about Conducting the Research. Conducting research involves exploring and studying a topic to gather information and learn more about it. Researchers use methods like surveys, experiments, or studying existing data to find answers to their questions. It's like being a detective, searching for clues to better understand different subjects and contribute new knowledge to the world.
(1)The Modern Academic Library
The library is a dependable source for one's research, especially when working on papers that rely on the expertise of published experts. Librarians carefully assess resources for credibility and quality before making them available for research. It's important to familiarize oneself with the libraries at one's disposal and make the most of the on-site and online resources and services they offer.
Resources and Services
The modern academic library typically offers resources in print and electronic forms and in other non print media (e.g., films, sound recordings), as well as computer services, such as word processing, high-quality printers, and access to the Internet.
Orientation and Instruction
Most academic libraries have programs of orientation and instruction to meet the needs of all students, from beginning researchers to grad-uate students.
Professional Reference Librarians
Nearly all public and academic libraries have desks staffed by profes-sional reference librarians who can tell you about available instruc- tional programs and help you locate sources.
(2)Library Research Sources
Touring or reading about yone’s library will reveal the many important sources of information it makes available to researchers. Information sources fall into four general categories.
Electronic Sources
Your library probably offers reference works in electronic form and full-text databases and may also recommend useful Websites.
Books and Similar Publications
The library typically houses a vast number of books as well as simi-lar publications such as pamphlets and perhaps dissertations.
Articles and Other Publications in Print Periodicals
The library gives access to numerous articles and similar writings (e.g., reviews, editorials) published in print periodicals such as school-arly journals, newspapers, and magazines.
Additional Sources
Most libraries provide nonprint sources such as sound recordings and video recordings and possibly also unpublished writings (e.g., manuscripts or private letters in special collections).
(3)The Central Information System
Most academic libraries provide an online central information system to guide students and faculty members to research sources. The sys-tem ordinarily includes
the library's catalog of holdings - (books, periodicals, electronic sources, audiovisual materials, etc..
Bibliographic databases, such as the MLA International Bibliogra- phyand Science Direct
Other electronic resources, including reference works, full-text databases to which the library subscribes, and recommended Web sites to which the library provides links.
Other information about the library, such as its location, hours, and policies.
(4)Reference Works
A helpful starting point for a research project is consulting relevant reference works. Certain works, such as indexes and bibliographies, organize research materials by subject, offering details like author, title, and publication date to help locate sources. Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and biographical sources provide fundamental information about subjects. This section introduces various general and specialized reference works that individuals should be aware of. Libraries typically house reference works in both print and electronic formats.
Print reference works are often found in a reference room, with general books like dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographies, yearbooks, atlases, and gazetteers grouped together. Specialized reference books are typically organized by subject, such as biology, business, literature, or psychology. Annual volumes, including indexes, bibliographies, and abstracts collections, are usually arranged chronologically.
Electronic
Electronic Reference works available as electronic databases are usually online or on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.Searching and draw-ing material from the library's databases can be done in the library building and probably from outside as well, over the Internet.
A)Reference Works That Provide Data about Research Materials
Indexes and bibliographies are lists of publications usually classified by subject. Depending on the scope of coverage, they may guide you to material in newspapers, magazines, and journals as well as to writ-ings in books and on Websites.
Collections of abstracts present summaries of journal articles and other literature. Abstracts help you screen out works irrelevant to your re-search, so that you look for and read only the most promising sources.
guides to research seek to direct you to the most important sources of information and scholarship in the area you are researching.
B)Reference Works That Give Basic Information about Subjects
Dictionaries provide information, usually concise definitions, about
words or topics.
Encyclopedias give introductory information about subjects.
Biographical sources describe the lives of prominent persons.
Yearbooks present facts about years in the past.
Almanacs are annual publications containing data, especially sta-
tistics, about many subjects.
Atlases are collections of maps.
Gazetteers provide geographic information.
Statistical resources
provide numerical or quantitative facts.
C)Searching a Reference Database
Every field of study has standard reference works. One such work is the MLA International Bibliography, which lists studies in the fields of language and literature. This work is published in electronic and
print formats.
VERSIONS
Electronic. The MLA International Bibliography is published in on-line and CD-ROM versions, which contain all citations published in annual volumes of the bibliography from 1926 to the present.
Print The printed library edition of this work is published annu-ally in two clothbound books.
TYPES OF SEARCHES OF THE ELECTRONIC VERSION
Author searches
Title searches
Subject searches
Expanded searches
Boolean searches
Other advanced searches
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION PROVIDED
The database provides options to print and download bibliographic information, offering various display styles across different interfaces. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate examples from the ProQuest interface, showcasing details like author, title, publication information, publication year, type, language, ISSN, peer-review status, subject descriptors, update code, accession number, and sequence number in an expanded record accessed by clicking the title.
(5)The online catalog of library holdings
An integral component of a library's central information system includes the online catalog, encompassing electronic publications, books, serials, and audiovisual materials. Online catalogs lack a standardized system, varying in user access methods and on-screen display features. Despite these differences, all systems allow users to conduct searches.
A)Searching an Online Catalog
When using an online catalog, you can locate a work in a number of ways. The most common are by author, by title, and by subject.
Author searches
Title searches
Subject heading searches
Call number searches
Keyword searches
Boolean searches
Other advanced searches
B)Bibliographic Information Provided
When accessing a title, the screen displays information as seen below. The top lines of the screen feature the author's name (Elaine Freedgood), the full title (The Ideas in Things: Fugitive Meaning in the Victorian Novel), and comprehensive publication details (published by the University of Chicago Press in Chicago in 2006). Subsequent lines outline the physical attributes of the book (including front matter and 196 pages of text, measuring 23 centimeters in height), mention the presence of a bibliography and index, provide subject headings for cataloging, and furnish international standard book numbers (ISBNs).
C)Information Needed for Research and Writing
For the purposes of researching and writing your paper, you normally will not use most of the in formation that appears in the catalog entry.
D) Call Numbers
The call numbers in your library probably follow one of two systems of classification: the Library of Congress system or the Dewey decimal system.
The Library of Congress system divides books into twenty major groups.
The Dewey decimal system classifies books under ten major headings:
E) Location of Library Materials
The library catalog normally indicates not only the call number for a title but also the section in which to find the work, whether in the main collection or in a different location.
Open shelves and closed stacks
Sections for reserved works and reference works
Other sections
(6)Full text databases
Modern academic libraries subscribe to and make generally available a wide variety of databases: not only those containing bibliographic citations and abstracts, which guide researchers to relevant sources, but also full-text databases, which offer complete texts of many sources.
AnthroSource
This resource collects the contents of over thirty scholarly journals published by the American Anthropological Association.
ARTstor
Over 700,000 images relating to art and architecture are available in this database for browsing and searching.
Early English Books
A digital collection of over 100,000 books, tracts, and pamphlets published in England between 1473 and 1700.
EBsco
academic Search Premier (articles from over 4,500 scholarly publications in all major disciplines), Business Source Premier (articles
from over 2,000 scholarly business periodicals), Newspaper Source.
Project Muse
four hundred scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences in this collection.
(7)Other library resources and services
Besides knowing about the materials discussed above, you should
become familiar with the library's other resources and services.
a) Microforms
Microform designates printed matter greatly reduced in size by macro photography; common types are microfilm, microfiche, and microcard.
b) Media Center
Many libraries have a special section devoted to audio recordings (e.g., compact discs, audiotapes, long-playing records), video recordings
(e.g., on VHS or DVD), and multimedia materials.
c) Electronic and Other Resources
Photocopying machines are typically located at various sites in the library, as are computer terminals that give access to the central catalog and other databases and to the Internet.
d) Interlibrary Loans
Most libraries have agreements for the exchange of research materials on a regional, statewide, national, or even international basis.
(8)Web sources
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a. Range of Sources
Through the World Wide Web, a researcher can read and transfer material from library catalogs and millions of other useful sites, created by professional organizations.
b. Using Recommended Sites
Using the Web for research requires practice and training just as using a library does.
c. Gateway Sites
Yourlibrarian or instructor might direct you to a "metapage" or "gateway" that provides links to other sites.
D. Searching the Web
Search tools - Whether you are developing a research topic or looking for research sources, use the tools for locating Internet materials.
Bookmarking and recording the URL- one can compile a record by using the bookmark feature in one’s browser, copying URLs and pasting them into a file in your word processor, or using research-management software or sites.
Recording the date of access - Always note the date or dates on which you consult a source.
Internet sources among other sources - email discussion lists and online forums are helpful for sharing ideas but are rarely deemed acceptable resources for research papers.
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