Jefferson State Community College Libraries: English 101 Alex Lewis: Using the Library

Library Tutorials

Virtual Orientation to the Libraries
View an online orientation to the JSCC Libraries.
Finding Critical Articles in Literature
This tutorial will assist students in locating critical articles [literary criticism] for English courses
Finding & Researching a Speech Topic
This tutorial provides guidance on using the library resources to find and research a speech topic.
Glossary
This glossary is designed to introduce you to terminology used in an academic library setting as well as those terms associated with library research.

Search All Resources

Advanced Search
Use this option to create an advanced search using multiple search terms or limiting to content type.

Students: Suggest Material
Students may use this form to suggest materials to be purchased by the libraries for the libraries.
Faculty and Staff: Request Library Acquisitions
Faculty and staff may use this form to submit a request for library acquisitions for specific courses, departments, or programs.

Video Introduction to the JSCC Libraries
Follow this link for a video introduction and orientation to the JSCC Libraries' website.
Orientation to the JSCC Libraries' Website
Follow this link to view a tutorial on the library website and how to use the features available.
How to Use 'Search everything'
Tutorial on using "Search Everything" feature which searches all library resources from a single search box.

What is a primary source?

Primary sources are original, uninterpreted information. Scholars analyze primary sources in order to answer research questions. Examples of primary sources vary by discipline.

Examples in the humanities:

a novel
a painting
a theatre performance

Examples in the social sciences:

a political, social, or economic theory
a dataset
the results of an experiment published in a peer-reviewed journal

Example in the sciences:

the results of an experiment published in a peer-reviewed journal

What is a secondary source?

In secondary sources, authors analyze and interpret primary source materials.

Secondary sources can be scholarly or popular. Scholarly sources (sometimes called "academic" or "peer-reviewed" sources) are written by and for experts and typically include bibliographies and citations. Popular sources are written for a general, non-expert audience and can be authored by anyone.