Scholarly life cannot be reduced to simple steps, but the preparation of a "paper" - long or short, written or for presentation through other media--includes at least three steps. The Library is only one step in that process, but a very important step. In general, a scholar needs to formulate a question, then research to find some materials which will help answer the question(s), and finally, communicate one's findings in an appropriate form. Very often these three steps parallel three areas of activity at CC: The classroom, the library, and the writing center. The "Scholar's Triangle", pictured below is not a static goal, it is a roadmap of the scholarly process -- from finding an interesting question in class ( a few radical souls have even been known to think outside of class), to looking for information at the library, to polishing one's writing (which also tend to polish one's thinking) at the writing center. No one step is sufficient and one goal of liberal arts education is to internalize the Scholar's Triangle for a scholarly life whether in university, business or even the law.
In the humanities and social sciences research often breaks down into 3 parts; how to find sources, how to judge them (what question they can or cannot address, what the bias or the authors might be, etc.), and how to interpret the information you have gathered to answer your research questions (this leads on to the next step in the process, communication). Thus you will need more than "Just the facts." In particular, you will want to consult opinions of other scholars about the sources you have found. Usually this amounts to locating and reading two or three book reviews on books upon which you rely heavily or "review articles" in scholarly journals.
This guide will help you make good use of Tutt Library for research covering
Asia and the Pacific. As such, it covers an area not a discipline. Thus, it
will guide you to a range of sources in history, religion, art, political science,
economics, etc.
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maintained by Krystyna
Mrozek ; last revised, 8-9-02,
jm.
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