1. TSEM: Research Process and
Searching
LAKSAMEE PUTNAM
LPUTNAM@TOWSON.EDU
RESEARCH & INSTRUCTION LIBRARIAN

2. Agenda
 How to formulate a search
 Finding Books: Cook Library Catalogs
 Finding Articles: Databases
 Citation Resources
 Hands on database practice

3. How can I help you?
 In class session to learn how to use resources
 Phone help 410.704.3359.
 Chat help
 Go to Library website and click “Ask a Librarian”
 One-on-one appointments
 Help at the reference desk

4. Web “Pre-Searching”
 Why not start your search online?
 The Invisible Web
 http://goshen.libguides.com/beyond_googling
 Can you trust this information?
 TED video:
 Online filter bubble – Eli Pariser
 http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bub
bles.html

5. Web “Pre-Searching”
 Why start your search online?
 Find background information
 Help solidify research topic
 Find new terminology to use as keywords
 Find links and/or citations to other sources

6. Formulating a Keyword Search
1. Choose a Topic

7. Formulating a Keyword Search
1. Choose a Topic
 Zero in mathematics

8. Formulating a Keyword Search
2. Narrow/Broaden your search

9. Formulating a Keyword Search
2. Narrow/Broaden your search
 The role of zero in the development of mathematics

10. Formulating a Keyword Search
3. Identify the key concepts

11. Formulating a Keyword Search
3. Identify the key concepts
 Zero
 Mathematics
 Development

12. Formulating a Keyword Search
4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms
 Zero
 Mathematics
 Development

13. Formulating a Keyword Search
4. Consider synonyms/alternative spellings for terms
 Zero
 Mathematics
 Math
 Mathematical
 Numerical
 Algebra
 Trigonometry
 Development
 History
 Analysis
 Role

14. Formulating a Keyword Search
5. Formulate your search utilizing various
combinations of your words
 String them together using AND/OR/NOT
 Truncate *

15. Good searching starts with good keywords
Boolean “search connectors”
AND OR NOT
For example:
zero AND mathematics
• Combining >1 topic
Development OR history
• Combining synonymous terms

16. Search Tip #1
 Use AND when you need to combine more than one
topic
zero mathematics
 Zero AND mathematics

17. Search Tip #2
 Use OR to combine synonymous terms (to get results
regardless of what term an author uses).
development history

18. Search Tip #3
 Use truncation!
 mathem* finds
 mathematic
 mathematical
 mathematics
 Etc…

19. Search Tip #4
 Phrase Searching…
 Use quotations to keep a keyword phrase intact (words will be
searched in the specific order)
 Examples:
 “golden ratio”
 “Pythagorean theorem”

20. Find a Book
 http://cooklibrary.towson.edu
 Towson Books
 USMAI Books
 Interlibrary Loan
 Demo!

21. Find an Article
 Looking for specific research about your topic
 The library subscribes to thousands of journals (but
not all of them)
 Databases help you search through multiple journals
 Use subject specific databases to help narrow your
article search

22. Find an Article
 Go to the Math Subject Gateway
 Recommended databases-
 Academic Search Premier
 ScienceDirect
 Web of Science
 Scholarly vs Popular
 http://cooklibrary.towson.edu/helpguides/guides/scholarly_d
emo/scholarly_demo.swf

23. Writing and
Citing  Allows your readers to verify and
Resources identify where the information
Cook Library and ideas in your paper
originated
Quick Tools
 Gives credit to the owners of the
Citing Sources ideas (avoiding plagiarism)
 Provides a connection between
your research and the research of
related sources

24. Let’s start searching!
 Form keywords
 Then begin researching your own topic
 Find a book and an article
 As you are finding information on your topic please
fill in your paper worksheet and this digital
worksheet
 http://bit.ly/VisualMath

25. Questions?
 Feel free to contact me:
 Laksamee Putnam
 lputnam@towson.edu
 410.704.3746.
 Twitter: @CookLibraryofTU
 Or any reference librarian:
 Visit Cook Library Reference Desk
 410.704.2462.
 IM – tucookchat