Research Like a Librarian

By Molly Keener, Mary Beth Lock, and Ellen Makaravage Introduction to Intellectual Property Photographs. Music. Books. Plays. Architecture. Paintings. Logos. Choreography. Articles. Sculpture. Movies. Slogans. Prescriptions. Machines. All examples of intellectual property. But what about blog posts? YouTube videos? Your term paper? Those too are examples. Intellectual property is encountered daily, usually outside the classroom […]

By Mary Scanlon and Ellen Daugman Primary sources can enrich and inform a research paper or project; they offer a unique perspective on an event, situation or person. These sources created during or very near in time to an event, provide unfiltered, first-hand descriptions that are absent from purely secondary and other sources. These resources […]

By Kevin Gilbertson and Rebecca Caudle Evolution of the Web Once upon a time, the Internet did not exist and there was no World Wide Web. It is difficult, perhaps, to imagine now that the Web is so ubiquitous, so central to our lives, but there was a time before smart phones, before laptops, before […]

By Lauren Pressley When working on a college level paper, you will inevitably be told to find articles. Articles are much different from books, but can be even more useful for research than books for some subjects. Luckily, the library is here to help! Articles can be very useful for research and for finding specific […]

By Lauren Pressley When working on a college level paper, you might hear from professors that you need a certain number of resources. Many times you will be told that you need a certain number of different types of resources. Often, you will be told to find books. Luckily, the library is here to help! […]

By Lauren Pressley and Audra Eagle Yun You have probably noticed that most libraries have a separate section of the building devoted to reference sources and services. But have you ever been told what makes those books special or causes them to be treated differently? Reference sources are authoritative works that help you locate information […]

By Kaeley McMahan Defining your Topic A research topic may come to you in several different ways. You may have a topic assigned to you by a professor, suggested on a topic list, or you might have to come up with a topic on your own. Frequently, your topic will change based on the information […]

By Craig Fansler How does research happen? When doing research, what materials would one use? There are many ways of doing research, especially within different disciplines, and therefore no one method that everyone uses. However, there are some best practices and likely steps in doing research. Traditionally, moving from general resources (like dictionaries and encyclopedias) […]

By Rebecca Petersen Understanding your assignment is the key to successful research process and well researched paper. Starting off with an in depth understanding of what is expected in your paper will allow you to avoid missteps along the way. Some assignments are clarified on the first day in the syllabus, some are given later […]

You are looking at a book on the topic of information literacy. Many people think of literacy to be about the ability to read, however today there are many types of literacies. You might have heard people talk about Health Literacy, Mathematical Literacy, or Media Literacy. This book is about Information Literacy. This is the […]