We're glad you're here. You've made the first step in delving into research at Denison.
First thing is that you will need to plan ahead. Research can take time, including building in time for getting materials. There are many books and articles available directly within the library or online through the library, but some things will need to be requested. Make sure you build in time for getting books from other libraries through CONSORT or OhioLINK. It will take about 3 days to get them delivered to you. You will get an email when they arrive at our circulation desk for pickup.
Think about how the sources were created and for what purpose
| Primary Source | Secondary Source |
|---|---|
|
Reports original research |
Reports and analyzes previous results without adding new data |
|
Results of experiments |
Editorializes on information from previously published paper |
|
Reports on new discovery |
Interprets previous study |
|
Results of clinical trials |
| Primary Source | Secondary Source |
|---|---|
|
Published results of an experiment or clinical trial |
News article reporting on an experiment |
|
Published results of a research study or natural observation |
Review of a series of articles on a given topic |
|
Proceedings of a Conference or Meeting |
Editorial article |
|
Policy or Law from a government entity |
Law review article explaining case law |
Think about the target audience for your sources
| Popular | Scholarly |
|---|---|
| Usually written by professional journalists | Written by experts in the field and give credentials |
| Written for the general public in common language | Written for academics and professionals |
| Covers concept superficially | Typically peer-reviewed and cover concepts in depth |
Denison Libraries, 100 W College, Granville, Ohio 43023 Phone: 740-587-6235, email: reference@denison.edu In order to view PDF documents, you will need to have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed on your computer
