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Library Research Tutorials 

The Mt. SAC library has created the following tutorials to help students with the research process. They are broken into two sections around general search issues and specific databases.

I. Research Guides

Research assistance, subject guides, and useful resources compiled by your friendly librarians. Know what the librarians know - find it in the Research Guides!

II. Research Process Tutorials

The Research Process : This tutorial explains the steps in the research process and the resources used in gathering data for research assignments.

Search Strategies : This tutorial teaches the search strategies of truncation or wild card searching, Boolean searching, and phrase searching.

Basics of Database Searching : This tutorial introduces students to electronic databases and the concepts of basic and advanced searching, limiting search results, stop words, and provides them with the basics that they need to search a variety of electronic resources successfully.

The Importance of Evaluating Internet Resources : This tutorial will cover why it is so crucial to evaluate information retrieved from the Internet, including who places information on the Internet, how that information becomes public, and why you must consider certain factors when you're using that information for academic research as opposed to surfing the web for entertainment.

Five Keys to Evaluating Internet Resources : This tutorial will cover five key points for students to look for and consider before using information found on the Internet in an academic assignment.

III. Specific Database Tutorials 

Using Gale Virtual Reference Library : This tutorial introduces students to the Gale Virtual Reference Library database, covering doing a basic search, refining that search, and options and limiters available to complete the first step in the research process.

Using Academic Search Premier : This tutorial will focus on how to do a basic search within the Academic Search Premier database, how to narrow the results by suggested subject headings, how to retrieve the articles found in the search, and a variety of ways to expand and narrow search results. Skills learned from this tutorial can be applied to a number of other databases, including all EBSCOhost products.

Using JSTOR : This tutorial will cover how to search for articles within JSTOR, how to limit the results to make them more relevant, and how to access the articles retrieved and obtain copies. It will also discuss the archival nature of this database and the materials included.

Using Issues & Controversies : This tutorial will examine the best way to utilize the information contained within the Issues and Controversies database and the unique features that it offers, including links to information in the other products in the Facts.com information suite, statistics, and sources for additional information on the topic selected.