Eleven Things You Should Know about College-Level Research
1) College libraries have a ton of sources.
The Bakersfield College Library has over 74,000 book titles, with over 83,000 volumes. We also have over 200,000 electronic books (eBooks), including electronic reference books, and over 90 research databases. Chances are we have what you are looking for!
2) Get an early start.
Getting an early start will make things go more smoothly. Sometimes you expect to find information on your topic quickly, but sometimes it takes longer than you anticipate. By starting early, you can avoid the frustrations that can occur when you face delays.
3) Research is a process. (See the Picking Your Topic IS Research video below.)
Research can be hard work. It involves looking in several places, taking careful notes, asking questions, and sometimes dealing with a few false starts.
4) You have to research before you research. (See the Finding Background Knowledge tab.)
There is so much to know about a topic that you really should pre-search before researching. You never know what interesting slant you will discover about your topic. Do a quick peek on the Internet (including Wikipedia) and in subject specific encyclopedias to see different aspects of your topic. This will also help you narrow down your topic. (Most professors give you a broad, "umbrella" topic and expect you to pick something very specific within that broader topic. This allows you to focus on one aspect that interests you.)
5) Know your ABCs and 123s. (See the Finding Books tab.)
That's all you need to know to understand the Library of Congress (LOC) classification system that is used to organize materials in our library. Even fiction books (which you may be used to finding by author's last name in a separate fiction section) are shelved this way within the section for Literature. Here is a map of how the Grace Van Dyke Bird Library is organized. We also have a handout by the reference desk.
6) Ask questions.
Don't be afraid to ask questions about how to find what you need. Librarians are available to help you in person, on the phone, via email, and through live chat.
7) Evaluation is important. (See the Evaluating Sources tab.)
Your ability to evaluate the validity of the sources you use is more important than ever. You need to ensure that your sources are free of bias, are reliable, and trustworthy.
8) Become familiar with citations. (See the Citing Sources tab.)
A citation gives credit to where you found your information and who wrote it. It is a listing of the key pieces of information about a work that makes it possible for other researchers and your professor to locate it. Different disciplines use different styles. Become familiar with the one required for your assignment.
9) Learn to avoid plagiarism. (See the Citing Sources tab.)
Plagiarism, simply stated, is using another person's ideas or works without giving credit. Sometimes this is done blatantly (like turning in someone else's paper as your own) and sometimes this is done unintentionally (like forgetting to add a citation). Your professors will take this very seriously, so know the rules.
10) Everything is not on Google.
Many students believe they can find everything they need by searching with Google or other search engines. Using library resources, however, will give you access to licensed information that has been reviewed by publishers, editors, and librarians, and that is not freely available to the masses on the Internet.
11) Focus on scholarly sources.
Being an academic library, most everything we carry is academic in nature. Scholarly books include those published by a university press. Most scholarly articles are peer-reviewed and can be found in databases. They will include an abstract and citations, and are written by experts in that field of study.
Adapted from Kent State's "Transitioning to College" LibGuide