Research Tutorials
Here are a collection of guides and tutorials that can help you with specific research skills topics. If you need additional assistance, contact a member of the Schaffner Reference Staff.
Audiocasts
- Searching NUcat
This audiocast provides tips for searching NUcat, the library's online catalog. - Creating Search Terms
Students can learn ways to take their research idea and turn it into the most useful search terms. - Evaluating Resources
Here we talk about ways to determine if a resource is appropriate for your research. - Primary versus Secondary Sources/Periodical Types
This audiocast goes through the differences between primary and secondary sources and the major periodical types.
Videos
- Obtaining and Using Information
Learn about different sources for information and when to use them. - Evaluating Information
This video covers how to evaluate the usefulness and authority of an information source. - Using and Evaluating Information Quiz
Use this quiz to test yourself on when you need information and how to evaluate that information. - Research Vocabulary: Library Speak
This video provides a refresher on important words you may come across while conducting research. - Research Vocabulary Quiz
Test your knowledge of library lingo. - Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
This video will guide you through the different source types and when to use them. - Popular versus Peer-Reviewed Journals
This video will explain the differences between journal types and show you how to find out if a journal is peer reviewed. - Narrowing Down Your Search with Boolean Operators
This video will show you how to broaden and narrow your search using the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT. - Reading Citations
This video will guide you through identifying the most common types of citations you will come across in databases, bibliographies, and other sources. - Searching Google Scholar
This video guides you to searching Google Scholar and accessing Northwestern University Library resources.
