Excellent library research habits can help you not only in your General Studies courses, but in all your courses. Where you look for the materials you use for a paper, a project, or an assignment can make all the difference. Whether or not instructors specifically tell you to use the library, they want you to find the quality information that libraries like ours are dedicated to providing. Your ability to acquire, analyze, and apply the information you're searching for will affect the value and accuracy of your findings and consequently your grade. In your career, particularly as you move up into leadership positions, the ability to locate and deploy crucial information, research and data becomes increasingly important.
Print and Electronic Books – Scholarly books can be found in both print and electronic formats.
Scholarly and Peer-Reviewed Articles and Journals – Scholarly journals are academic in nature and reference researchers in the field of study. Peer-reviewed articles are articles that have been vetted by a knowledgeable member in the field of study through a review process.
Patent Literature – Patents are another vital source of important technical information. Patents can provide information on: experts in subject areas, companies who are doing work in certain areas and current and future trends.
Technical Reports – Technical Reports are reports on projects and processes written by the corporations and institutions preforming the research.
Trade publications – Trade Publications are written for workers and leaders in specific trades and industries. Trade publications are common in engineering and nursing fields.
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