Research guides: Arts 140: Kinds of Minds: Your library connection

Welcome!

This guide can help you with your Mind Blog and Term Project. The sections in this guide target ways to find relevant sources and texts:

Create your search term
Recommended databases to search for information
Writing and Citation help
Suggested stock photography resources
Get one-on-one research assistance

If you have a question, please reach out. I'm here to help.

Creating your search term

The following are suggested steps to help you get started in your research.

Pick a topic and explore it with a concept map.
- To get you started: Are there sub-concepts that are vital to how it works?
- Is there a specific group of people who are involved in this topic?
- What other topics are similar to this topic?
List keywords that best describe your topic. These could be:
- A single term or phrase
- A subject area
- Think about the words you've learnt about in class and in your readings.
- Are there synonyms to your keywords? For example, if you are researching "chimpanzee language abilities", what other words are there to describe a chimpanzee? What about "ape", "primate", "chimp"? Are there other words that can describe "language abilities"?
Try your search words out! What do you see when you search these terms in a search engine? What about the Library's catalogue, a recommended database, or in a news site? Pay attention to the different types of results you receive when you search in these different locations.

Want a second opinion? Need help in your search? Email me to set up a meeting in Teams!

Koroma, S. (2020). Black Monkey on Brown Tree Branch. [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/@sheku-koroma-2913886

Recommended databases

Now that you've thought of some search terms it's time to search! Below are a few suggestions of databases and resources where you can look for your topic. If you're looking for scholarly work, try visiting a databases. Databases hold the added benefit of offering filters for your search. Try applying filters like "peer-reviewed journals" and "articles" to your search.

Scopus
Peer-reviewed literature from scientific journals, books and conference proceedings, covering the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities.
Coverage: 1966 - present
Web of Science
Articles and citations in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.
Coverage: Varies
Web of Science is comprised of several databases. The Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI) covers journals in the medical, physical and natural sciences, and engineering fields. The entire database extends back to 1899. The Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) covers journals in the social sciences. The entire database extends back to 1898. The Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI) covers journals in the arts and humanities. It also selectively covers relevant items from science and technical journals. The entire database extends back to 1975.
PressReader
Access to newspapers and magazines from around the world in full-color, full-page format.
No Proxy/Off campus access to the Globe and Mail via PressReader.
Coverage: Varies

Incorporating research into writing

The Writing and Communication Centre has a number of writing supports and services that will help you go from research to delivering your final project.

Thesis statements
How to think: moving from research to writing
Writing a first draft
Integrating evidence (quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing an author’s work)
Active and passive voice
Writing concisely
Revising your work
How to proofread
Writing checklist

As you move to writing your work, be sure that you are using the appropriate style. Using the appropriate style your assignment correctly helps your audience understand your use of information and communicates professionalism and competence in your academic field. Recommend citation guides can be found on the right side of this page.

cottonbro. (2020). Person holding black and silver hand tool. [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/@cottonbro

Librarian

How to tell if an article is peer-reviewed

Here are just a few tips to check if your article is peer-reviewed (scholarly).

Use a database filter to only show 'scholarly journals' and 'articles'
Check the journal's webpage. There should be a statement indicating the journal publishes "peer reviewed" or "referred" articles.

Still not sure if the article is peer-reviewed? Send me an email and we can figure it out together!

Citation Guides

Looking for some additional resources? Try the following link to help you as you cite your sources for your final essay.

APA Style (7th Edition): A Library-created interactive course with lessons on formatting, style, in-text citation, and reference list citation in APA Style (7th Edition).
Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The office guide to APA Style: The official guide can be accessed from the Library's catalogue. At the HathiTrust site, please login (top right) to view this book. Select 'University of Waterloo' and login using your WatIAm username and password.
APA Style Citation guide created by the Writing and Communication Centre.
Additional list of APA citation guides pulled together from other universities.

Blog Pictures!

Here are some suggested locations where you can find free, public domain, stock images that can be used in your mind blog.

Pexels: These are public domain stock photos and videos shared by creators. Works can be modified but identifiable people can not appear in a bad light or in a way that is offensive. Attribution is not required, but always appreciated.
Flickr: Photograph collections shared by creators. Be sure to check the copyright restrictions if using images from this site.