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Beginning Your Research Evaluating Your Research Wrapping Up Your Research Research Ethics Library Services

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Beginning Your Research

Before You Start

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article

NCSU Web Page

How to...understand scholarly article structure

Concept Map: Plan Your Research

Video: 01:30

How to...organize & generate search terms

Manage Citations: Zotero

Videos: Est. 20 Mins.

How to...manage your citations using Zotero

Narrow Your Topic

Credo Video: 03:34 Tutorial retiring August 2023

How to...choose & clarify a research topic

Primary & Secondary Sources

Instructional Guide

How to...identify primary & secondary sources

Quantitative & Qualitative Research

Credo Video: 02:04

How to...differentiate research methods

Types of Sources

Instructional Guide

How to...identify popular, scholarly, or trade sources

Finding Resources

Accessing Full Text With Mason Search

Video: 02:24

How to...access the full text of online resources @Mason

Begin the Research Process

Video: 04:26

How to...brainstorm research topics & select source types

Doing a Simple Mason Search

Video: 02:34

How to...find sources @Mason

Doing an Advanced Mason Search

Video: 02:52

How to...find & filter sources @Mason & beyond

Find Accessible Media @Mason

Step-by-Step Guide

How to...find accessible media using Mason Search

Find DVDs & VHS

Video: 01:34

How to...find physical media @Mason

Find Full Text from Citations

Step-by-Step Guide

How to...read citations & get full text @Mason

Find Rare Books in Special Collections

Video: 01:43

How to...find sources in Special Collections @Mason

Find Sources FAST!

Instructional Guide

How to...use citation mining to optimize your research

Interpreting Citations

Step-by-Step Guide

How to...read MLA & APA citations to identify sources

Managing Mason Search Results

Video: 02:33

How to...save, export & access sources @Mason

Library Database Search Strategies

Video: 05:01

How to...pick keywords & use Boolean Operators

Evaluating Sources: The CRAAP Test

Video: 04:59

How to...use guidelines to analyze sources

Information Lifecycle

Interactive Guide: Est. 10 Mins.

How to...understand the way information is published & analyzed over time

Wrapping Up Your Research

Creating Your Research Product

Creating a Research Poster With SP@RC

Video: 04:09

How to...format & create a research poster using a template

Research Ethics

Academic Integrity

Credo Video: 03:13

How to...understand academic ethics

Understanding Plagiarism

Video: 02:51

How to...avoid stealing other people's work

Library Services

Find Items @Fenwick

Instructional Guide

How to...locate an item @Fenwick using a call number

Contact & Meet with Your Subject Librarian

Instructional Guide

How to...format an email to and prepare for meeting with your subject librarian

How Items are organized @Mason

Instructional Guide

How to...read a Library of Congress call number

My Mason Library Account

Video: 02:55

How to...access account, borrow/renew items & check fines

Request Interlibrary Loan @Mason

Video: 02:47

How to...request items not owned by Mason
 

Using Google Scholar @Mason

Step-by-Step Guide

How to...link Google Scholar to Mason resources

Additional Questions & Help

If you have trouble or questions about topics covered in these tutorials use the Ask a Librarian chat service. If you would like to help us improve our tutorial page, please provide feedback.

If you need help with data, the Digital Scholarship Center can help! Consult their guides or contact them at datahelp@gmu.edu.

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