• find correct subject headings / descriptors
• locate appropriate electronic databases
• successfully export found research materials
• start to organize research

My research is on "The Effect of Television on Children"

CONCEPT A                     CONCEPT B                     CONCEPT C
-------------------                     ------------------                     -------------------
effect                                   television                         children                  

    OR                                         OR

result             AND               media                 AND

    OR                                         OR

consequence                       tv

    OR                                         OR

crime                                       advertising

From Keyword to Subject Search
      Locate FirstSearch - OCLC
      < Online Resources >
      < Alphabetical List of Online Resources >
      < F >
      < FirstSearch - OCLC >

Enter Search => television and children [using keywords from step #1]
      select a Topic or a Database
      < Public Affairs & Law >
      < Search >

Result
      12,000 WorldCat - Catalogs of 36,000 libraries worldwide
      400 PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) encompasses chronicling /
global public policy / social issues
      150 FactSearch - facts and statistics on topics of current interest
      90 GPO (Government Printing Office) - U. S. government publications
      30 LegalPeriodical - international legal information covering all areas of
jurisprudence

You may combine three databases, mark:
      PAIS / FactSearch / LegalPeriodicals
      < Select >
      rank by < Relevance >
      < Search >
You will notice 469 records / citations to look at

Find your way back to the original FirstSearch screen
      < Suggested Best > on the left
      Select one more topic from: Select a Topic or a Databases:
      < Social Science >
      < List >
The results show more than 15,000 records / citations

  To get an overall view search the other 13 topics also
            (believe me, this exercise is worth IT!).

Select < Social Science Abstracts > refine your search to:
      television and children and effect
      rank by < Relevance >
      < Search >

To locate subject headings or descriptions open 10 or more records,
scroll down to the Subject / Descriptor field:
      Violence in television
      Television and children
      Moral development
      Reasoning

Descriptors:
      Television programs-psychological aspects
      Television advertising Laws and regulations
      Television advertising and children

Getting Subject Headings from Print Sources - (located behind the
Information Desk):
      CINAHL Subject Heading List
      LC Subject Headings - "red books" (another set is at the
          General Reading area)
      Medical Subject Heading - Annotated Alphabetical List
      Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors
      Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms

Select & open an abstracts or full-text article:
      To e-mail: < E-mail >
      enter your e-mail address
to begin organize your research label the Subject box with
      tv-ef-1 (2, 3, etc.) e.g. for articles on the effect of television on children
      tv-ef-bibl-1 (2, 3, etc.) e.g. for bibliographies on this subject

To print:
when printing from OCLC - make sure that you use the OCLC < print > icon!!!
= saves paper & ink = $$$       < Cancel > on the print box
      < File >
      < Print Preview >
a l w a y s check the number of pages your article has, especially the last page !!!!!!!
= saves more money enter the number pages you need to print!!!
      < O. K. >

To download:
      To download "List of Records"
      < Export >
      < Export >
To download an article:
      < View HTML Full Text (WilsonSelectPlus) >
      < File >
      < Save As >
      Change to drive A:
      if saving to a floppy
      < change "HTML" to "Plaintext" > where necessary !!!
      enter your file name:
      < Save >

1. after printing your articles write the author's last name on the long side
    next alphabetize them by authors
2. as you read underline / highlight keywords
3. when finished reading each article start making a list of all keywords
4. match keywords with similar ideas and organize them into an outline
5. start with your bibliography when you read an article and decided to use
    start your bibliography NOW !!! - take your sweet time!
    don't forget volume # issue # etc. ( see Appendix: D )

Last updated in August 2002

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