Oliver Wendell Holmes Library

 

history 100 - mosques

Teachers: ms. doucette

Librarian: David Hegarty

Term/Year: fall 2006

 

Get Organized!

Gather Information

Use the Information

Take Time to Reflect


1. Get Organized!

Before you begin your research follow these crucial steps:

1.       Understand the assignment.

Questions to get you started.

2.       Choose a broad topic or area of interest.

Need help choosing a topic?

3.       Get an overview of the topic.

Where to find good overviews.

4.       Narrow the topic.

Get focused!

5.       Write a thesis statement or statement of purpose.

Statement of Purpose/Essential Question /Thesis Statement
Tips for developing a thesis statement. (from Joyce Valenza's Online Lessons and Activities)

Plan your time wisely. Try the OWHL's Planning Assignment Calculator (adapted from the University of Minnesota’s QuickStudy: Library Research Guide). This tool will help you set deadlines for yourself so that you can complete the entire project on time.

2. Gather Information

Definitions of frequently confused concepts are just a click away: Helpful Explanations.

There is no one perfect source. The best source for you depends on your particular information need. This discussion of Choosing the Right Sources can save you time by helping you to match your information need with one or more source types.

Don’t forget to capture the information you will need for your bibliography the first time you use each source. Use these handy forms for collecting all the data elements you will need.

Here's a list of selected specialized reference books (available in the Garver Room) you may want to consider:

Ref 291.3 W 69a Atlas of Holy Places
Ref 297 M972 Muslim Almanac
Ref 297 Ox2 Oxford History of Islam
Ref 720.9 F63f History of Architecture
Ref 720.9 W89 World Atlas of Architecture
Ref 724.6 En335e Encyclopedia of 20th Century Architecture
Ref 909.07 R49 World Eras - Rise and Spread of Islam
Ref 909.09 C14 Cambridge Illustrated History of the Islamic World
Ref 909.09 Is4e Islamic World: Past and Present
Ref 909.09 M33 Medieval Islamic Civiliation
Ref 909.09 OX2 Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World

The reference books will give you an overview of your subject; check the bibliographies for further information. Remember to use cross references, indexes, and tables of contents to help you locate information

Desk Reserve Books:

  To see the materials on desk reserves please CLICK HERE , and then search for History 100.

 

Search a library catalog if you have a title or subject in mind. Plan ahead as books that are requested from NOBLE libraries take about 3 days to arrive and books from outside of our consortium can take more than a week.
The OWH Library Catalog

Finding Journal Articles:

OWHL Subscription Database(s) best suited to your project.

A TO Z LIST OF DATABASES

Britannica Online An electronic version of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Use this site for overviews of your topic.

 

 



With any source, remember to look at it critically. Check out Evaluating the Sources for more information.


3. Use the Information

Now that you’ve found your resource material, follow these steps to get the most out it.

    1. Locate information within the source.
    2. Organize, Organize!
    3. Take notes.
    4. Avoid plagiarism! (Plagiarism/Copyright) (Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting (from Joyce Valenza's Online Lessons and Activities))

As you work, remember to create a bibliography or works cited page using the citation style specified by your teacher for this assignment: Turabian style. Additionally, you may try REFWORKS to create and produce your bibliography in Turabian style. Click here to go to REFWORKS. Note: REFWORKS can only be used from on-campus computers.

The first time you access this product you will have to create a personal account. Then track all of your research needs with this one source!

 

For more information, go the citing your sources section of the library's homepage

The next step is to bring structure to your notes by creating an outline.

You’ve now reached the stage where you’re ready to pull everything together into a finished product. Write your paper, prepare your oral report, put together your PowerPoint presentation. Don’t forget to proofread!

4. Take time to reflect.

Are you satisfied with your efforts and outcome? If not, be sure to review this process thoroughly before your next assignment. Make an appointment with an Instructional Librarian as soon as you receive your assignment to make sure that you get off on the right track next time.


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Last Update October 13, 2006