Ashford University Library Analysis
Ashford University Library: What Does the Library have to offer?
The whole process of finding a reliable, authentic, and valuable from a digital library has and continues to be one of the main challenges to students and other researchers. In digital libraries, including the Ashford University Library (AUL), both popular and scholarly resources would be in a position to access through a physical search have so far been converted into digital formats, meaning the researcher can only find them in databases (Ashford University Library, 2013). In essence, this conversation allows you to gain quick access to these resources by visiting a webpage. Given the difficulty faced by some researchers, any given researcher should gain a deeper understanding of what their research requires as a way of remaining effective and efficient when searching for popular, as well as scholarly resources from a digital library.Popular Resources v. Scholarly Resources
Research instructions provided during or by the end of a course typically states what types of resources to use, meaning students should be in a position to differentiate scholarly from popular resources. According to the Ashford University Library (2013), scholarly resources comprise books, scholarly journals, as well as other publications. In particular, a scholarly journal refers to an article written by individual academics in his or her field. An academic can only write a scholarly article after conducting original resource or evidence-based experimentation in a particular community. Equally important, the written articles attain scholarly status by going through a rigorous peer-review process. Concisely, the process in question involves other researchers, who review the article with the sole purpose of determining both its authenticity and reliability.
In contrast, popular resources refer to non-scholarly sources of information or data, including websites, magazines, professional blogs, and newspapers. In the video presentation, Lin (2014) contends that this category of resources is written and published by professional authors or writers and journalists. Most importantly, popular resources identify and cover a variety of topics, especially those of general interest. The topics in question play a leading role in informing and entertaining the general public. When compared by scholarly articles, which undergo the peer review process, popular sources are reviewed and approved by editorial staff based on the already established or acceptable writing formats and styles. Some of the common features of a popular source, such as magazines involve the use of pictures and funny images and inclusion of adverts. Despite the identified differences, both popular and scholarly resources can be valuable and reliable depending on the context or research instructions.
Searching for Sources: Things to Remember
When tasked with the responsibility of searching for sources within the AUL, I am obliged to remember two main things: focus on databases as opposed to online search engines and seek assistance from librarians. Internet results rely upon a great deal in popularity, not the information quality (Ashford University Library, 2013). In other words, search engines tend to estimate or guess what the researcher is looking for from the Internet. In this respect, publishers have placed much emphasis on locking down their high quality and scholarly publications: making them available and accessible in databases. Moreover, I would ask for help from library assistants when stuck because they are qualified and have the skills and knowledge and experience necessary for doing quick searches.Finding Sources: Efficiency and Effectiveness
Finding the most reliable and suitable resource for my research can be a challenging endeavor. Given this challenge, I would utilize the widely supported tips as provided by AUL the video presentation: avoiding long sentences, phrases, and questions; turning topics into keywords, and using writing once in each of the database boxes. The reason for utilizing these tips involves the fact that a database does not necessarily understand meaning, meaning their results depend on my commands. As a way of commanding the databases, I would use keywords and quoted phrases, which play a leading role in providing specific information about my ideas and research topic.
Conclusion
Searching for critical information from the Internet and databases can be challenging task for most researchers because they lack a deeper understanding of the tips and processes necessary for making quick and relevant searches. Having watched the presentation by Lin on what the Ashford University Library can provide, I have learned the differences between scholarly and popular sources, with the former written and produced by academics and reviewed by scholars in the peer review process, while the latter is attributed to journalists, as well as other professional authors. Moreover, I have identified and appreciated things to consider or remember while searching for resources from the digital library, in addition to how to become effective and efficient through the use of keywords and quoted short phrases.
References
Ashford University Library (Producer). (2013). Ashford University Library Quick ‘n’Dirty (Links to an external site.). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://ashford.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Ashford+University+Library+Quick+%2 %27+Dirty/0_bcsbcjee