Email: ask@gettysburg.edu
Call: 717-337-6600
Text: 717-473-4532
Meggan Smith
Director of Research & Instruction
Library 102
717.337.7009
mdsmith@gettysburg.edu
Hannah Krauss
Research, Instruction, and Student Success Librarian
Library 102
717.337.6893
tkrauss@gettysburg.edu
Kevin Moore
Research, Instruction, and Online Learning Librarian
Library 102
717.337.7013
kmoore@gettysburg.edu
Read Assignment Materials Carefully
Review any materials that help explain the assignment (handouts, syllabus descriptions, notes from class).
Consider the required length. This lets you know how in-depth your work should be.
Consider the amount and type of required sources. Often professors will specify how much research you need to do and what kind of research it should be. If you need at least seven scholarly sources, for example, you can assume you are doing a pretty in-depth research project.
Consider any topic suggestions. Sometimes professors will provide examples of good topics for the assignment. These are helpful to look over to get a good idea of what kinds of topics are appropriate for the assignment.
Reach Out to Your Professor
If you cannot find some of the above details on your assignment or still don't understand them, talk to your professor. They are the person who created the assignment and will be able to give you the best idea of what they want to see in it.
Choosing a topic does not have to (and likely will not) be a linear process. It is okay to begin with a broad topic that interests you, dive into some related sources, then adjust your topic as you gain a better understanding of all the elements involved. If you'd like a visual example of this process, watch this video: "Picking Your Topic IS Research."
To find a topic that will serve as your starting point, consider course content that relates to your interests.
Is there anything that you have read about/discussed in class that you'd like to explore further? Perhaps your professor briefly touched on an event, issue, or perspective that you'd like to learn more about.
Engage any curiosities you may have, they could develop into a strong research topic. Feel free to speak with your professor, a librarian, or a peer research mentor about your idea to make sure you're headed in a manageable direction.
Encyclopedias are often the best resources for finding background information. They provide brief, broad overviews of a topic and can provide you with potential sources for your assignment. Check the bibliographies of encyclopedia articles to find in-depth sources on your topic.
Key resources:
Musselman Library's Encyclopedia & Dictionaries Research Guide
As you read, take note of what you learn about your subject, especially aspects that stand out to you as a potentially interesting paper topic.
If you need to refine a broad research topic...
Consider the ways that you could break your topic down into more manageable sub-topics. Some questions that might get you started include:
Are there groups of people or geographic regions you might zoom in on?
What issues (social, political, economic, health, etc) are at hand? Do you feel particularly passionate about any of them?
Whose perspectives don’t often make it into mainstream studies of this subject?
One helpful method to utilize during this process is Concept Mapping. Whether you choose to draw the map out on a whiteboard/piece of paper or create it digitally, the goal is to dive deeper into your topic, considering more specific angles that might lead you to a more defined research question. Watch this video for a brief tutorial of concept mapping.
MUSCAT Plus, Musselman Library's catalog, is a great place to start any search as it pulls both physical items in the library and online materials from a broad range of databases.
For databases that are more specialized to your course, please see our collection of Research Guides. Organized by subject, these guides have links to select databases that librarians recommend as the most helpful research tools in your discipline.
Using Effective Keywords
Often, you have to test multiple different combinations of keywords in order to get the best results. A helpful strategy is to start broad and use fewer keywords, then narrow your search and add more keywords as you have a better idea of what terminology other scholars and databases use when referring to your topic.
Suggestions for identifying the most helpful keywords:
1. Try searching any terms that come to mind for your topic in MUSCAT Plus, especially in the Advanced Search engine. If you're struggling with this step, feel free to reach out to a librarian or peer research mentor at the research help desk to brainstorm.
2. When you find a result that seems promising, click on the item to pull up it's record in the catalog. Scroll down to the "Details" box to see the Subject Headings for that item. These are hyperlinked so that you can click through them and look at other sources that have similar subject headings/keywords.
3. At this point, it's usually helpful to start reading through a few sources you've identified as starting points. As you do this, take note of any terms/phrases that come up repeatedly in regards to your developing topic. Some authors even note keywords at the beginning of an article, close to the abstract.
4. Try searching with your new set of keywords in MUSCAT or other databases from the most applicable research guide.
What are Boolean operators?
Boolean operators are words and symbols that you can add to/between your keywords to improve your search results. They include:
You can select the words from the drop down to the left of the search bar(s) where you have entered your keyword(s). To use the symbols, add them to your keywords in the search bar itself.
Once you have submitted your search, you can further refine your results by selecting filters from the limiters bar to the left. Some of the most commonly used limiters include:
To see if the library has access to a physical or online copy of the book you're looking for, search for it in MUSCAT Plus.
If it is available in print, record the call number and retrieve it from the shelf. The location will depend on the first letter of the call number:
There are also signs at the end of each section of shelves that tell you which call number ranges will be found there.
Ask a librarian or peer research mentor at the Research Help Desk if you're in need of further guidance.
If we do not have access to the book you're look for, see the Interlibrary Loan tab for further instructions.
When you're logged into your MUSCAT Plus account, you may request that a book be pulled for you by scrolling down on the item record to hit "Request Item." One of our staff members will pull the book, check it out to you, and place it on the Muss-To-Go shelf for you. You should receive an email notification when it is ready for pick up.
If the library does not already have access to the book you need, you may request it through Interlibrary Loan. To do so, you have a few options:
1. When searching for the item in MUSCAT Plus, click on the drop down beside or below the search bar and toggle to "Search Other Libraries." If the item comes up, click on the title to open its record and scroll down to the section where you can select "Get It" under "Request a Physical Copy." (Note: You will need to sign in with your campus credentials before you do this.) When the item arrives, it will be checked out to you and placed on the Muss-To-Go shelves by the check out desk.
2. If you only need access to a particular chapter, start with the same steps above, then select "Get It' under "Request a Digital Chapter." A PDF with the scan will be shared with you. The table of contents can also be scanned to help you decide which chapter may be most helpful to you.
3. Search for the item in WorldCat, then select "Request Item" or "Gett It."
4. If you can't access what you need using these methods, fill out the Interlibrary Loan Request form. Our resource sharing librarian will check to see if there is any way of getting you the item.
E-Books
1. Search for the book in MUSCAT Plus and filter to copies "Available Online."
2. Search online. In some instances, there may be a freely available online version of the book you're looking for on platforms like Internet Archive and HathiTrust.
Audiobooks
1. Search for the book in MUSCAT Plus and select "Audio" under the "Source Type" section of the filter bar.
2. Use NaturalReader, or another free text to speech program, to have chapters of an online book read aloud to you.
Musselman Library is committed to the effort of making textbooks as accessible to students as possible.
To see if the book you’re looking for is in our course materials collection:
Open MUSCAT Plus
Enter the title, course number, or professor name in the search bar
Using the drop down below or to the right, select “Course Materials & Reserves”
If it is not in Course Materials...
Re-set the drop down by the search bar to “Everything” to see if we have a copy available in a different location
Check Overdrive to see if we have it available as an e-book/audiobook
Re-set the drop down by the search bar to “Search other libraries.” If it is available at another library, sign in to your account and place an interlibrary loan request.
If none of these options work...
Fill out our Course Materials Request form. We cannot promise that we will be able to buy it, but we are always happy to check. You’ll be notified if/when it is ready for check out.
Consider other options that are more affordable than buying a retail copy of your textbook.
Check out the Textbook Affordability Resources Guide
Check the local public library‘s database (Adams County Library System). You can create a free library card with them as a college student and check out books for a three week period (plus renewals in most cases).
Check secondhand book websites (example: ThriftBooks or AbeBooks)
What is Knouse off-site storage?
Knouse is a separate storage facility on campus where the library holds items it does not have room for in the main building. There are journals, books, films, and manuscript collections there that are available for student research. To be used, they need to be requested so that a librarian can either scan or retrieve the item for the student.
Requesting a book from Knouse
When you see that a book's location is in Knouse on its MUSCAT Plus entry, you will need to sign into your account (if you have not already) in order to request the item. Once you are signed in, click the "Request" link under the "Find this in the library" section. When the item has been pulled (usually within 24 hours), it will be checked out to you and placed on the Muss-to-Go Shelves beside the Check Out Desk for you to pick up. You should receive an email notification when this occurs.
The process of searching for articles is similar to searching for books.
Generally, we recommend searching your keywords in MUSCAT Plus, then filtering to "Articles" under the "Source Type" section of the filter bar.
If you're not finding enough results, try out some new keywords (see the Keywords tab in the Search Tips box) or plug them into a new database from your discipline's Research Guide.
JSTOR is a particularly helpful resource because it is multidisciplinary and will pull content from a wide range of journals that have articles related to your keywords. Just like MUSCAT, you can filter specifically to "Articles" under "Item Type" in their advanced search engine.
MUSCAT Plus is a great place to start as it pulls scholarly articles from a broad selection of journals. Search your keywords, then filter to "Peer Reviewed Journals" on the side bar.
If you're not finding enough articles using this method, try searching for articles in another database from your department's research guide. Check to see if they also have a filter for narrowing to peer reviewed content, and if they don't, see the next tab called "How to tell if an article is peer reviewed."
Tips for identifying whether or not an article you've found is peer reviewed:
Special Collections and College Archives contains a wide range of items that may become beneficial primary resources for your research. These include:
Try entering your keywords in their search engine. You can also find the same items by doing a normal MUSCAT Plus search, then selecting "Special Collections" from the drop down menu.
If you find anything that interests you, schedule a reading room appointment to see/read the item(s).
If the item has been digitized, you can also view it online through GettDigital.
MUSCAT Plus
Essentially, there are two types of primary source materials available in book format through the library:
Listed below are some keywords that are helpful to add in your Advanced Search to find primary sources.
Example: United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
Reminder: You can limit to "Primary Sources" under the "Source Type" section of the filter bar after you have done a search in MUSCAT Plus.
Special Collections
It is also a great idea to enter your keywords into the Special Collections and Archives search engine! This includes the Rare Book collection. If you find something that interests you, schedule a reading room appointment to go see/read it in Special Collections.
Through your library account, you have access to a wide array of both current and historic newspaper archives.
Research Guides that contain links to the most helpful news databases:
Selected databases:
A film can be considered a primary source if it was made during the period/event you are studying. Many original films are available through the streaming services the library subscribes to. See the Online Film Databases Research Guide for links to those platforms.
Recommended platforms to check first:
Oral histories are a form of interview intended to document the experiences of individuals involved with an event, conflict, institution, etc. They can come in the form of a recorded video, as well as online/print transcriptions. These are a particularly helpful type of primary source when you are seeking to add personal perspectives to your research project.
Some helpful databases are linked below, but if you're not finding anything applicable to your project, consider reaching out to your professor to ask if they have any recommendations.
Below is a selection of freely available online repositories that contain primary source material. To find databases that are tailored to your specific subject area, check out your department's research guide.
Finding free downloadable data sets can be tricky. The following tabs contain links to helpful digital repositories that provide access to datasets published with open access/Creative Commons licenses.
If you continue to struggle finding the data you're searching for, reach out to a Professor, Librarian, or Peer Learning Assistant for guidance. Often, PLA's for the various science departments operate from the Center for Quantitative Learning (in the lower level of Glatfelter Hall). You can find their drop-in tutoring schedule and contact information on the CQL webpage.
To make the citation process as easy as possible, keep track of the sources you use as you go along, including notes about the specific sections/pages you want to reference, paraphrase, or quote.
Options for for saving your sources:
1. Use the "save" options within databases. When you're logged into MUSCAT, you can "Pin" the sources you use and their records will be saved to your account under the header that looks like a thumb-tack. Doing this ensures that you can come back to the item record whenever you need to get information for the citation. It does not, however, save page numbers.
2. Use Zotero. This program allows you to save your sources and generate citations all in one place. See the Zotero LibGuide for more detailed instructions.
3. Take notes in a Word/Google Doc. It can be helpful to make a table in a Word/Google Doc with separate columns for the general source information (title, author, publisher, etc.), the pages you're going to reference, and any quotes or paraphrased sections you're planning on using.
For online citation manuals, check out the citation research guide. Purdue Owl's Online Writing Lab is also a great resource. On either site, you can find online manuals with specific examples to use as a model for your own citations.
For print citation guides, stop by the Research Help Desk. We have a copy of the citation guides most commonly used at Gettysburg and are happy to walk you through a sample citation. You may also borrow the manuals to use while in the library, but they cannot be checked out.
If you need to use a more uncommon citation style, check your syllabus to see if your professor provided a link to an online guide or left any examples for you to use as a model. If they did not, feel free to reach out to them, or a librarian/peer research mentor at the research help desk for further guidance.
The main citation generator that we recommend using is Zotero.
For instructions on downloading and using the program, please see our Zotero LibGuide.
If you'd simply like to generate a few citations without setting up the program, go to ZoteroBib.
Please note that it's still helpful to double check the citations it generates to make sure all the formatting is correct.
Always double check with your professor to see if they are okay with you using AI generated content. There are some specific scenarios in which professors may allow you to use it, but generally they would prefer that you rely on scholarly sources, so be cautious when citing AI generated content.
In the case that you need to cite AI, use the Generative AI research guide which includes a general model and examples for MLA, APA, Chicago, and CSE citation styles.
As always, feel free to stop by the Research Help Desk or meet with your professor to address any questions this guide doesn't answer.