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- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the author
- Reviews
Jumping head first into a research project is a surefire recipe for stress and confusion. But if you're a newbie, how do you know where to begin, let alone where to go from there? Library instruction expert McAdoo has penned a primer specifically tailored to novice researchers, offering beginning-to-end guidance for every step of the research process, from planning and preparing to conducting and writing. Structured in a way that's easy to digest, McAdoo shows students
- what research is and what it entails, the stages of research, and the elements of a term paper;
- the essential steps in preparing for research, and how to understand the assignment;
- how libraries and librarians can help;
- pointers for selecting a research topic and appropriate information tools;
- strategies for conducting searches that will save time and effort, from using keywords to constructing more sophisticated searches;
- how to understand, read, and evaluate search results;
- the dos and don'ts of conducting research ethically, including how to cite sources and how and why to avoid plagiarism; and
- guidance for shaping research results into quality writing.
Students will appreciate the book's clear and concise language regarding the research process, while teachers, faculty, YA staff, and academic librarians will find it a valuable tool for information literacy.
List of Figures
Introduction
Chapter 1 What Is Research?
Chapter 2 Preparing for Research
Chapter 3 Understanding Libraries and Librarians
Chapter 4 Understanding Your Assignment
Chapter 5 Selecting a Research Topic
Chapter 6 Locating Information Resources
Chapter 7 Accessing and Acquiring Information Resources
Chapter 8 Constructing Effective Search Strategies
Chapter 9 Understanding Search Results
Chapter 10 Reading and Evaluating Information
Chapter 11 Conducting Ethically and Legally Responsible Research
Chapter 12 Writing Your Paper
Chapter 13 Sample Search
Glossary
Index
"Research can be taught, and this book offers beginning-to-end instructions … Highly recommended for high school and undergraduate students."
— Library Journal
"A clear and concise instruction manual ... offers step-by-step solutions."
— Against The Grain
"A welcome and refreshing primer on the subject and is replete with useful and valuable information about the academic research and writing process that students can refer to throughout their academic experiences."
— Reference Reviews