Tri-County Technical College Library English 102 Non-American Authors Research Process Guide
Dear English 102 Student, My name is Norman Hoyle. I work in the TCTC library, and for the past several years I have been helping students do their research for the Non-American Authors project. Based on that experience, I have come up with a series of steps that, if followed closely, I think will assist you in organizing your research process--and save you lots of time. Just a note about doing research. A lot of "trial and error" will be involved. Not every step you take will be productive. It's like prospecting for oil. No doubt you will encounter numerous "dry holes." If you're lucky, though, you may hit an occasional gusher. So it's important to be patient. Don't get frustrated if you're not turning up useful sources; just move on to the next step or try a different search term or look at another source. A good researcher doesn't expect instant gratification. This guide is intended both for on and off-campus students. While heavy emphasis will be placed here on the Library's extensive collection of electronic resources that can be accessed from anywhere in the world, 24/7, we urge everyone to make at least one visit to the Library on the Pendleton campus. We have there many valuable sources (books and reference materials) that are available only in print form, and these might add significantly to the success of your paper. Then, too, our highly qualified reference librarians can provide you with personal assistance. For you off-campus people, I particularly invite you to come to the Library on a Saturday morning. I am here from 9-1, and I could give you lots of individual attention at that time. If you have questions at any time during the research process, please feel free to email me at nhoyle@tctc.edu. I'll give you whatever help I can. Best of luck on the project! Norman Hoyle |