Do you ever wonder how the food you are eating was first discovered? Recently, I found myself staring at a kale salad wondering who the first person was to stumble across this in a field and think, "Hey, I bet this would be good to nibble on!" It must have been someone who was very, very hungry. I can feel the indignant tremors from many superfood enthusiasts out there. I know. I know. Antioxidants. Vitamin C. Vitamin K. Beta carotene. These are the benefits that Google retrieves when you do a search on kale. It also retrieves a bunch of articles that discuss how to make kale taste good (which usually involve copious amounts of dressing, butter, or grinding it up and putting it into something that actually tastes good).
You know what never needs accompaniment? S’mores. That’s right. And Saturday, Aug 10, is National S'mores Day. This campfire treat can trace its documented roots back to a 1927 Girl Scout publication, Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. Nothing says summer like roasting marshmallows over an open fire and squishing them between graham crackers and chocolate. The s’mores flavor combination has been such a success that it migrated into other products like Pop-Tarts, Dunkin Donuts cold brew, pies, cakes, and other desserts. I thought there could be no bad s’more desserts, but Cup Noodles may have crossed the line with its dessert ramen launched at the beginning of July.
To circle back to the s'more in its original form, it’s easy to see why s’mores were invented: Its flavors and textures blend naturally into the perfect dish. In the end, it comes down to this: S'mores are a product of delicious sweetness and culinary simplicity.
So, you may be wondering what this has to do with the library. I would like to try to convince you that when done properly, library research can be closer to s'mores than kale (but let’s be honest, nothing can actually triumph over the perfection of s’mores).
Choosing your topic: The graham cracker base of your research
Having a clear understanding of the parameters of your research topic and the assignment is the solid graham cracker base of the research task. In some cases, the topic is assigned, and in other instances (one might say the best and worst case scenario) you can pick your own topic. In either case, you should critically examine your topic to determine if it's broad enough to be researched but narrow enough to focus your writing.
Understanding the assignment will help to narrow your focus and structure your research. Requirements such as the length of your paper or the type of resources you can use are important pre-research details. Asking yourself questions about what you need to complete the assignment will help you avoid spending time on research that isn’t useful or needed.
Selecting appropriate databases: Your chocolate selection
Dark chocolate lacks the sweetness of milk chocolate, while something more exotic, like a peanut butter cup, is so sweet it might make your teeth ache. Regardless of your preference, chocolate is needed to anchor your s’more. Similarly, you must choose an appropriate database to conduct your search, but you don’t need to limit yourself to just one.
Use reference sources like encyclopedias or dictionaries and the internet to find background information about your topic. Google or Wikipedia may not be appropriate sources for an academic paper, but they can be used to gain an understanding of the terms used to describe your topic, as well as give you some basic background information. You can then use these keywords to search for books or articles in library databases.
Unlike burying your kale salad in dressing to choke it down, there is no need to click through a multitude of library databases to get the information you need. Use tips and guidance on the choosing a database page to determine the best place to launch your research. If you are still uncertain about where to start, click on one the Ask Us! buttons scattered around the library website to get some recommendations.
Searching effectively: The toasted marshmallow as the glue
Much like the marshmallow is the gooey center that holds the s’more together, searching effectively is the key to successful research. Many of us have become used to entering some terms (or even a complete question) into an internet search engine and seeing thousands of potential results pop up. In some cases, we get a great match; in other cases, well, kale.
I'd be lying if I told you that library databases don't require a little more finesse than a Google search. But think of it like preparing the marshmallow: Plopping an uncooked marshmallow between a couple of graham crackers does not a s’more make. It must be roasted gently to achieve that soft, warm center. Or, if you're one of my kids, light it on fire and brandish it about like an Olympic torch.
Searching the library databases is similar in that you need to consider the terms you are searching and refine the results with filters like date ranges, publication types, and subject terms. Our draft your search page gets you started, but it's important to view this as a process rather than a "one and done" search. You may need to review your results after each search entry and add and remove terms, much like you would slowly rotate that marshmallow to get just the right consistency. Remember that tip above about contacting us for database recommendations? We offer search strategies tailored to your research needs, too.
Citing your sources: A graham cracker top finish
While there is no one perfect way to present a s'more, most would agree that the top graham cracker is the finishing touch that brings it all together. Citing your sources is the finishing touch for your paper. Citing the sources you use gives credibility to your arguments and allows your readers to verify your research. Additionally, using citations gives credit to other authors (and conversely, not giving credit is considered plagiarism, which, simply stated, is very bad).
The University of Phoenix largely adheres to the American Psychological Association (APA) style format for citations and references. There are many tools that are available to help you properly cite the resources you use for your paper or report. The library has compiled these tools in an APA toolkit to help you get started.
At first glance, there appears to be a lot to consider when doing library research, but starting with a few fundamental tenets can move the research process closer to a s'more than a kale salad. We can agree that it can't be as sweet and perfect as a s'more, but then again, what is?
Whichever way you build your s'more, fancy chocolate or Hershey classic, torch-style or gently-roasted marshmallow, enjoy National S'mores Day.
Nicole Tassinari is an associate university librarian and oversees content development. She's the proud mom of three almost-grown children who love to tell her to "just Google it!"