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Tutorials & Tipsheets

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How to Do Research

  • For a complete set of tutorials on how to do research from the Mundt Library,  use these videos. Or select and view a specific module in the tutorial. Written for DSU students, the tutorial explains basic concepts and provides instructions for using information services and databases to search for information on the Mundt Library web site. 
  • To begin searching immediately, use the direct links to information services and databases found in the "Search Tools" section on the left side of the library home page.
  • If your questions are still unanswered, ask a librarian for assistance.

Software training tutorials

Atomic Learning is our online resource for software training support! Atomic Learning’s just-in-time approach to software training focuses on answering the common questions that come up when learning and using software. Need to know how to cut and paste in Word? Want to know what is new in Outlook 2003?  Want to learn how to create a web page using Dream Weaver or FrontPage? How about learning transitions in PowerPoint? Go to the site, type in your question (or click on a software package and select the needed section), and watch a narrated movie that shows you step by step how to accomplish the task. Atomic Learning’s library of short, easy-to-understand tutorial movies provide help learning some of the software used routinely at DSU.

Instructional Demos (audio & video)

List of all instructional demos: Instructional Demos
Direct links to database demos: AP Multimedia Archive, Proquest databases basic search, Proquest databases advanced search, Proquest databases manage records, Library Catalog, NetLibrary, and company and industry searches in Business Source Premier 
Direct links to Interlibrary Loan Request demos: ILL Book; ILL article
Direct links to additional library demos: Journal Finder; What to Do If the Full Article is Not Available In a Database; Research Databases by Subject

Course Specific Videos:

C. Meyer ENGL 101 - Finding news articles on events from your birthday Video - Video w/ CC - Transcript (word doc)

 

Tipsheets

Process for Solving Information Problems

  • Information Seeking in a Nutshell -- provides a brief overview of the process for solving information problems
  • Resource Tip Sheet -- offers a table listing common information needs, suggested resources to find the information, and videos describing how to use various library services/resources

Evaluating Information

Online Search Techniques

  • Brief Guide to Search Techniques -- these search tips work in most library databases.  See "Search Techniques Summary Table" below for exceptions.
    • Use quotation marks (“ ”) to search for exact phrases (that is, two words must be side-by-side in the article): 
      "missouri river"
    • To find articles in which the words appear but do not have to be side-by-side, connect the words with AND:
      darwin and evolution 
    • The asterisk (*) is used for right-hand truncation to get multiple word endings. For example, to retrieve articles with the words educate, educates, educator, educators, education, educational, type:
      educat*
  • Search Techniques for Research Databases -- defines and gives examples of the search techniques
  • Search Techniques Summary Table  -- summary table of which techniques are used in each information service (database) accessible via the Mundt Library.

Citing Sources

Copyright

EndNote Web

 

 

Karl E. Mundt Library building

Karl E. Mundt Library & Learning Commons
Dakota State University
820 N. Washington Avenue
Madison, SD 57042-1799  USA
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Last Updated 08/21/09