Conducting
Research at Pensacola Junior College
You will be able
to conduct a great deal of your research using a computer and the
Internet. Online card catalogs for identifying and locating books
are freely available on the Web. Many indexes to articles
in magazines, journals and newspapers are available through databases
purchased for PJC students. These databases provide a considerable
number of fulltext articles from print publications such as Time,
Newsweek, New England Journal of Medicine, New York
Times, and countless others. Access from remote locations requires
login using an activated PJC ID card.
The World Wide Web can also be a rich
source of research material.
Search Techniques
Most search techniques
(what to enter into the computer) apply to online library catalogs,
article databases and Web search tools. Information on Boolean
Basics and the Essence of Keyword Searching
are available, as well as some Tips and
tutorials.
Research Guides
PJC Librarians
have prepared several printable "how to research" handouts
for the most common
topics assigned by PJC instructors. University of West Florida
librarians have prepared these handouts
for UWF students. PJC students may use the UWF library (activated
PJC ID is the checkout card) and the UWF
catalog but may not remotely access the UWF databases..
Research by
Type of Information Needed
This table
provides another approach to assist you with your research. After
identifying the type of information you need, you can go directly
to the sources that contain the required information.
Background
Information on the Topic
Before attempting
to write a paper on an unknown topic, it is a good idea to have a
working knowledge of the topic. Encyclopedias,
dictionaries and statistical
sources can often give enough background information on a topic
for a basic understanding.
Find Information
by Format
Depending on your
research topic and on your instructor, you will need to cover one
or all of the three common formats of material available to you. These
are:
Primary/Secondary
Information
You will find
that each of the above formats of information can be divided into
primary and secondary
information. Some instructors and some topics require the use
of one or the other.
Material Not
Found in the PJC Collections
Books, articles
and audiovisuals not found at PJC can be obtained by using Interlibrary
Loans, which is a library based system of lending and borrowing.
Users need not know where the material to be borrowed is housed. Many
library databases have a request form within the database. Called
Interlibrary Loan, ILL or Request, this feature
allows users to request materials not available online. Interlibrary
Loan services are available only to PJC faculty, staff and students.
Note, the LRC cannot request copies of articles from those publications
which we own.
Help is Available
Librarians are
available whenever the LRCs are open
to assist you with your research needs. You may call
or email.
