Havin' a Hot Time in the Library This Week!

Whew! It's been hot in here this week.

What? You don't know what I'm talking about? Well, check out the picture I took yesterday of the temperature control panel:

Yes, that's right. According to the control panel, the CHHS Library-Media Center has topped Death Valley as having the high temperature for the day!

HOWEVER, in reality, the temperature started at 72.4. As the day progressed the actual temperature fell to around 60 degrees. This morning, the real temperature started at 50 degrees. By the end of first block, it had increased to a "balmy" 55!

The library, regardless of the temperature, has been full this week, and the forecast is bright for research projects. Therefore, let's talk about one way to find a source.

When one student had chosen a topic, and the teacher had approved it, she immediately headed to the databases. Within one database, however, she found it difficult to find the articles for her source. Why? After all, she typed in the key words from her topic. Together we talked about this. You see, she had a fantastic idea for her paper, but she thought she could only do a topic if journal articles showed up on that subject. I showed her how the articles she could use actually led her to be able to make conclusions supported by the articles, not written in the articles.

And that, I think, is why so many students feel research is a difficult process. When you are looking for a source that gives you the exact answer to your thesis, then you may end up stressed because that source doesn't exist! If, however, you gain information that allows you to draw conclusions and support those conclusions through the connections you can make, well, you are now on your way to writing excellent papers.

The student in question found more sources than she actually needed when using this method.