{"id":192,"date":"2010-08-19T14:31:58","date_gmt":"2010-08-19T13:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cavehill.uwi.edu\/smlibrary\/how-to-use-the-library\/"},"modified":"2025-08-12T05:58:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T09:58:44","slug":"how-to-use-the-library","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.cavehill.uwi.edu\/smlibrary\/research-help\/using-the-library\/how-to-use-the-library\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Suggestions"},"content":{"rendered":"<section>\n<div class=\"container-fluid p-0\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<div class=\"lc-block\">\n<div editable=\"rich\">\n<h2>Research Suggestions<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-block\" style=\"font-size: larger;\" id=\"Research_Assistance\">\n<div editable=\"rich\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Need help identifying a topic to research? Below are some critical suggestions!<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t&nbsp;\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-block\" style=\"color: rgb(52, 103, 52);font-size: larger;\">\n<div editable=\"rich\">\n<h2>Useful Research Resources<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-block\">\n<div editable=\"rich\">\n<ul>\n<li>Browse the <strong>Discovery Guide of Cambridge Scientific Abstracts<\/strong> to find comprehensive information on current issues. Updated monthly, this resource provides an overview of the topic with key citations. This resource covers the Biomedical Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities and environment.( <a href=\"http:\/\/www.csa.com\/discoveryguides\/discoveryguides-main.php\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.csa.com\/discoveryguides\/discoveryguides-main.php<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Browse recent issues of journals in the subject area. Use the <b>Find e-Journals<\/b> gateway to identify and locate journal titles by subject.\n<ul>\n<li>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<ul>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&nbsp;\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cavehill.uwi.edu\/smlibrary\/search-tools\/\"><b>Go to Find e-Journals<\/b> \u00bb<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cavehill.uwi.edu\/smlibrary\/about-us\/ask-a-librarian\/\"><strong>Connect with a Librarian<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-block\" style=\"color: rgb(52, 103, 52);\" id=\"Source\">\n<div editable=\"rich\">\n<h2><b>Choosing the correct Source to use<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-block\">\n<div editable=\"rich\">\n<p>Knowing which sources are likely to be the most valuable for finding information on a topic helps to make the research process less daunting.&nbsp; An understanding of the different types of information sources and their value to research is therefore critical to the research process.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Books <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Books are generally useful for:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>Providing a background and a broad overview of a topic.<\/li>\n<li>Researching a topic that is historical and\/or understanding the historical development of a topic.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Finding several opinions on a topic in one place.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Books will not help you if your topic is very recent or when your topic is fairly narrow.<\/strong>&nbsp; Apart from general texts,<strong> Reference Books<\/strong> are also a critical source of information especially when starting research on a topic.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Reference Books<\/strong> include:\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dictionaries and Encyclopedias (both general and subject)<\/li>\n<li>Handbooks<\/li>\n<li>Manuals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cms.cavehill.uwi.edu\/smlibrary\/search.aspx\"><strong>Go to Find Books \u00bb<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Articles<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Articles can either be published in <b>journals, magazines or newspapers<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\tArticles in scholarly journals are written by experts in the field, are of a high quality and hence a critical resource for the academic researcher.<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&nbsp;\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><strong>The articles in popular magazines and newspapers are written for a general audience.<\/strong> The articles published in these sources <strong>contain up to date information on issues<\/strong> of popular interest and are good resources for editorials and opinions.<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Scholarly journals<\/strong> are useful when your topic is narrow and when you need to find information on a topic that is supported by research data.<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Popular <strong>magazines<\/strong> are useful to keep up to date with what the latest developments on issues which are of general interest and\/or the latest developments within a specific field.&nbsp; Popular magazines can help to point you to where and what you need to be examining about a research topic.&nbsp;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Newspapers<\/strong> are also good sources for information on current events and for editorials, and can be both a <b>primary or secondary source.<\/b><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cavehill.uwi.edu\/smlibrary\/search-tools\/databases-a-z\/\"><strong>Go to Find Articles \u00bb<\/strong><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-block text-right\">\n<div editable=\"rich\">\n<p><a href=\"#Research_Assistance\">Return to top^<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"lc-block\" style=\"color: rgb(52, 103, 52);\">\n<div editable=\"rich\">\n<h2>Primary and Secondary Sources<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-block\">\n<div editable=\"rich\">\n<p>A <strong>Primary Source <\/strong>is a work that:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>Represents the original, first hand account of an event or a time-period.<\/li>\n<li>Is an original creative writing or creative work of art.<\/li>\n<li>Reports on scientific discovery, results of scientific experiments or critical trials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some examples of a <strong>Primary Source<\/strong> are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Diaries, letters, journals, newspapers, government records<\/li>\n<li>Songs, plays, photographs<\/li>\n<li>Maps, paintings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A <strong>Secondary Source<\/strong> is a work that analyzes and interprets a primary source.<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSome examples of a <strong>Secondary Source<\/strong> are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>General texts, literary criticisms, biographies<\/li>\n<li>Newspaper articles that interpret. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cavehill.uwi.edu\/smlibrary\/search-tools\/databases-a-z\/\">Go to Find Articles \u00bb<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Websites<\/strong> provide access to a wealth of information, but they are <strong>not always the best source for information to conduct academic research.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAs an information source, the Web is a useful tool for finding statistics, information on policy, quality primary sources and of course opinion.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAs a researcher your responsibility is to evaluate each site for quality that you wish to use for research purposes. If you begin your search for information with the web, start with a <strong>Subject Directory<\/strong> &#8211; a collection of sites organized by information professionals that have been critically evaluated prior to inclusion in the directory.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Examples of a <strong>Subject Directory<\/strong> are:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"square\">\n<li>Intute <a href=\"http:\/\/www.intute.ac.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.intute.ac.uk<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Infomine <a href=\"http:\/\/www.infomine.ucr.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.infomine.ucr.edu<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Bubl Link <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bubl.ac.uk\/\" target=\"-blank\">www.bubl.ac.uk<\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong><span>Having problems with your research assignment?<\/span><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cavehill.uwi.edu\/smlibrary\/research-help\/instructions-and-tours\/#Librarians\">Get help from a Librarian \u00bb<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-block text-right\">\n<div editable=\"rich\">\n<p><a href=\"#Research_Assistance\">Return to top^<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Research Suggestions Need help identifying a topic to research? Below are some critical suggestions! &nbsp; Useful Research Resources Browse the Discovery Guide of Cambridge Scientific Abstracts to find comprehensive information on current issues. Updated monthly, this resource provides an overview of the topic with key citations. This resource covers the Biomedical Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":483,"featured_media":0,"parent":128,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/research-support-side-menu.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"slim_seo":{"title":"Research Suggestions - Sidney Martin Library - The University of the West Indies at Cave Hill","description":"Research Suggestions Need help identifying a topic to research? 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