Arts & Sciences College Success Skills

Library Resources and Assignment

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The following materials contain information and an assignment that will aid you in developing

some fundamental research skills. Refer to the basics and the contacts as needed throughout your

undergraduate study at the University of Cincinnati to help with all of your research needs.

Your two visits to the library will consist of an overview of resources and search methods and a

hands-on experience finding an article and presenting your research process success.

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Detailed Assignment (Page 2)

Research Resources and Search Methods (Page 8)

Important Contacts (Page 9)

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College Success Skills AssignmentShepherd/Krusling05

College Success Skills Assignment

This assignment has a few components that will aid you in learning about doing effective research with

resources available through the library. The object is to get you to begin “thinking” more critically about

the process of searching for and retrieving information than you may have been required to do previously.

The first element of the assignment requires you to find a copy of the New York Times Newspaper

from the day you were born. Step-by-step instructions for how to do so are included in this handout.

The next element requires you to convene as a group with some of your classmates and compare the

New York Times printouts. As a group you will decide on a particular article from one member’s

front page that looks interesting. Then, you will take what you learned in the library research overview

to perform a search to find a current article on a similar topic (i.e. an article from 1988 about drug

problems might yield some interesting current articles on the same topic). After finding a good current

article the group will do a presentation to the class about the process of finding the article (how did

you get started? How did you arrive on the correct keywords or subjects to search? Which resources were

best to find articles and why? Did you run into any problems in the process and how did you resolve

them? Why is the article you found better or worse than what you might find in a quick Google search? –

this list is not comprehensive and you may have questions that need answers or answers to questions that

were not posed). Finally, a written component from each individual in the group addressing the

research process is required to be turned in.

The required elements of the assignment:

1. Find a copy of the New York Times Newspaper from the day you were born

2. Convene as a group with some of your classmates and compare the New York Times

printouts

3. Decide on a particular article from one member’s front page that looks interesting

4. Use what you learned about Library resources and search methods to find a current article

on a similar topic

5. Present as a group, or through a spokesperson, your experience in finding the article

6. Turn in a written component from each individual in the group addressing the research

process

College Success Skills AssignmentShepherd/Krusling05

Navigating UC’s Library Resources for a New York Times Front Page

First, go to the main library page: http://www.libraries.uc.edu

Then, choose Article Resources on left side under QuickLINKS

Then, choose the Newspaper Articles link

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Then, choose the New York Times 1851-2001 link

In the Proquest Database click on the More Search Options tab to expand your search capability

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Then, add your birth date in the following format: mm/dd/yyyyAnd, change document type to Front Page with the drop-down optionThen, hit “Search” without entering anything in the search bar

Next, choose “page map” under any of the articles you see presented to produce a copy of the New York Times front page for your birth date (see important note following this image)

College Success Skills AssignmentShepherd/Krusling05

To Print copy of the front page click on “Page Image –PDF” in top right of screen (be sure to use the tool bar printing option within the Adobe Reader that opens your page)

Printing from within the Adobe Reader

College Success Skills AssignmentShepherd/Krusling05

The printed copy will have very small print. If you have difficulty reading it you can go back and print the individual articles (or just the ones in which you are interested) by clicking on “Article Image” instead of “Image Map” (this will print individual articles instead of the entire page)

College Success Skills AssignmentShepherd/Krusling05

Research Resources and Search Methods

Getting Started

1. The University Libraries Web site: http://www.libraries.uc.edu

2. The Info Commonsa. This is an area in Langsam and other libraries where Peer Mentors and Librarians

can provide personal assistance for of your research needs

3. Chat with a Librarian a. An option on the library Web site that allows you to open an instant message session

with a librarian to get instant assistance with your research needs

The Tools/Resources

1. Library Catalogsa. For finding books and most other materials except Full-Text

articlesb. For resources available at UC: go to Library Catalog on left side

of Library Web sitec. For resources available statewide: go to OhioLINK on left side of

Library Web site

2. Indexes/Databasesa. For finding articles on general topics or in specialized areasb. For these resources: go to Article Resources on left side of

Library Web sitei. Then: choose Academic Search Premier or Expanded

Academic ASAP to find general resources (under General Indexes)

ii. Or: choose Indexes & Databases to find discipline-related resources

The Methods/Strategies for searching

*applies to searching catalogs, databases, and the Internet

1. Keyworda. Choose precise words related to your topical interest and refine

them as you develop them as you continue searching (i.e. sometimes you think you know the exact word you want, but as you go along you discover that another, related, word produces better results)

2. Subjecta. Subject searches give you the ability to view a subject very

broadly and then break it down into smaller and smaller sub College Success Skills Assignment

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parts (allows you to discover things you never thought to search for!)

3. Limitersa. Use limiters to reduce the numbers of hits you get (This enables

you to be more efficient in finding resources)b. Limit by: date, format – books, periodicals, audio-visual

materials, location, etc.

Important Contacts

Info Commons at Langsam Library556-1867

Reference Services at Langsam Libraryhttp://www.libraries.uc.edu/services/reference/index.html

Chat with a Librarianhttp://www.libraries.uc.edu/services/reference/chat.html

James Krusling, First Year Experience Librarianjames.krusling@uc.edu, 556-1754

Subject Librarians (for discipline-specific research needs)http://www.libraries.uc.edu/research/subject_resources/librarians.html

College Success Skills AssignmentShepherd/Krusling05