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GCU Fleming Library Scavenger Hunt

This assignment will assist you in becoming familiar with the GCU Library in preparation for locating a resource to support your expository essay and for successfully completing coursework requiring research throughout your program of study. Overview: The GCU Fleming Library is a vital resource for every student during his or her academic career. The Library contains a wealth of resources that will help you find, research, and broaden your understanding on any given topic. Learning to correctly use resources to support your writing is an essential component to your academic success. Objective: For many, using databases and online library systems may be unfamiliar. This assignment will help expand your knowledge and improve your navigation skills within the GCU Fleming Library. The key to success in the library is to understand the types of resources available, become familiar with the various tools available for searching, and learn to effectively choose relevant resources for your research. Directions: Each step of this assignment will ask you to navigate and explore through different components of the GCU Fleming Library. Follow the instructions and answer the corresponding question in detail. There are eight steps, each containing a question. Submit this completed scavenger hunt to the GCU Library Scavenger Hunt drop box by the end of Day 7 of Module 2. Before starting this Scavenger Hunt, review the short walk through tutorial on the GCU Fleming Library. This tutorial consists of five short segments: http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/libraryWalkThrough/vp02.swf If you have time, you can also attend the GCU Library Introduction Webinar. Sign up on this page: http://www.gcu.edu/Student-Life/Library/Webinar-Sign-Up.php

Step 1: How to Access the Library

There are a number of ways to access the librarys website. Use one of these to reach the Library Research & Resources page:
1. Go directly to the GCU Library Research & Resources page by typing

http://library.gcu.edu into your Internet browser and click enter. 2. After logging into the ANGEL classroom, click on the Library link in the light purple band at the top of the screen. Next, click the link next to the words Visit our full site at. 3. Start at http://www.gcu.edu. Click Current Students. Click Library in the list of links to the left or click Resources tab at the top of the page. You will find a link to the library under the Support Services section. Click Library Research and Resources Page page under the Access Library Resources section on the right.

Question 1: List three ways you can contact the library for assistance, as listed on the Library Research & Resources page.

Step 2: How to Find Books

Books have increasingly become available electronically. Unfortunately, these are rarely free, unless they are in the public domain. Most public domain books are quite old, so if you wish to find more current books, the best place to go is the library website. Because you have access to the GCU Fleming Library, you have access to over 100,000 booksfree. Note: The library also lists the physical books available on the Phoenix campus. You can remove those from your search for your convenience. See below for instructions. 1. On the Library Research & Resources page, click the link that says: Find Books and More. 2. In the search box type: "study skills" and click the Search button. 3. Under Form of Item in the column on the left, click Electronic. 4. To access an electronic book of your choice, under the listing of the book, click the link below the word "Online," or if that is not available, click the title of the book, and click the link that says View E-resource in the box below the title information.

Question 2: Write the Title, Author, and Publisher of the 3rd book in the list of results you retrieved.

Step 3: Library Databases

The vast majority of resources available are in the librarys databases. These are collections of articles made available through various search platforms. Resources available include magazines, newspapers, reports, journal articles, encyclopedias, streaming videos, etc. The easiest way to find articles on your topics is to search in a database which specializes in your subject area. This allows you to search for more relevant information without having to sort through the masses of sources not related to your topic. 1. On the Library Research & Resources page, click the link that says: Find Journal Articles. 2. Choose a Subject in the list located under Find Databases by Subject. (Hint: Choose one related to your degree program.) 3. Scroll down to see all of the databases relevant to this subject. Those in the first section under Recommended are the top databases in that area.

Question 3: State what subject you chose and list the first three databases in this subject area:

Step 4: Narrowing Your Search for Articles

For this section, you will be working in a database called Academic Search Complete. It is a multidisciplinary database, containing a variety of topics and types of resources including magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals and publications. There will be times when it may seem easier to use magazines and newspapers, but in general, focusing on scholarly sources (mostly located in peer-reviewed journal articles) will bring a stronger academic quality to your research. Follow the instructions below to access and begin searching in Academic Search Complete. 1. On the Library Research & Resources page, click the link Find Journal Articles. 2. In the box to the right titled Dont Know Where to Start. click on Academic Search Complete. 3. Sign in if prompted, using your GCU login and password. 4. On the Search page, scroll down to the Limit Your Results section. 5. Check the box beside Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) journals and make sure Full Text is checked as well.

Question 4: Explain why checking the boxes beside Full Text and Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) journals is important. When would you not check the box beside "Scholarly" (Peer Reviewed) journals?

Step 5: Finding Journal Articles

The key to successful searching is using keywords appropriately. Combining terms and thinking of alternative words (such as synonyms) will help you find better and more relevant articles. A quick note about databases: EBSCO is the name of the company that provides this database, the actual name of the database is Academic Search Complete. You may see other databases similar to this one provided by EBSCO as well, but the most important factor is what collection you are in, as each collection contains different kinds of articles and resources. 1. On the page you ended at in Step 4, scroll to the top. (Make sure the Peer Reviewed and Full Text boxes are still checked.) In the first search box to the right of the EBSCOHost circle, type the words "classroom management." 2. In the second box down, to the right of the word "and", type the words "learning disabilities." 3. Click the Search button located to the right of the search boxes. 4. Scroll down to see the articles retrieved by the database.

Question 5: Provide the title of the 3rd Journal article that is listed in the results.

Step 6: Article Details

In addition to the actual full text of the article, the databases will provide additional valuable information about an article. You will see things like authors, source, subject terms, abstract, etc. The abstract is a brief summary of the article you found. 1. Click on the title of the 3rd article you found in Step 5. 2. Scroll down this page and find the Article Abstract.

Question 6: Copy and paste the abstract below. Explain how an abstract is valuable to your research process and how it will save you time.

Step 7: Permanent and Persistent Links

Databases are designed as powerful searching tools; unfortunately, this means the website link located at the top of any page in a database is temporary and is based on your search at the time. Should you try to save that link as a bookmark or copy and paste it to use at a later time, it will not work. However, the databases have links that are tied directly to the articles you find. Follow the steps below to find the permalink (persistent, durable link, or document URL) to the article you accessed in Step 6. 1. On the same page where you found the abstract, look to the right for the Tools column. 2. Click on the link that says Permalink. 3. A box will pop up above the article title with a permanent link.

Question 7: Copy and paste the permalink to the article here.

Step 8: Using Library Databases to Cite Articles

Another important option under the tool bar is the Cite button. In academic writing, citing your sources is very important. It will tell your reader that the information that you are using is the property of someone else. It will also show your reader exactly where you found this information and how to access this information again. This will be a necessary process in avoiding academic dishonesty issues like plagiarism. Note: Remember, GCU Style required for your undergraduate coursework is a simplified version of APA. 1. On the same page where you found the abstract look to the right for the Tools column. 2. Click on the link that says Cite. 3. A box will pop up above the article title with different citation styles.

Question 8: Copy and paste the APA citation below. According to the GCU Style Guide, where should you include this information in your essay?