Well, it isn’t really the second week, but it is the second update. In the second week, we were broken into groups and asked to start putting together a report on a flooring product. Our group chose bamboo flooring, and the research began.
Here’s a research tip for this update: instead of digging through database after database for articles, try out our federated search tool.
If you are a JCCC student, then yes you can.
When you load the home page, you’ll see an articles tab in the middle, revealing some pre-arranged categories. Something as specific as Interior Design isn’t really there, so you gotta be creative. There will be relevant articles in “art”, “business”, and others.
To cut out some guessing, there’s a link that says “Multi-Database Search“. That takes you to Central Search (requires JCCC login if off-campus). This tool digs through lots of databases at once. Once in there, you can enter your search terms above and select multiple categories below. Thus, I put in “bamboo flooring” for a keyword search, and select the categories of “business” and “science and technology”. I probably could check more, but I figure bamboo flooring is a manufactured product that is relatively new, and it is a big part of the Interior Design world right now. Business and Science/Technology should return plenty of results.
You’ll get articles that are often linked to the full text, and at least an abstract to let you know if the article is relavent. It isn’t perfect, and it may not catch all available subscriptions we have, but it certainly trims down the time when you’re not 100% sure where to start. Don’t be afraid to try it!
