Library Tutorials

Basic Database Searching

When searching for scholarly sources, a database is the place to go. But you don’t search a database the same way you use Google. Whether you are new to the academic research process or just need a refresher, this module will help you:

• Understand what a database is
• Identify which database to use and how to access it
• Recognize the basic layout of a database
• Execute a search in a database

Citations

Letting others know where your inspiration, ideas, and evidence comes from is an essential part of research and writing, but knowing when and how to cite your sources can be complicated. Correctly citing your sources helps your audience see all of the valuable effort and time you put into your research, and acknowledges the hard work of previous scholars. This module will help you:

• Understand when and why to cite sources
• Identify the parts of a citation
• Explore different citation styles
• Determine how to integrate citations into your own research

Class Banners

Explore the class banners created by Wheaton’s graduating classes since 1981 in this digital exhibit that offers a glimpse into Wheaton history.

Copyright

Copyright rules can be confusing. While we are librarians and not lawyers, we can still help you understand some of the rules and best practices around copyright law. From fair use, to creative commons, learn what you can use and when. It’s always best to cite your sources! This module will help you:

• Generalize the applications of copyright, intellectual property, fair use, and creative commons
• Determine the proper use of licensed materials.

Creating a Research Plan

Using a research plan will help you be organized and intentional throughout the research process. A plan can greatly reduce your stress and frustration—though it will not eliminate them all together. Completion of this module will help you:

• Explore the role a research plan plays in the research process
• Describe the parts of a research plan.

Developing Keywords

Sometimes condensing your topic into a few short words or phrases to use in your database search can be tough. Different orders, combinations, and small variations can get you totally different results. This module is here to help you:

• Understand what a keyword is and why we use them
• Identify how to brainstorm keywords
• Recognize how to combine keywords in a search

Literature Reviews

Sometimes when writing a paper you need to let your audience know what knowledge already exists about your topic. You might want to let readers know where your ideas fit in the existing scholarly conversation. This is where a literature review comes in. So you can craft an amazing lit review, this module will help you:

• Understand what ‘literature’ is and why you conduct a literature review
• Identify sources to use in a literature review
• Strategize how to organize your sources to write a literature review

Reading Scientific Research Articles

Are you a student in a science class and want to learn strategies for reading scientific research articles? If so, this module will help you:

• Explore the different sections of scientific research articles.
• Understand the standard structure for scientific research articles that contain primary research.
• Recognize the purpose of each section and what to find within the sections.
• Learn strategies for reading scientific research articles.

Research Process

College research requires more than a single search. You need to go from generating ideas, to discovering sources, to synthesizing information and data. This process is not a straight line and can feel a bit like a maze at times. This module is here to help you navigate by:

• Explaining the complexity of the research process, including various moves and habits a researcher might employ
• Summarizing the process for and impact of locating previously synthesized works, original, and lateral sources
• Suggesting ways to create a plan to synthesize the ideas presented in sources