English 1131: Pan-African Freedom Fighters in Their Own Words -- Africana Library, Cornell University

ENGL 1131: Pan-African Freedom Fighters in Their Own Words

(http://www.library.cornell.edu/africana/faculty/engl1131.html)

Compiled by Eric Kofi Acree, Librarian
ea18@cornell.edu/607-255-5229/Africana Library

Developing a Search Strategy
Finding Background Information
Searching Techniques
Finding Books
Finding Articles
Citing Sources

Developing a Search Strategy:

Search strategy is a library term for the process of finding information in a logical, step-by-step manner. Using a search strategy insures that you will find the information and materials you need as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Research Steps:

Choose your topic
Find background information
Find books on your topic
Find periodical articles
Using WWW to Find Internet Resources
Evaluate your sources
Cite your sources

Tips to consider when doing research:

Have a clear understanding of the assignment. What is the length of the paper? What are you suppose to report?
Check the bibliography and indexes of books related to your topic.
Use more than one source.
When searching databases be flexible with the use of search terms.
To learn the best way to use a particular database check out that database help page. There is usually some type of variation for each database.

Finding Background Information (Reference Books):

Gale Virtual Reference Library

Provides full-text of many encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, and directories.

Contemporary Black Biography, Africana Library Reference DT 18 .C76
This reference series provides biographical profiles of important persons of African heritage. Whether they are personalities from the news, selected 20th-century notables, or individuals who are not yet household names, these are the men and women who are changing today's world and shaping the world of tomorrow.

Guides to Biographical Resources
This guide contains listing of biographical resources found the the Africana Library.

CUL Library Guides
This site will provide a list of guides in various topics created by librarians at CUL.

Searching Techniques:

Whether you are clicking your way across the Web, searching for resources in the Cornell Library Catalog, or looking for scholarly articles in specialized subject databases, being aware of a few simple techniques can improve the effectiveness of your searches.

Do you know how to use the following search techniques?

keywords vs. phrase searching
boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT (for combining search terms)
truncation and wildcard symbols (for finding singular, plural, and other keyword variations)
field searching (for narrowing a search to specific parts of a record)
controlled vocabulary (subject headings)

See the following sites for details on how to refine and perfect your search results:

Introduction to Database Searching Skills
Search Strategies

Finding Books:

Cornell Library Classic Online Catalog
The Cornell University Library Classic Catalog includes the holdings of 20 Cornell University libraries. (The Weill Cornell Medical Library, located in New York City, has a separate catalog.) The catalog contains records for books, computer files, government documents, manuscripts and archives, maps, musical scores, periodicals, serials, sound recordings, and visual materials received and cataloged since 1973. There are also records for most pre-1973 items, and for items that are on order or in process.

CU Library Catalog Help Pages

Finding Articles:

CU Library Gateway: Find Databases

Distinguishing Scholarly From Non-Scholarly Periodicals: A Checklist of Criteria

Academic Search Premier Provides citations and abstracts for articles from over 4,140 journals, and includes full text from over 3,170 journals.

ArticleFirst
Indexes over 10,000 periodicals in science, technology, medicine, social sciences, business, the humanities, and popular culture.

CQ Researcher or Congressional Quarterly, 1991- . Uris Library Referebce H35 .E23
CQ Researcher provides articles on current and controversial world issues.

Ethnic Newswatch
Ethnic NewsWatch is a full-text collection of the newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press.

Factiva
Factiva provides access to global news and business information, including local newspapers, same-day newswires, company reports, and media programs.

LexisNexis Academic
Provides access to full text resources on topics including current and general news; business and financial information; newspapers; company directories; government and politics; medical and health topics; accounting, auditing, and tax; federal and state laws; legal cases; and regulations. Resources include TV and radio news transcripts.

Library PressDisplay
Online access to over 700 newspapers from more than 65 countries, displayed in their original format accessable by country, language, or title .

MLA Bibliography
MLA Bibliography is the largest and most comprehensive database covering scholarship in the modern languages, linguistics, literature, folklore, and drama, including film, opera, radio, television and theater. Literary criticism and literary theory are covered extensively. Approximately 4,000 journals and series are screened, and entries for books are included. Entries appear both for collections of essays and for their contents.

Research Library
Available as part of the ProQuest Direct system, Periodical Abstracts indexes and abstracts an extensive number of periodicals, covering general interest magazines and scholarly journals in the social sciences, humanities and sciences. Also included are citations and abstracts to selected television and radio programs. Full text of many articles is provided.

Newspaper Databases
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/newsdbases.html

Citing Sources:

Give credit where credit is due.

By properly citing the sources you use in your research projects you are both identifying the resources that you used to complete your work and you are formally acknowledging the authors or creators of those resources. This allows others to find what you have found and to verify your research.

Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity

Citation@Cornell

Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.)
CU Reference locations include Olin, Uris, ILR, and Fine Arts Libraries: Z253 .U69 2003

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.)
CU Library Reference locations include Africana, Hotel, Management, Olin, and Uris Libraries: BF 76.7 .P83x 2001x

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed.)
CU Library Reference locations include Olin and Uris Libraries: LB 2369 .G53 2009

Library Instruction Evaluation Form


	Library Gateway \| Library Catalog \| Find: Articles Databases e-Journals \| Ask a Librarian
Inside the Library Collection Databases Subject Guides Internet Resources John Henrik Clarke Contact
		Print This Page ENGL 1131: Pan-African Freedom Fighters in Their Own Words (http://www.library.cornell.edu/africana/faculty/engl1131.html) Compiled by Eric Kofi Acree, Librarian ea18@cornell.edu/607-255-5229/Africana Library Developing a Search Strategy Finding Background Information Searching Techniques Finding Books Finding Articles Citing Sources Developing a Search Strategy: Search strategy is a library term for the process of finding information in a logical, step-by-step manner. Using a search strategy insures that you will find the information and materials you need as quickly and efficiently as possible. Research Steps: Choose your topic Find background information Find books on your topic Find periodical articles Using WWW to Find Internet Resources Evaluate your sources Cite your sources Tips to consider when doing research: Have a clear understanding of the assignment. What is the length of the paper? What are you suppose to report? Check the bibliography and indexes of books related to your topic. Use more than one source. When searching databases be flexible with the use of search terms. To learn the best way to use a particular database check out that database help page. There is usually some type of variation for each database. Finding Background Information (Reference Books): Gale Virtual Reference Library Provides full-text of many encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, and directories. Contemporary Black Biography, Africana Library Reference DT 18 .C76 This reference series provides biographical profiles of important persons of African heritage. Whether they are personalities from the news, selected 20th-century notables, or individuals who are not yet household names, these are the men and women who are changing today's world and shaping the world of tomorrow. Guides to Biographical Resources This guide contains listing of biographical resources found the the Africana Library. CUL Library Guides This site will provide a list of guides in various topics created by librarians at CUL. Searching Techniques: Whether you are clicking your way across the Web, searching for resources in the Cornell Library Catalog, or looking for scholarly articles in specialized subject databases, being aware of a few simple techniques can improve the effectiveness of your searches. Do you know how to use the following search techniques? keywords vs. phrase searching boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT (for combining search terms) truncation and wildcard symbols (for finding singular, plural, and other keyword variations) field searching (for narrowing a search to specific parts of a record) controlled vocabulary (subject headings) See the following sites for details on how to refine and perfect your search results: Introduction to Database Searching Skills Search Strategies Finding Books: Cornell Library Classic Online Catalog The Cornell University Library Classic Catalog includes the holdings of 20 Cornell University libraries. (The Weill Cornell Medical Library, located in New York City, has a separate catalog.) The catalog contains records for books, computer files, government documents, manuscripts and archives, maps, musical scores, periodicals, serials, sound recordings, and visual materials received and cataloged since 1973. There are also records for most pre-1973 items, and for items that are on order or in process. CU Library Catalog Help Pages Finding Articles: CU Library Gateway: Find Databases Distinguishing Scholarly From Non-Scholarly Periodicals: A Checklist of Criteria Academic Search Premier Provides citations and abstracts for articles from over 4,140 journals, and includes full text from over 3,170 journals. ArticleFirst Indexes over 10,000 periodicals in science, technology, medicine, social sciences, business, the humanities, and popular culture. CQ Researcher or Congressional Quarterly, 1991- . Uris Library Referebce H35 .E23 CQ Researcher provides articles on current and controversial world issues. Ethnic Newswatch Ethnic NewsWatch is a full-text collection of the newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press. Factiva Factiva provides access to global news and business information, including local newspapers, same-day newswires, company reports, and media programs. LexisNexis Academic Provides access to full text resources on topics including current and general news; business and financial information; newspapers; company directories; government and politics; medical and health topics; accounting, auditing, and tax; federal and state laws; legal cases; and regulations. Resources include TV and radio news transcripts. Library PressDisplay Online access to over 700 newspapers from more than 65 countries, displayed in their original format accessable by country, language, or title . MLA Bibliography MLA Bibliography is the largest and most comprehensive database covering scholarship in the modern languages, linguistics, literature, folklore, and drama, including film, opera, radio, television and theater. Literary criticism and literary theory are covered extensively. Approximately 4,000 journals and series are screened, and entries for books are included. Entries appear both for collections of essays and for their contents. Research Library Available as part of the ProQuest Direct system, Periodical Abstracts indexes and abstracts an extensive number of periodicals, covering general interest magazines and scholarly journals in the social sciences, humanities and sciences. Also included are citations and abstracts to selected television and radio programs. Full text of many articles is provided. Newspaper Databases http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/newsdbases.html Citing Sources: Give credit where credit is due. By properly citing the sources you use in your research projects you are both identifying the resources that you used to complete your work and you are formally acknowledging the authors or creators of those resources. This allows others to find what you have found and to verify your research. Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity Citation@Cornell *Chicago Manual of Style* (15th ed.) CU Reference locations include Olin, Uris, ILR, and Fine Arts Libraries: Z253 .U69 2003 *Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association* (5th ed.) CU Library Reference locations include Africana, Hotel, Management, Olin, and Uris Libraries: BF 76.7 .P83x 2001x *MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers* (7th ed.) CU Library Reference locations include Olin and Uris Libraries: LB 2369 .G53 2009 Library Instruction Evaluation Form