Basic Research Tutorials
The Joseph F. Smith Library offers many services and a variety of learning resources for you, our BYU–Hawaii community. We are here to serve you! We will guide you through the available library resources. What would you like to do today? Click on the links below to get started.
Teachers: Looking to have one or all of these modules as a graded assignment in Canvas to add to your class? Great! Please visit our Library Plug-Ins page to import the relevant assignments.
Tutorials
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Toggle ItemSearch for and Find Books
Let's get started! In this section, you will learn how to find a book. We recommend that you watch the videos then read and follow along with the step-by-step instructions to reinforce the concepts in the tutorial.
PART 1: SEARCHING
1. Go to the Joseph F. Smith Library homepage
From this page, you can search most library resources, such as books, eBooks, articles, music, and videos.2. Type in your keywords
In the search box enter keywords, phrases, authors, or titles. For example, if you want to see if there are any Harry Potter books on the shelf, simply type in "Harry Potter" and hit enter on your keyboard.TipSEARCH TRICKS: Search the exact phrase by putting quotes around it: "American values".
When searching for an author, try [last name, first name] as well as [first name, last name]3. Limit the results
To find books and eBooks, go to Source Types and click the +(number) more above. In this instance, we have to click on the +11 more in order to see the books and eBooks option.Check the boxes for both Books and eBooks and click Apply.
4. Limit only to books on the shelves
Click on the All Filters button and scroll down until you see Location. Click Location and click on the Joseph F. Smith Library General Shelves checkbox.PART 2: FINDING BOOKS ON THE SHELF
5. Grab paper and pencil (or your phone)
To find the book on the self, write down the location and call number.6. Use the library map to help you find the location.
Use this link to get to the virtual library map.7. Locate the section of the library
Look for labels at the end of the bookshelves. Match the call number to the book on the shelf.8. Borrow the book(s)
If you want to check out or borrow the book, go to the Circulation Desk and they will help you. Don't forget to bring your current BYUH ID card.UNDERSTANDING CALL NUMBERS & MORE
Learn how to read a call number and find a book on the shelf.
- Watch the video below to find more details.
- Or just come ask one of the librarians for help!
How to Read a Library of Congress Call Number (University of Arkansas Libraries)
Can't find a book or an article?
Can't find a resource at our library?
Try using Interlibrary Loan!If we don't have a book or an article at our library, please request it through Interlibrary Loan and we will have it delivered here for free from another library. It should take anywhere from 4-14 days so make sure you request a book ahead of time.
For new users:
Follow the 'Create an Account' link found on the Interlibrary Loan page
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Toggle ItemFind an eBook
In this section, you will learn how to find an eBook. You can follow along with the step-by-step instructions below.
1. Find books to read on your devices
EBooks are books in digital formats. In order to make your search for eBooks easier, remember to select eBooks from the source types dropdown menu.2. Other Formats
If you see "View Online", "Click for ebook" or "Retrieve Catalog Item", simply click on it and follow the instructions to view the eBook.TipNeed Help?
Ask one of the Information Consultants for assistance at any time. -
Toggle ItemFind a Scholarly Article
Why is it important to use scholarly journal articles for your paper when there are millions of articles online to choose from? The answer is the peer-review process. Scholarly articles are written by professors, researchers, and other experts. These articles go through a rigorous review process by their peers to ensure that the articles are credible and of high quality. When you use scholarly articles in your paper, know that these articles are relevant and add credibility to your work.
Let us show you how simple it is to find a scholarly article. Follow the steps below.
1. Enter your search terms in the search bar
At the library homepage, type in your keywords or phrases in the search bar and hit enter. For this example, I will type in "Harry Potter" in the search box.2. Limit the results
Refine your results by clicking on the Peer Reviewed button beside All Filters and Full Text.What are peer-reviewed articles?
Peer-reviewed articles are articles that have been reviewed and evaluated by experts and professionals before being published. This means that the article is probably a good resource for your research. It is always good practice to use peer-reviewed articles for your research paper.3. Viewing the articles immediately
In your results list, you can view the article immediately on your computer by clicking on the access option and selecting "PDF", "Online Full Text" or "Check SFX for full text!"Some results have "Access now (PDF)" as the only option. You can also click on this to get access to the article.
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Toggle ItemEvaluate a Source
Sifting through information
The internet is a great place to find both scholarly and popular sources. But with so much information found online, sometimes it takes time to determine what is reliable and valuable. Along with good information, you will also find opinions, biases, misconceptions, and misleading information. Developing skills to evaluate what you see is necessary, such as knowing what questions to ask when looking online for answers.EVALUATION CHECKLIST
Ask yourself these questions below when evaluating any source.
- Authority: Know the author. Who is the author? What is their point of view? What are their credentials or qualifications? Is the information fact or opinion? Has the author or website provided contact information? Does the website have .edu, .org, or .gov in the URL?
- Purpose/Objectivity: Think about perspective. Is the information biased? Why was the source created? Who is the intended audience? Is it trying to persuade you or sell something? Is the information balanced? Is the information factual or opinion?
- Authenticity: Know the source. Is the information authentic? Are sources cited? Who is cited? Is factual information cited?
- Reliability: Consider the origin of the information. Is the information accurate? How do you know the source is trustworthy?
- Relevance: Think about whether you need this information. How is it relevant to your research? Is the information helpful to your project?
- Date of Publication: Think about the timeliness and currency. When was it written? Has the website been updated? Is all the information still accurate or have things changed since then?
Source: Adapted from UC Berkeley Library and CCRI Library
Some websites that you can find sources from
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.edu are educational sites. Information from here are usually credible, however examine it carefully because personal websites many not be monitored. Use the questioning checklist above to determine if the site is credible and reliable.overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=data-content-type="".GOV
.gov represents the US federal government sites. This domain include all branches of the US federal government, such as Congressional hearings, Supreme Court rulings, or National Park information. The information from here is credible.overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=data-content-type="".ORG
.org is for any non-profit organization. Examples include PBS, the American Red Cross, and the Gates Foundation. Usually, these sites have credible information, but be careful with organizations that may portray specific points of view (bias) and may require a closer look. Use the questioning checklist above to determine if the site is credible and reliable.overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment= -
Toggle ItemAvoid Plagiarism
Finding your voice
Sometimes it's difficult to find your own words when writing a paper. You may find yourself wanting to use other peoples words because they were able to express their ideas so much better than you. Learn how to avoid using other peoples words and ideas by finding your own voice.
What is Plagiarism?
The word itself comes from Latin, meaning 'to kidnap.'
Plagiarism is presenting another person's ideas as if they were your own. Using someone else's ideas without crediting that person is unethical. Understanding what you can and cannot do when using someone else's words or ideas and giving them proper credit is important in university-level writing.Plagiarism is...
- copying someone else's words without using quotation marks and crediting the source it came from;
- paraphrasing or summarizing someone else's words without citing the source;
- quoting someone inaccurately;
- restating someone's original or specialized ideas without citing the source;
- accidentally or intentionally misrepresenting someone else's words or ideas;
- citing the wrong source; or
- pretending someone else's work is your own.
Note: Text is not the only thing that can be plagiarized. You must also give credit if using other people's images, graphics, charts, drawings, videos, music, etc.
What are the consequences of Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is a very serious offense at BYU–Hawaii. The penalties for plagiarism can have major ramifications.
BYU—HawaiiDepending on the degree of violation, a student who plagiarizes may:
- Receive no credit for the plagiarized assignment
- Receive no credit for the course
- Be placed on probation
- Be suspended or dismissed
If you are in doubt as to whether you are providing proper attribution, please see your instructor or one of the reference librarians for help
BYU—H LibrariansGood News! The university has arranged a premium account with Grammarly and RefWorks for all current BYUH Students. Grammarly and RefWorks are wonderful tools you can use to help with your writing as well as a plagiarism checker. Follow the link on the library's homepage.
Library HomepageWhat are things that do not need documentation?
- Writing your own lived experiences, your own observations, and insights, your own thoughts, and your own conclusions.
- Writing about common knowledge, such as folklore, myths, urban legends, etc. (in your own words).
- Writing the results from your own research.
- Using your own artwork, music, video, audio, digital photos, etc.
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Toggle ItemCite a Source
Cite a source
You have your book and articles but are unsure about how to write your references or bibliography. Here are some simple steps!
Citing Books and Scholarly Articles
1. Selecting the source
From your "Search Results page," select the source (book, eBook, or article) you are interested in citing.2. Cite
Click on the 3 dots symbol found on the top right section of the book you are looking at, then click on cite.3. Choose APA or MLA
You will now be taken to the Cite menu. In order to copy your citation, select the formatting style that your teacher prefers. The most common are either APA or MLA.4. Copy and Paste
In order to copy the citation, highlight the source, right click or press Ctrl + C on your keyboard to copy. You can also click on Copy to clipboard to copy the citation.After copying the citation, you can now paste it to the bibliography/reference section of your research paper.