| Speech and Debate Teacher: Mr. Kosanovich Librarian: Mr. Hegarty Summer Session 2007 |
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This guide provides an introduction to information resources available at the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library. Selected print and electronic resources are provided. There are many more excellent sources.
The following steps will assist you in the research process.
Think about what you are required to do. What information do you need? Where will you keep your notes? What are some search terms or key words you may use in locating information for your topic?
For example: death penalty and supreme court or death penalty or capital punishment
Plan your time wisely. Try the Planning Assignment Calculator. This tool will help you set deadlines for yourself so that you can complete the entire project on time.Use specialized reference books (in the Garver Room) for brief, comprehensive and factual overviews, bibliographies and additional working vocabulary. All books are categorized using the Dewey Decimal system.
Ref 301 C76e CQ Researcher (also an online database) Ref 364.6 H38C Capital Punishment A Facts on File Book Ref 364.6 C17A Capital Punishment An Information Aids Book Ref 364.6 C17A Capital Punishment: Cruel and Unusual? Ref 348.73 W52 West’s Encyclopedia of American Law Ref 349.73 Am35 American Justice Ref 348.73 G94 The Guide to American Law Ref 364 En1 2002 Encyclopedia of American Justice Ref 364 Si2e 2001 The Encyclopedia of American Crime Ref 973.03/D56 Dictionary of American History
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Tip: Ask a Librarian, stop by a Help Desk early and often during the research process for assistance. |
Make sure to check the Desk Reserves for useful books on the death penalty and capital punishment. Click here to see the list of materials available.
For Biographical information try Biography Resource Center. This database combines award-winning biographies from respected Gale Group sources. Biography Resource Center also includes full-text articles from hundreds of periodicals. Search for people based on one or more personal facts such as birth and death year, nationality, ethnicity, occupation or gender, or combine criteria to create a highly-targeted custom search
For Contemporary social issues, try Congressional Quarterly Researcher. CQ Researcher is an excellent scource of information on contemporary social issues. The product is described on its homepage as follows: "The award-winning The CQ Researcher explores a single "hot" issue in the news in depth each week. Topics range from social and teen issues to environment, health, education and science and technology. There are 44 reports produced each year including four expanded reports. The CQ Researcher's hallmark is scrupulous objectivity and balance. Every 12,000-word report is written by an experienced journalist and features comments from experts, lawmakers and citizens on all sides of every issue. Numerous charts, graphs and sidebar articles -- plus a pro-con feature, a chronology, lengthy bibliographies and a list of contacts -- round out each report."
Another excellent source for pro and con discussions of contemporary social issues is the Opposing Viewpoints series.An excellent source of general periodicals is General Reference Center Gold. A general interest database that integrates a variety of sources in one easy-to-use interface. Use General Reference Center Gold to find articles from newspapers, reference books, and periodicals, many with full-text and images.
For Scholarly articles of all types try Expanded Academic ASAP Plus. This easy to use interface helps researchers from all academic disciplines to find scholarly journals, news magazines and newspapers. For historical full-text articles use JSTOR.
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.
Now that you’ve found your resource material, follow these steps to get the most out it.
- Locate information within the source.
- Organize, Organize!
- Take notes.
- 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: MLA 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!
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!
