Reading
Locating & Summarizing Readings
The following is meant to be used as support material related to a library instruction session conducted by a library instructor and an instructor from a BHCC department.
The Librarians have compiled a list of web based resources for your use.
http://del.icio.us/BHCCLibrary.htm
In case you're looking for one, here's an online dictionary!
Do you have a library card? You will need one to check out books from the BHCC library. Your student ID is your library card -- it must have a 14 digit barcode on the back.
- Step 1 Think about what you want to read.
- Step 2 Find a newspaper article you want to read. YOu may browse the periodical section to find a magazine or newspaper article of interest to you. Alternativly, you may find the article through the eLibrary or Massachusetts Newspapers electronic databases
- Step 3 Read the article.
- Step 4 Write about why you chose the article and choose three facts from it.
Today we will work on step 2.
Where to look for ARTICLES on your subject in the BHCC Library
The newspapers and magazines are in a section of the Library that is devoted to what are called Periodicals.Periodicals are different from books. They are usually much shorter, and they are published on a periodic basis. Many newspapers, like The Boston Globe, are published every day. A newsmagazine like Time is published every week. Other periodicals are published every month, six months, or any other period of time.
You can feel free to spend some time browsing, looking at any periodical that seems interesting. When you are browsing, take a look at the cover or first page to see if anything catches your eye.
Then flip through a few pages to find the table of contents. This is a list of all of the articles. The table of contents should be at the front of the newspaper or magazine, but you may have to search a little bit through advertisements to find it.
BHCC Library Periodical Holdings Lists
You may also browse the Library's periodicals holdings list.
This list includes the format (print, microfilm) title, and coverage dates of magazine, journal, and newspaper subscriptions available from the library. This list also contains journals that we can access only through our electronic databases. Magazine and journals that are available in the library are indicated by an asterisk (*).
Finding Articles Online
The Bunker Hill Community College Library has access to many newspapers and articles online. The two resources we will discuss today are eLibrary and Massachusetts Newspapers. Both of these databases can be found on the Articles section of the Library’s webpage:
http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc/databases.htm
At this page, go to either eLibrary or Massachusetts Newspapers by clicking on the database name at the top of the page.
eLibrary – contains citations, and some full text, for articles from general subject magazines, newspaper and reference books. The database also contains transcripts, maps, images, web links and audio-visual files.
Massachusetts Newsstand – Provides full text articles from 14 Massachusetts Newspapers, including The Boston Globe. The database does not contain all the articles ever published by a paper. In the database, check the publications tab for the list of newspapers and the coverage for each.
Some resources on summarizing articles
The best source for details about how to summarize a newspaper article for a class assignment is, of course, your instructor. There are some general guidelines, however, that might prove useful if you're having trouble getting started. Take a look at a few of the sites listed below to consider what goes into writing a summary.
- The Writer's Web at the University of Richmond
- Short, six part tutorial from Colorado State University
- Brief overview of writing summaries from the Writing Lab at Purdue University
- Abstracts and summaries have common elements. Many of the newspaper articles you will retrieve online have abstracts. Take at look at this site and consider both.
- Columbia University School of Social Work’s Guide to Writing Summaries, http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ssw/write/handouts/summary.html
Remember, these are general guidelines only. It is important to check with your instructor to ensure your summary technique suits the assignment specifications for your particular course.
Citing your sources
Good habits begin early so now is as good a time as any to take care when you take someone's words out of its original context. It's confusing for the listener sometimes to know what you said and what the author of the book said unless you are clear when distinguishing the author's words from your own. There are some helpful tips for using quotes.
But let's try to keep citing simple for this assignment. Usually it is enough to have on hand a clear, brief statement of :
- Who is the author?
- What is the title of the work from which the sentence is taken?
- What page did you find it on?
- What is the year the book was published?
- What is the name of the publisher?
Think of it this way. What if someone in the class is really inspired by the passage you decided to take from the book you read. He may want to find the book and read the sentence as it sits on the page within the other sentences and words of the original author (within it's original context). It's your job to make sure it's easy for him to find the book you read, on his own. Give him all the ingredients he needs to perform a successful search.
After you have completed your research paper, your final step will be to compile a list of the sources you used in writing your paper. Whether you paraphrase, summarize, or quote directly from an information resource you must credit and document the source.
The format you will use for your citations is the MLA format; to assist you in compiling your list of sources, consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, REF LB 2369. G53 1999. This volume is very detailed and even covers citation formats for the different electronic resources you will be using. For a good treatment of the same material available on the World Wide Web, check out the Duke University Libraries' Guide to citing sources.