This video will be similar to what you would see and hear in the classroom when a librarian comes to your class.
This is a very basic introduction to the research process and beginning to use the Marriott library.
It will lead you through the steps to always log in first when you land at the Marriott' library's home page.
After a short explanation of the research process and how you will navigate it, the video begins with using USearch.
USearch is the U of U's library catalog, which helps you to locate any and all of the physical items that it holds, as well as many but NOT all of our electronic resources. It is most likely where you will begin your academic and scholarly research.
Boolean operators can feel clumsy to use since we use Google so differently.
Booleans are *necessary* in research databases so that you can combine your terms to get what you need.
Remember that you can't type in an entire sentence into the search because you will get zero results if that sentence isn't in the database records.
Also, do remember to think about alternative terms for the one you're using. Not everyone uses the same words to describe a concept. For example, a test and an exam are the same thing, but they are two different words.
The databases don't make suggestions or lump synonyms together in your search. This can be one one the many reasons why research takes time,
Watch the video to the right to become acquainted with the magic of Boolean operations.
After exploring USearch, you might find that you are a bit overwhelmed.
This video walks you through how to reach the databses, the different ways you can choose which one will be best for you, and how to operate within them.
In the video, we use Academic Search Ultimate, which is an EBSCO database.
The last box on this page has a video about Boolean operators. Since academic research databases require you to interact with them totally differently than Google, you will need to learn how to use them in order to combine your search terms.
If you need help with searching, please contact the library or me. My information is on the first tab of this guide and HELP from the library is available to you in person or virtually.
