by Laurie Lyda Rowan Public Library
For
students of all education levels, research papers and projects are a routine
and necessary exercise in developing critical thinking and writing skills.
However, one of the hardest aspects of research-based writing is locating good
sources, which are a necessity. This is where Rowan Public Library can be a
huge benefit to students seeking research materials for everything from
elementary and middle-school projects to high school and college-level research
papers.
Often,
students are just getting started, and they’re unsure of what they need. If you
were given an assignment sheet, bring that with you to the library. A handy
copy of the assignment ensures that any assistance you request truly helps you
obtain the materials that you need. For example, students may ask staff to help
them locate a source about treatments for opioid addiction, when the assignment
actually calls for “a peer-reviewed, scholarly article about opioid addiction.”
Use
the instructor’s given parameters to determine the purpose(s) of your
assignment: Are you writing to inform, so looking for sources that provide foundational
facts and information? Are you writing a call to action, so looking for sources
that will motivate your audience? Are you writing an argument (and “argument”
doesn’t always mean a pro/con approach) and seeking sources that allow you to
prove a specific point to your audience? Or does your assignment have a combination
of these purposes or an entirely different purpose?
While
it’s good to begin a research project with a general subject in mind, like the
issue of opioid addiction or the life of Jane Austen, be prepared for your
final writing topic to shift as you delve into the research process – it can
take some unexpected twists and turns! This often happens as students find
information that disagrees with their originally intended thesis (the point
their research paper is making): They then have to either revise their thesis
or locate enough factual, verifiable information to support their point despite
the research that challenges it.
Once
you have your assignment and its parameters and a general subject in mind, it’s
time to dive into the research process – and RPL’s holdings contain a treasure
trove of materials. Whether you’re at a branch or working remotely, as long as
you have an internet connection, you can access the RPL catalog. Visit RowanPublicLibrary.org and click on
“Find Books.” This takes you to the catalog, and you may see a pop-up window
requesting that you log in. If you don’t have that information handy, simply
close the pop-up; however, if you do have your library card number and PIN and
log in, then you can create lists of the resources you want to check out and
also place items on hold. (If you don’t know your PIN, visit your nearest
branch and ask a staff member for assistance.)
Placing
items on hold is a wonderful convenience that makes locating materials so much
easier. Rather than having to travel from branch to branch, when you place an
item on hold, you select the pick-up location (Headquarters in Salisbury, East
Branch in Rockwell, or South Rowan Regional in China Grove) that works best for
you. Your item(s) will be sent to the chosen pick-up location, and you’ll
receive a notification when they’ve arrived. So, if you live in Rockwell and
need a book from Salisbury but don’t have the time to go get it, you can place
that book “on hold.” The book will then be sent from Headquarters to East
Branch, and when it’s ready for pick-up, you’ll be notified of its arrival. Pay
attention to the return date that you’re given, though; items not picked up
within the given timeframe are returned to their home branch, and you’ll have
to put them on hold again.
After
you’ve explored the catalog and located the books, Ebooks, and movies that
might help with your research, head back to RPL’s home page and select “Online
Tools.” This link takes you to a listing of the online resources that RPL
patrons have free access to. There are many useful options here, and I always
recommend that students familiarize themselves with NCLIVE. When you click on
the NCLIVE link, you’ll be taken to a page where you can select the database
that best fits your research needs. For example, Gale’s “Literature Resource
Center” offers author backgrounds, timelines and contextual information, and
literary analysis of specific works. Know that you’ll need your library card
number and PIN to access these. Rowan-Salisbury Schools students can access
these resources with their student ID and PIN. (For RSS students, the PIN is
the last four numbers of the student ID.)
Students
often begin their research using popular search engines and find promising
articles only to hit a paywall that prevents public, free access to the article.
Take note of the publication’s title, the article’s title, the publication
date, and the author’s name, and then perform a search for that article through
RPL’s online resources. Hopefully, you can find what you’re looking for there.
In
addition to online databases, depending on the subject you’re researching, you
might also explore the Edith M. Clark History Room’s page and even visit the
History Room in person. Located on the second floor at Headquarters in
Salisbury, its expansive collections are a boon for any researcher,
particularly those interested in North Carolina history.
As
your research progresses, it may take a bit of time to review your findings and
decide what materials best meet your needs, so try to give yourself plenty of
research time. Also be sure to keep track of your research. Keep an inventory
of the articles you’re consulting, and always, always record the source
information – you’ll need those details for the citations required by all
research documentation styles.
Keep
in mind that RPL has resources to help with every stage of a research-based
assignment: All branches have areas where patrons can work, from study tables
and carrels to computer labs, and Headquarters and South Rowan Regional offer
small study rooms as well. In addition to research materials on an abundance of
topics, RPL’s collection also includes writing and research guides, as well as
documentation style guides. And if you need assistance with any part of your
research process, ask a staff member – remember, many of us chose our careers
because we love research!
Laurie Lyda
March 3, 2017
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