Veterans Services Library Guide: Library Research Skills and "How To..."

• I need help with a research assignment.
  • I need help choosing a topic.
    • Help me find a topic.
    • Is my topic a good topic?
  • Where should I look for information sources on my topic?
    • Where should I begin my search?
    • Should I use Google or a library database?
    • Is there a research guide for my class or topic?
    • Scholarly sources beyond peer review
  • What are good sources?
    • I need help evaluating sources.
    • Where can I find pro/con articles?
    • Know your sources
  • I need peer reviewed articles.
    • What’s the difference between popular and scholarly articles?
    • What does “peer reviewed” mean?
    • Where can I find peer reviewed articles?
    • Scholarly sources beyond peer review
  • Is there a research guide for my class or topic?
    • Course guides
    • Research guides
• I need help finding books & videos.
  • I need the textbook on reserve for my class.
    • Finding course reserves
  • I need to find a book or video.
    • Finding a book or video in the library
  • I need to borrow a book or video the library doesn’t have.
    • Requesting books or videos the library doesn’t have
  • I want a book to read for fun.
    • Finding books or videos to read or watch for fun
  • I want to ask the library to buy a book or video.
    • Purchase request form
• I need an article.
  • I need to find an article on my topic.
    • Choosing good keywords or search terms
    • I need to find pro/con articles
    • Articles and databases
    • I’m not sure where to start my search.
    • Searching PCC Library
  • I need a peer reviewed article.
    • Find peer reviewed articles.
    • What is a peer reviewed article?
    • What is the difference between popular and scholarly articles?
    • Scholarly sources beyond peer review
  • I’m looking for a specific article.
    • Find an article from a citation
    • Find an article without a citation
    • Find journals and magazines
    • Google Scholar
  • I’m not sure where to start my search.
  • This doesn’t meet my need.
    • Ask Us
• I need help with citations.
  • I’m not sure when to cite.
    • What does plagiarism mean?
    • How do I quote, paraphrase and summarize?
    • Who can help me avoid plagiarism?
  • I need to know how to cite a specific thing (book/article/video)
    • Citation style guide and samples
  • I need a tool to help me make citations and bibliographies.
    • Citation creation tools
  • I need tips for staying organized
  • This doesn’t meet my need.
    • Ask Us
• I need help finding a specific thing.
  • It’s on reserve for my class.
  • It’s a specific book.
  • Find an article from a citation
  • How do I request items the library does not have?
  • This doesn’t meet my need.
    • Ask Us
• I need help evaluating sources.
  • Am I finding good sources?
  • I need guidelines for evaluating sources.
  • Is everything in the library a good source?
    • Finding good sources
    • Know your sources
  • I need help identifying web based sources.
  • This doesn’t meet my need.
    • Ask Us
• I need help finding a service or person in the library.
  • Services
  • Library staff
• I need help with computers, printing, or logins
  • Computers, printing, and scanners in the library
  • Why can’t I log in?

Searching & source help

• Introduction to the Library Website (Video, 5:24): This 4:57 video provides an overview of the library website and highlights some of the Library’s most popular resources and services.
• Finding Articles Through the PCC Library (Video, 4:17): This 4:17 video reviews how to find articles using the PCC Library article search and introduces Boolean operators (AND & OR) as well as the use of quotation marks.
• Turning an Interest into a Research Question (Video, 5:11): In this 5:11 video, you’ll learn how to turn something you find interesting into a researchable question for a college research project.
• Evaluating Sources: How PCC Students Do It (Video, 7:39): In this 7:39 video, three Portland Community College students talk about how they consider, evaluate and use sources for their own research assignments.
• Reading a Search Results Page from a Library Database (Video, 5:11): Library databases are great places to find published articles, but the results pages can be confusing. This 5:11 video will give you some tips to help you find useful results.
• Know Your Sources (Infographic): When doing research you will come across a lot of information from different types of sources. How do you decide which source to use? From tweets to newspaper articles, this infographic tool provides a brief description of each and breaks down 6 factors of what to consider when selecting a source.
• Evaluating Sources to Find Quality Research (Video, 5:27): This 5:27 video discusses three questions you should ask in of any source you find in your research.
• Evaluating Sources on the Web (Video, 4:30): On the web, it can be difficult to tell what type of source you’re looking at and whether or not it’s something that would provide quality evidence for your assignment. This 4:30 video will help you look more critically at your own search results.
• Skepticism in the Era of Fake News and Circular Reporting (Video, 3:39): This 3:39 video describes how poor journalistic practices can perpetuate misinformation and highlights the importance of skepticism and verifying information by finding the original source.
• How to Use PCC Library Search (PDF): this PDF tutorial explains how to search for and get books, videos, course reserves, ebooks and streaming videos through the PCC Library search box on the PCC Library homepage.

Citation help

• MLA 8 Reference Guide (PDF): This reference guide will help you navigation citation if you are an instructor or student who is using the changes to citation and references outlined in the Modern Language Association’s 8th edition (MLA 8).
• APA Citation Samples (PDF): This guide provides samples of the citation style from the American Psychological Association (APA).
• CSE Citation Samples (PDF): This is a guide to citation styles from the CSE (Council of Science Editors).

Database help

• Credo Reference (PDF): This PDF tutorial explains how to use Credo Reference, which provides online versions of 500 published reference works, including general and specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias. It is a great place to begin your research, get some facts about your topic, then jump to another Library database to find published journal or magazine articles.
• EBSCOhost (PDF): This PDF tutorial explains how to find published newspaper, magazine and scholarly journal articles on a range of topics in EBSCOhost databases.
• Gale Virtual Reference Library (PDF): This PDF tutorial explains how to use Gale Virtual Reference Library, which helps you get the background information you need to do a well-informed research project. It offers students, researchers, and professionals a wide variety of full-text interdisciplinary content on virtually any subject area to tackle their assignments, papers, projects, and presentations.
• Google Scholar (PDF): This PDF tutorial explains how: to set preferences to get full-text access while using Google Scholar; save articles to your Google account; obtain full-text articles through the PCC library through Google Scholar; and what to do if you are unable to get full text of an article through Google Scholar.
• Alt-Press Watch, Ethnic NewsWatch, & GenderWatch (PDF): This PDF tutorial explains how to use the following three databases: Alt-Press Watch (full-text articles from alternative and independent presses); Ethnic NewsWatch (articles from ethnic and minority presses); and GenderWatch (focus in the impact of gender in many subject areas).
• JSTOR (PDF): This PDF tutorial explains how to use JSTOR, a large collection of scholarly (peer-reviewed) articles strongest in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Opposing Viewpoints (PDF): This PDF tutorial explains how to use Opposing Viewpoints, which provides opinion essays on current issues, news and magazine articles, court case overviews, and more.
• PsycINFO (PDF): This PDF tutorial explains how to use the PsycINFO database, which has peer-reviewed articles from scholarly journals, book chapters, and dissertations in psychology, behavioral science and mental health.
• Science Direct (PDF): This PDF tutorial explains how to use Science Direct, which provides full text articles for peer-reviewed life sciences, Health Science, physical sciences, and engineering journals with citation information for thousands more.
• SIRS Issues Researcher (PDF): This PDF tutorial explains how to use SIRS Issues Researcher, which is updated daily to provide information on current social issues,economics, business, politics, global issues, scientific developments, health, history, government, culture, the arts and humanities.