Facets of Information Gathering and Sharing :: F.I.G.S.

Scope

Introductions to the Topic

Subject Headings

Basic Texts

Additional Titles

Specialized Titles

Specialized Titles of Historical Interest

Conference Proceedings

Dissertations

Selected Dissertations

Government Publications

Technical Reports

Selected Technical Reports

Abstracting and Indexing Services

Journals

Representative Journal Articles

Selected Materials

Additional Sources of Information

Selected Internet Resources

1. Start by locating resources that provide an overview of your topic.

2. Search the online catalog for additional books that will give you the history, context, definitions and theories.

3. Find some general articles on your topic.

4. Search subject specific databases for more scholarly journal articles.

5. Browse current issues of journals that contain literature on your topic.

6. Do a web search on the Internet for additional information.

7. Evaluate the information you have collected from books and articles.

Catalogues
Special collections

>Databases

Specialist Databases

General Science Databases

Freely Available Web Based Databases

>Journals

Finding Journals

Key Journals

Keeping up-to-date with the latest articles

Annual Reviews

>Reference Sources

Encyclopedias: available online

Encyclopedias: Available in print

Citing and Referencing

Statistics Resources with links to the catalogue

E-books

Printed books with links to the catalogue

>Web Sites

Psychology Departments

Resource materials

Experimentation online

Professional societies

>Training

Multimedia

Association Publications

Bibliographies and Directories

Biographies

Frequently Cited Texts

Conference Proceedings

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Handbooks

Histories

Indexes and Abstracts

Internet Resources

Journals

• Introduction
Title, Introduction, and Scope:
Introduce the topic/thesis/question/hypothesis and discuss the scope you will cover. For whom is this guide designed? Will it be focused on a particular time period? Region? How comprehensive is this tool?

General Advice for Researchers:
Are there truly important specific starting places any researcher must see before doing further research?

Essential and Supplementary Questions:
What are the big issues or questions people in the area are pondering? What supplementary questions will help researchers understand the bigger questions?
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• Search Terms/Vocabularies
Operational Definitions / New Vocabulary:
Describe any variables or critical terms in your research process. How will you be using these terms in your paper? Are there words and terms associated with your research that are unfamiliar to the general public? (Glossarist collects subject specific glossaries and topical dictionaries.)

Keywords/Phrases/Subject Headings:
Suggest particular keywords or related terms that would be helpful to use in searching. Consider synonyms, names of noted experts, organizations, etc. When appropriate demonstrate use of searching syntax, for instance, include phrases in quotation marks. Did you discover any surprising subject headings as you browsed through database results?

Dewey/Library of Congress Numbers:
List these numbers and the subtopics with which they are associated.

Additional Categories:
What else is important to know for the topic of study? For instance, for a topic relating to travel, you might add categories like currency converters, airfare, hotel directories, or translating services.
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• Print sources
Reference books:
Encyclopedias
Dictionaries

Books:
Annotate any titles that are critically important. If a work is truly not-to-be-missed, you might consider linking to reviews from the New York Times, Amazon, or other online sources.
---fiction
---non-fiction

Print Indexes:
Does the library offer any print indexes that lead to journals or other media on the topic? (Examples might be Readers’ Guide, especially for events prior to 1990, Book Review Digest, American Heritage Index)
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• Online resources
Subscription Databases:
Which subscription services would be best for this research? (For instance, specific Galenet or EBSCOhost databases, elibrary, Congressional Quarterly Researcher, etc.)

Gateway or Portal Sites on the Internet:
Are there any major guide sites (Web subject directories) about your subject on the Web? If so, annotate the best so users will know why they should be visited first. You might find these gateway sites by searching directories of specialized search engines. Try LII.org and look for directories in your results.

Specific Web Sites:
List any specific Web sites that may be important. Annotate the very best. If you are dealing with a controversial topics select a balanced group of sites. If you have a good number of sites to suggest, consider arranging them into categories. Include reference and glossary-type Web sites. (Use http://glossarist.com)

Online Journals:
List any accessible, full-text journals that would be helpful to researchers. For instance, for a pathfinder on "training", might link to Runner's World Online.
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• Audio-Visuals
Image Resources:
Are there particular sites that will provide researchers subject-specific images? For instance, you might recommend one of NASA's image databases for researchers in aeronautics.

Video/Streaming Video Resources:
Does the library have any films or film series that will add understanding of the topic? Have you discovered any videos that should be rented or purchased and viewed? Are there relevant Web-based videos available from reliable, stable archives?
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• Experts/Organizations Voice
Primary Sources:
Are there key documents--letters, speeches, legislation, etc--that are important or lead to a better understanding of the topic?

Experts/Scholars:
Are there noted individuals whose names just keep popping up in your best resources? Who are they and why should people researching this topic refer to them?

Organizations, Associations:
When appropriate, list the official sites and phone numbers of any major organizations, support groups, etc. involved in the topic. If you have chosen a controversial topic, attempt balance by including representative groups on all sides of the issue.
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• Net-Communities Voice
Blogs:
Who is talking about this issue? Are there well-established blogs that offer reliable voices behind an issue or question? (For instance, a soldier's blog might give in-the-field perspective relating to the war in Iraq.) Some of these sites will help you search the blogosphere.

Wikis:

SocialNetworks:

Mailing Lists:
Communities of practice or interest may have online threaded discussions offering clues relating to trends and identifying key players.
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• Summary
Reflection / Additional Advice to Researchers:
Here you may evaluate and summarize. Remind students of strategies and offer your best advice.

Date your pathfinder.