Library Research Tips
- How Do I find a Book?
- Users who want to find a book in the IWCC collection should use the Library Catalog. If you do not find the book you want, use SILO Locator to find books in most Iowa libraries. If you are interested in a book that is at another library, contact us to interlibrary loan it.
- How Do I find a journal or magazine article(s)?
- Most journal and magazine articles can be found through the library's electronic resources, available through the library home page . A good place to begin a search is EbscoHost, which features a wide range of full-text articles (articles which are not in full-text can be requested through interlibrary loan). (If you are not sure what the differences are, take a look at the table below)
- How do I cite sources?
- Writing styles for college level research papers consist mostly of one of two different formats: APA (American Psychological Association) and MLA (Modern Language Association). The library has manuals on these as well as other styles. You should consult with your instructor to be sure that you are using the correct style. Guides for citing electronic sources can be found on the Web for both the APA Style and MLA Style. The Internet Public Library has an excellent web page that explains how to write a research paper.
POPULAR MAGAZINES vs. SCHOLARLY JOURNALS*
| Popular Magazines | Scholarly Journals | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Appearance | Glossy paper, advertisements, heavily illustrated - attractive in appearance | Sober and serious, may contain graphs and charts - will not find glossy pages or photographs |
| Audience | General Public | Scholars and students |
| Authors | Reporters | Scholars in the field |
| Documentation | Sources sometimes cited for news articles, but rarely | Cite Sources in footnotes or bibliography |
| Purpose | Provide general information | Report on original research or experimentation |
| Article Acceptance Procedure | Articles written by hired reporters, edited by magazine editors, and published | Often undergo a "peer-reviewed" process -- reviewed by other scholars in the field before being published sometimes these journals are called " refereed journals" |
*Table used with permission from Duke University Libraries, for more library research tips see their Guide to Library Research.