BISON's Head Start for Students Doing Research

Now that classes have begun, students will, no doubt, start noting the research projects listed on their course syllabi. A great source for time-saving tips on the information gathering process is "Getting Started" http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/quickstart.html on BISON, the UB Libraries' Web site. This page provides the best basic resources for selecting a topic, as well as finding articles, books and Web sites.

For example, for assistance on selecting a topic, The CQ Researcher is a good place to start. This resource covers weekly in-depth reports on the major, controversial issues of today with complete summaries and bibliographies. Students can browse through articles in the current issue or search for past articles using keywords such as "drug policy," "child poverty," "human genome," "gay rights," "digital divide," "world trade," etc. Another resource to help jump-start the research process is StudentAdvantage.com. There one will find a browsable list of subject areas that assists with topic selection in various academic disciplines and an online reference collection that includes Britannica.com. Site visitors can even download QNotes, an easy-to-use tool for taking, organizing and using electronic notes.

The "Getting Started" page also includes Expanded Academic ASAP and PA Research II, which are great databases for finding journal articles on one's chosen topic. Both provide access to scholarly journals, magazines and newspapers, many of which are full text with images. Academic Universe and Dow Jones also can be used to find additional newspaper articles. The page lists the UB Libraries Catalog, of course, as the source for finding books on campus, as well as The On-Line Books Page, which contains links to electronic books.

For the statistical information one needs to bolster a research paper's content, A Matter of Fact and TableBase are listed as well. A Matter of Fact is a database of full-text statistical information on current social, economic, political, environmental and health issues. TableBase provides useful summary statistics from a wide variety of resources, such as "Report on Salary Survey," "Women in Higher Education" and "World Health Report."

For students still confused about the library research process, the Research Assistant provides a step-by-step guide to conducting library-based research and writing a term paper. Its "ladder" provides information on how to evaluate and cite resources, as well as information on how to outline a paper and finalize a bibliography. And for those who are stumped, even after using the "Getting Started" page, reference librarians are always happy to provide personalized assistance. Just ask!

-Sue Neumeister and Lori Widzinski, University Libraries