RTM 330: Women, Leisure and Ethnicity in the United States Research Tips: Overview

LIBRARY INSTRUCTION GOALS

By the conclusion of the instructional session, students will be able to:

1)     Describe the steps needed to locate databases on the Oviatt Library homepage.

2)     Differentiate between scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles and popular literature (e.g., Time Magazine, The Economist, Newsweek, Harvard Business Review, etc.)

3)     Identify 5 different databases that may provide information you can use for assignments.

4)     Learn how to cite references using APA style manual. (NOTE: Students may use another style -MLA, U of Chicago, etc.- if mandated in their major).  If they do not know, they should use APA).

5)     Ask librarian about specific problems you are having (or have had in the past)finding scholarly articles.

6)     Leave the library with a list of 3 articles for each assignment to “jump-start” your work and not procrastinate.  Not all articles will provide the exact type of information you want or need.  You have to read a lot in order to find ones that will work for you.

7)     Be able to email articles to yourself at a desired location.

8)     Access databases from off campus.

9)     List 3 ways you can contact the librarian in the future.

Take home a handout designed by Marcia Henry for RTM courses to include in your course portfolio

• Learn How to do Library and Internet research: determine information need, choose best resources, develop a search strategy, understand keyword and subject searching, how to use boolean operators and truncation  symbols, how to cite sources, and more.
• Learn how to use the Library Catalog to find books and periodicals (journals, magazines and newspapers), online encyclopedias, videos and more on your topic.   For items we have in print in the library, you need the Floor number and call number. For material we get online, follow the link in the box that advises Available Electronically.
• Learn how to use Databases by Subject Recreation and Tourism Management at http://library.csun.edu/xerxes/databases/subject/recreation-and-tourism-management . You can either search up to 10 databses simultaneously and save records you identify to your electronic shelf; or you can link into the native interfaces of each database.
• Learn to look for the Full Text and Find text links in databases which will help you identify if CSUN has access to the item.
• Learn about Citing your Sources at http://library.csun.edu/Guides/ResearchStrategies/CitationStyleGuides
  • Oviatt Library's Citing your sources offers various examples http://library.csun.edu/Guides/ResearchStrategies/CitationStyleGuides
  • Endnote Web a bibliographic management software which allows you to collect records, make notes, download a plug in for microsoft word which you can help you cite your resources
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