GOV 1301: U. S. Government

B Term - W. Baller

In-class assignments

Complete worksheet: Find Scholarly Research

Off campus?

Focusing Your Topic

Move from a broad topic in the area of financial reform such as the federal government placing restrictions on big banks and Wall Street executives to a more specific hypothesis. After browsing research tools, databases, the web, you should be able to zone in on a focused question to investigate. Attempt to take a position and respond specifically with evidence and examples found in research papers, reports, congressional documents, etc. during your debates.

An example of a more focused topics:

Are pay caps for corporate executives needed?
Should selling and trading deriviates be better regulated?

Background Information and Facts: Free Web vs. Scholarly Content

The free web: search engines and other free web sites such as Wikipedia - Electronic Voting entry or WikiMindMap
Britannica Encyclopedia Online and other subscribed Encyclopedias.

QuickFIND - Getting Started

Try QuickFIND multi-database search to retrieve results from 11 databases (including the library catalog & Worldcat for books) on your topic with one search. There are 3 ways to search:

Discussion Questions

What are you searching when using QuickFIND?
Try sorting by relevance. What is being sorted?
What do you do if you are getting zero hits?

Find Articles about Your Topic

While gathering general information and facts...

Make a list of keywords and add to this list as you find more
Follow up on relevant authors, researchers, experts
Gather statistical information to build scope and impact of problem
Someone else's shoes: be the CEO of Smith and Wesson, a surgeon in an inner city hospital, a journalist, Charlton Heston.
Evaluating Web Resources Checklist (PDF)

Start here, but also look at our Databases by Subject listing for Social Sciences and Policy or Government. All databases listed are WPI subscriptions. But check out Google Scholar, a web search of scholarly sources.

Within library database searches, look for FullTextFinder link for retrieval options.

Gale PowerSearch: Articles on all topics, click more search options, limit to peer-reviewed for scholarly articles. Use the Subject Guide Search. Also try keywords such as:
- Laws or regulations or legislation or constitutional or reform
- Policy or policies
- Political aspects
EBSCOhost Business Source Premier: Provides full text for nearly 3,300 scholarly business journals, including full text for more than 1000 peer-reviewed publications on a broad range of topics beyond business. Includes titles such as:

JSTOR: Complete full text of important scholarly journals in a variety of academic fields. Coverage: Varies by publication but many back to late 1800s. Current issues are not available.
LEXIS®-NEXIS® Academic: Current full text news, legal, medical, and business information. News coverage ranges from regional coverage (Worcester T & G; Boston Globe; New York Times) to national. Searching pro/con:
- Try to find editorials, op-ed, opinions, or commentary articles by searching for these terms, choose Major U.S. and World Publications and try these keywords editorial or op-ed or opinion or oped or commentary with your search terms
- For public opinion - try (public opinion or survey or poll)
- For legal perspective, click on category for Legal News or choose to search the Legal section of LexisNexis
PAIS International: Contains references to articles on public affair and government issues from journals, books, government documents and statistical directories

Filter and Follow Up...

Scan results: use subject headings/descriptors, keywords, phrases found to expand search
Scrutinize article titles, number of pages, and journal title
Browse promising abstract and conclusion sections of long studies
Bibliographies can clue you in on the value of the article as well
Find an interesting author? Search for more articles or for his/her web site
Notice an agency, association or expert mentioned in an article? Follow up!

Give Credit! Cite Your Sources

Try RefWorks, if you wish to create a database of your personal references, which can be output into APA, MLA or other citation format for your bibliography.

Only Finding a Citation? Getting the Full Text

Is the journal online or here in the library? Use FullTextFinder to link to full articles or retrieval options within database results or search our Journals, Magazines, & Newspapers list
Visit another library: Search WorldCat to find one
Request delivery from another library: Interlibrary Loan.

Questions?

Stop by the reference desk or set up a research consultation.

Additional Web Sites

Congressional Committees & Sub-Committees such asHouse Financial Services Committee
Historic Supreme Court Decisions - by Topic
Public Agenda
Thomas: Legislative Information on the Net U.S. Government site at Library of Congress, search for full text of legistation such as the Patriot Act.
GPO Access: A service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to over 1,000 databases of Federal Government information in over 70 applications.

Questions?

Stop by the reference desk or set up a research consultation.

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Last modified: Nov 06, 2009, 09:07 EST