This document provides guidance on conducting research and managing resources. It outlines setting up a RefWorks account to organize citations and import references from databases. Search tips are provided, such as using Boolean operators and limits. Resources discussed include the library catalog, databases, journals, newspapers, and evaluating websites. Tips for obtaining items beyond the University of Waterloo through interlibrary loan are also summarized.

1. M1 Research Skills
Michele Laing
mlaing@uwaterloo.ca

2. What you’ll learn today
-How to manage your research
-Research resources
-Search tips
-Obtaining resources beyond UW

3. Before starting your research
 - Say YES to Name Release
1. - Set up a RefWorks account
2. - Authenticate if working outside the
School [ “Connect from Home”]

4. Start Here: www.lib/uwaterloo.ca/musagetes/index.html

5. Name Release
“Yes” means library
staff can give out
your phone # or
e-mail address

6. Get a RefWorks Account

7. Create an account
- Add citations from Primo
- Import citations from
databases
- Create folders by
subject
- Automatically format
your papers and
bibliographies

8. RefWorks Tutorials

9. Authenticate your status
You must authenticate
you’re a member of the
uW community to
access resources paid
for by the library from
outside of the School of
Architecture

10. Connect from Home

11. Beginning your research
 What do you know?
 - book, article, webpage, conversation?
 What concepts/keywords can you pull out?
Synonyms?
 - seniors, aged, old people
 What do you need to know?
 - definitions, data, geography

12. Resources
 What resources will you need?
 - books
 - articles/newspapers
 - authoritative/academic web information
 - images
 - maps/geographical info about site
 - government statistics/survey data

13. Search strategy
 1. Selected keywords
 2. Combined with Boolean Operators [AND, OR, NOT]
 3. Setting limits/using punctuation symbols as
necessary

14. What does this look like?

15. Primo results

16. Mark records RefWorks

17. Other library catalogues
 Why search them?
 -
 -
 -

18. Architecture Guide
Click on
“Find
Books”
tab

19. WorldCat

20. WorldCat.org

21. Search results
Read
online

22. WorldCat search results

23. Where is it?

24. Read it online

25. Read it online

26. Read it online

27. What if we don’t have it locally?

28. Getting resources beyond uW

29. Login to RACER
 Login:
 Your Watcard number
 Password:
 Your last name
 Your Library:
 Waterloo

30. Search the RACER catalogue

31. Find your title
Choose any
title and click
on “Get it” to
access the
request form

32. RACER Request form

33. Choose your pickup location

34. Questions so far?

35. Theses
The most popular
database

36. Search a database

37. Search results

38. Set up an Alert

39. Finding Journal Articles

40. Choose a subject

41. Choose a database
Explains how
punctuation
symbols can
make your
search more
effective

42. Search results
No links to full text;
email your results or
search these sources
in Primo

43. JStor

44. JStor search

45. Mark citations  RefWorks

46. Follow up leads in the bibliography

47. But the journal isn’t available at uW?

48. Request an article thru RACER
 - Use the “Blank Request
Form”
 - Fill in the required
information manually

49. Newspapers

50. Web Resources
 Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com
 - clicking on GetIt@Waterloo will often take you to the
fulltext online through UW Library’s catalogue
 Google Books: www.googlebooks.com
 - can often see TOC or page previews

51. Evaluating web pages
 Things to consider:
 - coverage
 - currency
 - authority
 - objectivity
 - accuracy

52. Library Resources Guides
This
PP will
be
here

53. GIS Guide

54. Wrap Up
 1. Be Prepared
 - what am I looking for?
- what search terms/keywords should I use?
- what resources will I need?
 2. Be Organized
 - try RefWorks
 3. Ask for Help!