Research Pathfinder

This pathfinder outlines basic research steps used to locate information.

1. Select your topic of interest: _______________________________
   

   Example: computer crime
   For other possible topics, follow your assignment, or look in the table of contents or index of your textbook.
   

   What are some other related subject words that might be useful in searching your topic?

   Related topics for this example: computer crimes, computer security, hackers, ethics, viruses, privacy and computers, firewalls.
   
   _________________________       _________________________
   
   

2. For more information, use the online library catalog to find two circulating BOOKS or VIDEOS. Use your topic as well as your related subject words.
   List the call number and complete citation for each book or video, as in the example:
   

   HV 6773 .P682 2000
   Power, Richard. Tangled Web: Tales of Digital Crime from the Shadows of Cyberspace. Indianapolis, Ind.: Que, 2000.
   

   a. _________________________________________________________
   
   

   _________________________________________________________

   
   b. _________________________________________________________
   
   

   _________________________________________________________

3. For background information on your topic, use materials in the REFERENCE section.
   The LC Outline handout summarizes subject areas, and allows you to browse the Reference shelves.
   

   List the call number and complete citation for one relevant Reference book, as shown in the example below:
   BJ 63 .E44 1998
   Chadwick, Ruth, ed. Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998.
   

   ____________________________________________________________
   
   ____________________________________________________________
   
   
4. To find MAGAZINE and NEWSPAPER articles on your topic, use periodical indexes or databases. Some of these indexes and databases are online; others such as Readers Guide to Periodical Literature are found on the Magazine Area index tables.
   

   For the example topic, you might start with EbscoHost or SIRS Knowledge Source on the computers.
   
   Find TWO relevant articles, and give a complete citation for each.
   Example: Adrianson, Alex. "Reporting of Identity Theft Goes Up, But So Does E-Commerce," Consumers' Research Magazine, 85 (March 2002): 43. EbscoHost Academic Search Elite. Available: http://web24.epnet.com (19 Dec. 2002).
   

   a. _________________________________________________________
   
   

   _________________________________________________________

   
   b. _________________________________________________________
   
   

   _________________________________________________________

5. Check for useful INTERNET sites on your topic.
   Click on "Web Resources" on the Library web page
   Choose "Search the Web," ten click on one of the search engines.
   
   
   Type your subject in the lbox and click the "Search" button.
   Choose a web site you like and click on it.
   Look at the "Location" box.
   Write down the complete address (URL) of that web site:
   
   _____________________________________________________________
   

   Example: http://library.occc.edu
   

   Look from top to bottom of the web page.
   What organization or individual created the site?
   
   _____________________________________________________________
   
   Does this site give you information useful for a research paper?
   Yes ___   No___
   
   

Congratulations, you’ve started researching!