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Rider University Library

CMP-120 (Rosenbaum, Fall 2024)

Locate

Next, find information about your topic.  
 

What types of sources will be good for your topic, books, audio, journals, magazines, websites?

What search tools can help you locate them, the library library catalog, journal databases, web search engines?

Depending on what you find, you might need to revise your topic or search strategy.

If you are having trouble finding information on your topic, always feel free to ask a librarian.

 

According to the information cycle, different types of sources are generated.

Information Cycle

Search Tips - A Tutorial

Capitalize your connectors AND/OR

1. Phrase Search-keep a phrase together so it will not get separated and lose intended meaning

Example

"yellowstone park"

"sandy hook"

2. Truncations  - to search words of various endings

 Example

comput* -computer, computers, computerize computerized, computerinzing, computational, computation

wom?n - woman or women

girl*-girl, girls, girlish

3. Boolean Operators - use AND/ OR/ NOT to connect your keywords - Boolean Machine.

 Example- AND

california AND parks

"yellowstone park" AND "wild life"

Example- OR

women OR girl* OR female*

research OR survey or case stud*

Example- NOT (AND NOT)

yellowstone NOT park

clinton AND NOT hillary

4. Use parenthesis and quotation marks for logical execution of search terms

"sex* harrassment" AND ("work place" OR office)

Example of a Library One Search

1. Use Advanced search interface

2. Search by keyword  and limit search in Subject or Abstract field

3. Use keywords describing one concept in each search box, connect synonyms with connector OR 

4. Capitalize connectors AND /OR

5. Limit to Full text articles by checking "Online Access & in Library"

6. Limit the Publication Date range (to more recent articles)

Example of One Search:

Sample Topic:  Problems with mental health in school shootings 

Keywords: "mental health" AND "school shooting*"

One Search for mental health AND school shootings

  • Find a perfect article but how do you know if you have access to the full text? This Finding the Full Text of Articles Research Guide can help you.
  • What if there is no link to the full text of the article? We might have access through another database. Use the Journals link to check if we have a specific journal, and in that journal, search the particular article.
  • For articles with no full-text content, request Interlibrarian Loan. 

 

 

Library Catalog

                  Advanced Search

Tutorial on How to Search Online Catalog

Sample book search: Ignorance of Islam

1. At the Advanced Search box, enter  your keyword, Limit to Subject, Keyword, etc. 

2. Use the book call number to find books on the shelves (stacks).

3. If there is an e-book, you can read it online or download the PDF (check out for 4 weeks). 

Catalog search

search library catalog

 

The basic guidelines for this paper:
Choose an issue related to identity (e.g., religious, sexual, ethnic, racial, gender) that you are passionate about and present an argument on why your specific issue should be discussed and elevated. Instead of focusing on coming up with possible solutions to your proposed problem, you should be arguing to show how problematic the issue really is.
 
The introduction to your paper should introduce the issue and explain how it is generally perceived.  As you near your thesis, you need to show why your issue might be more problematic than most people assume it to be.  Your thesis will most likely claim a potential danger, larger problem, complication, or negative consequence that could result from not addressing the issue or taking it seriously enough.
 
Within your paper, you must join in conversation with other scholars who have addressed your issue.  Your paper will be evaluated on how effectively you converse with and integrate your sources, how logically you present your argument, and how thoughtfully you've addressed counter arguments.  

Links to Library Catalog,  One Search, CQ Researcher, Points of View Reference Center  & Databases

1. Gender roles in workplace
("gender role*" OR "sex role*" OR "gender differences" OR "gender issues") AND (workplace OR "work environment") AND women AND (discrimination OR bias)

2. Marginalization of LGBTQ influencers in social media

(LGBTQ OR lesbian OR gay OR homosexual OR bisexual OR transgender OR queer) AND "social media" AND (marginaliz* OR discriminat* OR perception*)

3. Social media an AND d societal expectations of women
"social expectation*" AND (women OR female)
"social media" AND (women OR female) AND politic*
 
4. Misconceptions about the effects of video games
"video game*" AND (misconception* OR bias*)
 
5. College athletes and depression
"college athlete*" AND depression​
 
6. Asian Americans and racial tension
"asian american*" AND ("racial bias" OR racism)
 
7. Gendered language linked to gender inequality
language* AND "gender inequality"
 
8. Effects of rapidly changing technology
Be specific about technology. For example: Distance education vs. traditional education in higher education.
(online course* OR distance education OR remote education) AND "traditional school*"  AND (college* OR universit* OR "higher education")
 
9. Effects of isolation on the human mind and learningbody
​isolation AND ("mental health" OR learn*)

11. TV shows and their portrayal of individuals with depression
(TV  OR television) AND depression
 
12. Racism in the US criminal justice system

racism  AND "criminal justice system*" AND "united states"

One Search tips:

1. Use Advanced search interface

2. Limit search in Abstract or Subject field or a combination to narrow down the results with fewer items

3.  Limit to Rider University Libraries Catalog to find the Library's books on the topic

4.  Limit to full-text, by date range or scholarly journals

5. Capitalize the connectors AND (for words of different concepts) /OR (for synonyms) to search with keywords

Topics & Keyword suggestions: