College of DuPage Library

The Library has a wide variety of resources that can help faculty conduct research, but of course it does not have everything you may need, nor can it always provide the level of personal assistance that you may desire. If you are working on a research project and need help, the best thing to do is to consult with your Liaison Librarian, as they will have more knowledge about what resources and services might be available, and can figure out how the Library can best be utilized for a particular project or situation.
Find the Liaison Librarian for Your Subject Area
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What the Library Can Do
Exactly what and how much assistance the Library can provide depends on a variety of factors, which is why you need to consult with the appropriate Liaison Librarian to determine what can be done.

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Other Helpful Resources

CURRICULUM SUPPORT

Library staff can assist in finding and acquiring articles, reports, and other information resources to support teaching or course reserves, and program or course creation or revisions.

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RESEARCH FOR THE COLLEGE

Library staff can assist in finding and acquiring articles, reports, and other information resources to support research that is related to College operations.

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RESEARCH FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

Faculty members may be conducting research for other community, regional, or national organizations. Library staff may be able to assist in finding and acquiring articles, reports, and other information resources, depending on a variety of factors.

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ADVANCED DEGREE WORK

Many faculty pursue advanced subject degrees while they are employed at the College, which may require some type of research. The library is excited to help you progress in your degree by teaching you to:

· Use databases and construct appropriate search strategies.

· Track down citations and request items via Interlibrary Loan

· Create an I-Share account to request books from other academic libraries in Illinois

· Learn what resources available at the COD Library might be useful, and what resources available at other libraries might be available to you. (As a undergraduate-focused library, we do not subscribe to some advanced databases, as ProQuest Dissertations or Web of Knowledge).

Since part of advanced academic course work is learning how to do research in a particular field, Library Staff will not conduct literature searches or reviews for faculty members to support the research necessary to complete their academic degree. The Library will primarily only purchase materials that can be utilized to support faculty teaching and student research related to the COD curriculum. If you need other expensive or high-level material purchased to support your research, please consult with the library at your degree-granting institution.

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OTHER PERSONAL RESEARCH

Many faculty pursue research for other reasons. The Library Staff can help you track down a couple of citations, but not a long list of books or articles, or make copies, or fill out multiple I-Share or Interlibrary Loan forms - the Library Staff can show you how to carry out these procedures. Library Staff can help you figure out what resources available at the COD Library might be useful, and what resources available at other libraries might be available to you. Library Staff can help you learn how to use databases and construct appropriate search strategies. The Library will primarily only purchase materials that can be utilized to support faculty teaching and student research related to the COD curriculum. These materials can frequently be borrowed through the I-SHARE and Interlibrary Loan systems. If you need other expensive or high-level material to support your research, please consult with the Liaison Librarian for your subject area.

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RESOURCES AT OTHER LIBRARIES

The Library Staff can help you figure out how to identify, acquire, or utilize print and online resources available at other libraries, both nearby and far away. Since there are so many great resources located relatively close to COD, we can help you plan a productive research visit to another library. Books and articles can be borrowed from other libraries through the I-SHARE and Interlibrary Loan systems.

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GRANTS

The COD Idea Center helps faculty find appropriate grants to apply for.
The Library Staff can help you find other resources regarding grants.
Effective Grant Writing and Program Evaluation for Human Service Professionals
The Foundation Center's Guide to Proposal Writing
Grant Seeking in Higher Education : Strategies and Tools for College Faculty
The Grant Writing and Crowdfunding Guide for Young Investigators in Science
Having Success with the National Science Foundation: A Practical Guide
Models of Proposal Planning and Writing
Proposal Writing: Effective Grantsmanship
Writing Grant Proposals that Win
Writing the NIH Grant Proposal: A Step-by-Step Guide

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WRITING STYLE GUIDES

General
APA Style Simplified
The Chicago Guide to Fact Checking
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Multivariate Analysis
The Chicago Guide to Writing about Numbers
The Chicago Manual of Style
Cite Right : A Quick Guide to Citation Styles--MLA, APA, Chicago, the Sciences, Professions, and More
Crafting Scholarship in the Behavioral and Social Sciences : Writing, Reviewing, and Editing
Developing Effective Research Proposals
Do I Make Myself Clear? Why Writing Well Matters
Ethical Choices in Research : Managing Data, Writing Reports, and Publishing Results in the Social Sciences
MLA Handbook
The Sense of Style : the Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century
Successful Academic Writing: A Complete Guide for Social and Behavioral Scientists
Watch Your Words: A Writing and Editing Handbook for the Multimedia Age
Writing for Academic Journals
Writing for the Web : Creating Compelling Web Content using Words, Pictures, and Sound

Anthropology
Writing Material Culture History

Biology
Writing in the Biological Sciences : A Comprehensive Resource for Scientific Communication

Business
The AMA Handbook of Business Writing : The Ultimate Guide to Style, Grammar, Usage, Punctuation, Construction, and Formatting
Business Writing for Dummies
The Gregg Reference Manual : A Manual of Style, Grammar, Usage, and Formatting

Dissertations and Theses
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations : Chicago Style for Students and Researchers (Turabian)
Writing Skills in Nursing and Healthcare : A Guide to Completing Successful Dissertations and Theses

Engineering
IEEE Author's Resource Center
Technical Writing for Engineering Professionals

Fiction
Creating Fiction : Instruction and Insights from Teachers of Associated Writing Programs
Writing: A Practical Guide to Planning, Starting, and Finishing your Novel
Writing Great Books for Young Adults

Geology
The Geological Society of America website

History
Writing Material Culture History

Human Services / Social Work
Writing Skills for Social Workers

Journalism
The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law
The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage
UPI Style Book and Guide to Newswriting

Law / Legal
Tour the Bluebook Online
Understanding and Mastering The Bluebook : A Guide for Students and Practitioners

Medical
AMA Manual of Style
Mastering Scientific and Medical Writing: A Self-Help Guide
Medical Writing : A Guide for Clinicians, Educators, and Researchers

Music
How to Write about Music

Psychology
Scientific Writing for Psychology: Lessons in Clarity and Style

Science
The ACS Style Guide : Effective Communication of Scientific Information
The Chicago Guide to Communicating Science
How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper
Mastering Scientific and Medical Writing: A Self-Help Guide
Scientific Style and Format : The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers
The Scientist's Guide to Writing : How to Write More Easily and Effectively Throughout Your Scientific Career
Writing Science : How to Write Papers that get Cited and Proposals that get Funded

Technology
Technical Writing for Engineering Professionals

Theatre and Drama
The Dramatic Writer's Companion : Tools to Develop Characters, Cause Scenes, and Build Stories
How to Write about Theatre

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PUBLISHING YOUR WORK

The Liaison Librarian can help you figure out where to publish your research.
College of DuPage Digital Commons
Children's Writer"s and Illustrator's Market
The Dramatists Guild Resource Directory: The Writers Guide to the Theatrical Marketplace
Ethical Choices in Research : Managing Data, Writing Reports, and Publishing Results in the Social Sciences
The Fine Print of Self-Publishing : Everything You Need to Know about the Costs, Contracts & Process of Self-Publishing
From Dissertation to Book
The Handbook of Scholarly Writing and Publishing
How to Write and Publish an Ebook. How to Choose your Topic & Build an Outline
How to Get Published in Anthropology
Novel and Short Story Writer's Market
Publishing Criteria for Qualitative Research
The Writer's Market
Tips and Traps for Publishing Qualitative Research : An Editor's Perspective
Write It Up: Practical Strategies for Writing and Publishing Journal Articles

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Research

Evaluate all of your sources for:
   • Currency - the timeliness of the information
   • Relevance - the importance of the information for your needs
   • Accuracy - the reliability and correctness of the information
   • Authority - the source of the information
   • Purpose - the reason the information exists

Resources to help you evaluate your sources
   • Evaluating Sources - www.codlrc.org/evaluating
   • CRAAP Sources workshops (schedule

Resources to help you research
   • CQ Researcher and Issues & Controversies - www.codlrc.org/databases/current-events
   • Speech Research Basics - www.codlrc.org/speech/basics
   • Finding Evidence - www.codlrc.org/speech/evidence
   • Researching Current Events and Controversial Topics - www.codlrc.org/current
   • Persuasive Speech Research: Organizational Methods and Evidence tutorial - www.codlrc.org/speech/tutorials
   • Google It workshops (see current schedule)
   • Persuasive Speech workshops (see current schedule)

Oral Citations

As you present your speech, you will need to provide information about your sources:
   • Who/What - author or title
   • When - date of publication

Resources to help you prepare an oral citation
   • Oral Citation Basics - www.codlrc.org/research/fundamentals/oral
   • Oral Citations workshops (see current schedule)

Annotated Bibliography

Your annotated bibliography will include MLA citations and short descriptive and evaluative paragraphs about each source. Include one or more sentences that:
   • evaluate the authority or background of the author
   • comment on the intended audience
   • compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or
   • explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic

Resources to help you create an annotated bibliography
   • Citing Sources: MLA - www.codlrc.org/citing/MLA
   • Online Bibliography Managers - www.codlrc.org/research/fundamentals/citing
   • How to Create an Annotated Bibliography - www.codlrc.org/citing/annotated

Additional Assistance

The Library and Speech Assistance Center are freely available resources on campus where you can get help with every step of preparing your presentations.
Ask a Librarian - www.codlrc.org/ask
   • Visit the Reference Desk
   • Schedule a research appointment
   • Email a librarian
   • Chat online

Speech Assistance Center
   • Schedule an appointment with a coach - in person or online
   • Watch Speech Assistance video tutorials
   • Attend a Speech Assistance workshop

Getting frustrated with your research project?

COD students, faculty and staff may schedule one-on-one appointments for help with research and using the Library's resources - just look for the sign-up button throughout the Library website.

1. Ask for help at the Reference Desk
2. Call, email or chat with a librarian by visiting codlrc.org/ask
3. Contact your subject librarian

What is research? How do you get started?

Research isn't a step-by-step checklist, but a map that has you retrace your steps from time to time.

1. Develop a Research Plan: Understand your assignment and think about the steps you need to take to complete it
2. Do Background Research: What are the possibilities for your topic? How can you begin to organize your thoughts? How “big” is your topic?
3. Planning: Set a Search Strategy: Think about where you will look for information, what terms you’ll use, what resources will be most helpful. Save time by planning ahead.
4. Find Sources: Look in the right places for the best possible sources to support your research.
5. Evaluate Sources: Select the most appropriate and best quality sources for your research
6. Put it Together: Incorporate your research into your own work and avoid plagiarizing by citing your sources.

Helpful Resources for Every Stage

Your instructor: use your instructor's office hours; check-in at different stages of your research; ask questions
The Library: visit the Reference Desk; make an appointment with a Librarian; call, email or IM the Library

The following presentation will introduce you to the Research Process and provide you with the resources (people, places, websites) that can help you throughout every step of the way.
Click the gear icon at the bottom of the presentation to see the Notes.

Getting started before you even begin doing your searching

Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQ) concerning developing research plans:

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Getting started before you even begin doing your searching

Here are some frequently ask questions (FAQ) concerning developing research plans:

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Bringing it all together

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Did you want to base your reputation on that source?

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