Doing Research Is Like Going To The Museum

The original posting can be viewed here.

In class today (Wed. 4/10), we talked about the structure of the research process. I compared using the library resources and search engines to going to the museum; the library itself is the museum building (AMNH), the databases like “Biographies in Context” or “Novelist” are like the different wings (Hall of Ocean Life, Hall of NY State Environment),

the sources are the different exhibits (Whales), and the notes you take are the specific artifacts (that cool Blue Whale).

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Remember, in the “old days” about 2 years ago, we had to write everything out by hand on pieces of paper called note cards. I used to hang a large sheet of paper on the wall with my source written on top, and then tape my individual notes to the paper. That way, I could easily see all the information and where it came from. My wife still does this today with her own research; this picture is from over the break.

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Lucky for you, today we have Noodletools, which does all of this organization for you, and you can put exciting things on your walls at home, like pictures of your favorite singers.

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