The Elements of Library Research: What Every Student Needs to Know

by Mary W. George

To do solid academic research, college students need to look beyond the computer search engine. This short, practical book introduces students to the important components of the information-seeking process. The Elements of Library Research provides a foundation for success in any research assignment, from a freshman paper to a senior thesis.


Unlike guides that describe the research process but do not explain its logic, this book focuses entirely on basic concepts, strategies, tools, and tactics for research--in both electronic and print formats. Drawing on decades of experience with undergraduates, reference librarian Mary George arms students with the critical thinking skills and procedures they need to approach any academic project with confidence.

Genres: Nonfiction, Textbooks

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2008

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a general introduction to research aimed at students toward the beginning of their career in higher education. It works on a somewhat theoretical level, and would probably be hard to use without some concrete research assignment to tie it to. For me, as someone who’s done dozens or hundreds of research projects, it often confirms what I had to learn through hard processes of trial-and-error. In that sense, it could help students avoid reinventing the wheel. At my institution, we considered making this a required text for our library instruction course, but ultimately dropped the idea because it doesn’t really lay out a clear curriculum with testable skills at the end – in short we found it too theoretical and not adequately practical, but for students with a more theoretical turn of mind this could be just what they are looking for.

[Cameron Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

After getting through the ridiculously long introduction, this book was an excellent resource for high school and college-aged students! This book will prepare them to enter into the college/university library and know exactly what to expect and how to utilize its resources - materials, databases, etc. - to their fullest potential. This is the kind of "manual" every student should read in order to help them with their academic careers. Also could be a good manual for academic librarians to help them in understanding what their students are expecting from the university library.

[Kyle Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an outstanding first book on research for undergrads, or any non-specialists beginning to work on a serious research project. George takes readers through the necessary steps as one begins to think like a researcher. It's great for concrete thinkers.

[Morandia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think my problem with this book is that it was assigned to me in a graduate level course. This book might be good for high school or first year college students, but not for more advanced students. At least I hope more advanced students would be familiar with the material in the book.

[ACRL]

Read by ACRL Member of the Week Julie Dornberger. Learn more about Julie on the ACRL Insider blog.

[Magdalena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent for students and librarians who design training and information sessions.

[Lee Stoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very useful at the time, but not memorable. I'm not sure how much I retained from this book.