Welcome to the Course Guide for COMP 100. Below you will find a selection of information and resources that will be helpful when completing assignments for this course.
A helpful hint to remember is that research is exploratory process. Good research means that you will be searching different resources (databases, online, catalog, etc.) and you will search each one multiple times with different keyword combinations.
When you begin a research project, it is a good idea to take a moment to reflect on your prior knowledge of the topic area. How much do you already know about this topic? How confident are you in moving forward with this topic? In most cases, you will need to do a bit of research to get some general information on your topic.
A great way to gather background information is through searching reference materials. Reference materials such as Encyclopedias and Dictionaries are arranged alphabetically and contain a general overview of a term or subject matter.
The library has access to encyclopedias and dictionaries in print and online through particular databases.
Online Encyclopedic Databases:
One way to locate print resources is through the Milne Library Catalog. To access the library catalog, click on the “library catalog” tab on the library’s homepage. You will then use the Call Number to locate the item in the library. If you need help finding the item, please do not hesitate to ask.
The second way is through Worldcat. To access Worldcat, click on the Databases Tab. Then click on the W. Then scroll down until you see “Worldcat (OCLC First Search Legacy Interface). By searching through Worldcat, you have the ability to see books that Milne Library and other libraries worldwide own. If you would like a book that Milne library doesn’t own, you will request it through ILLiad.
***You can also check out items at Hartwick College with your SUNY Oneonta ID card.****
Electronic articles can be searched through our databases. There are some general databases and some subject specific databases. To access the databases, click on the database tab on the library homepage. You can then browse through them alphabetically, or browse by discipline (i.e., gender studies, history, etc.).
Below you will find a list of databases that will be helpful for your current assignment. It is not an exhaustive list, but it is a good place to start.
Librarians are available to help in several ways:
Conducting research can be difficult when you are unfamiliar with the terms being used to describe certain types of items. If your instructor asks you to use a periodical, would you know what they meant? If you had to locate the call number in an item’s record, could you? It is important to familiarize yourself with what particular library words mean.
If you are stuck trying to decide on a topic for your paper, there are a few ways to generate ideas.
The ILLiad system enables current SUNY Oneonta students, faculty, and staff to obtain academic and intellectual materials from other libraries. Your ILLiad account will allow you to:
It is important to include appropriate citation in your paper. The library has a guide that can help you accurately cite your resources. You can locate it on the library homepage by clicking the "Citing Sources" link, or you can click on the link below.
The library has a search feature called "Search Everything". This is the default search on the library's homepage. Using this tool can be difficult and overwhelming because it searches nearly everything the library has access to, including items in the physical collection as well as resources in our databases.
To effectively search with this feature, use the limiters on the left hand side to narrow down your search results. You can also use the advanced search feature.
If the library does not have access to a particular article, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan.