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history 100 - song dynasty Teachers: Mr. tipton Librarian: David Hegarty Term/Year: winter 2007 |
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Before you begin your research follow these crucial steps:
| 1. Understand the assignment. |
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| 2. Choose a broad topic or area of interest. |
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| 3. Get an overview of the topic. |
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| 4. Narrow the topic. |
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| 5. Write a thesis statement or statement of purpose. |
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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.
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 En 33 | Encyclopedia of Religion (use index) |
| Ref 330.03 Ox33m | Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History (use index) |
| Ref 332.4 Al53c | Encyclopedia of Money |
| Ref 355.02 H97 | Dictionary of Ancient and Medieval Warfare |
| Ref 355.02 W37 | Ancient and Medieval Weapons and Warfare |
| Ref 382 En32no | Encyclopedia of World Trade (use index) |
| Ref 703 En 19 | Encyclopedia of World Art |
| Ref 911 C73 | Complete Atlas of World History vol. 2 |
| Ref 950 En3 | Encyclopedia of Asian History |
| Ref 950 C72 | Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture |
| Ref 950 L57e | Encyclopedia of Modern Asia |
| Ref 951 C14 | Cambridge Encyclopedia of China |
| Ref 951 P41e | Encyclopedia of China |
| Ref 951.7 At93en | Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire |
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 / Catalog:
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. |
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| Selected Websites |
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With any source, remember to look at it critically. Check out Evaluating the Sources for more information.
Now that you’ve found your resource material, follow these steps to get the most out it.
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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!
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.
