Points of View Summarizes Current Hot Topics

Here's one way to get started on a research paper on a current - and controversial - topic: water privatization, privacy in the war on terror, health care reform, etc...

Our database Points of View summarize the different positions on the issue and offer some suggested works on the topic.

Great way to get the lay of the land.

Evaluating A Website

Here's FYI, Mister Rogers was not a sniper.

CHECKLIST FOR EVALUATING A WEB PAGE:

* Identify the author and the author's expertise on the topic.

* Verify the facts, statistics, or quotes on the web page in another source.

* Identify the agenda of the page: are they selling something or promoting a point-of-view that benefits them?

* Check to see when the page was last updated. If you can't find a date, consider using a different source.

DO THE ABOVE BECAUSE:

* Most people don't know what they are talking about.

* Many people will make up facts, misrepresent facts, or leave out facts in order to support their position.

* People will tell you anything if money or power is somehow involved.

AND IN THE END:

* Learn to think for yourself and do not rely on gathering other people's opinions posted on the internet.

Finding Sales Books

The catalogers strike again. If you're looking for books in the library about selling techniques, you want to search selling as a subject.

Also, don't miss the related topics pages located here.

Introduction to This Blog

A library is a thing of wonder and extremely powerful - if you know how to use it and where to find information.

Periodically, I like to remind readers what this blog is about and how to use it. The Chockablog blog is here to walk you through business reference questions, answer FAQ's about your business questions, and show you some ideas and sources you might not have known about.

We use text, links and video to get all these points across.

Scroll down on the main page and use the subject tags to read blog entries on your topic. The blogging format makes the posts appear in chronological order, but all the entries are up to date and are revised from time to time.

A lot of our databases are wonderful, but not intuitive - so use this blog. We have tons of books on subjects you might not think exist - so use this blog! I've already found the correct web addresses for those government economic statistics. So check that out too.

Welcome to Texas State and the Alkek Library....

Reference Online

I read somewhere that the number one college students use Wikipedia is to get background information. Sometimes it is hard to find our reference resources on the library webpage.

We have reference sources electronically and in dead tree format. It is really important to get the most out of what you are reading instead of scratching your head or feeling a big hollow void of noncomprehension swirl up in your mind. That's where reference - and not just for business - comes in handy. They will provide context and the big picture.

First of all, check out our Credo Reference Collection. Another good idea is Gale reference, which includes business and management encyclopedias. We also have Oxford Reference Online which has some economics and business titles.

Here is our print reference collection. This link just shows you what titles are on the shelves - it's like walking up and down the bookcases.

I think this will make your academic life a lot more rewarding!

Dude, Where's the Books on My Topic?

I bet you have entered in a few key words into our catalog and wondered why nothing comes up. Very often, the answer is that we have material on your topic but it's been classified with some arcane, uncommon words. To wit:

If you're interested in selling your product on the internet, the correct subject heading is electronic commerce. 'Cos computers use the 'lectricity? Hmmm..... Nafta is another one with a bizarre official subject heading....

In real life, you can get around this problem by starting out with your keyword search, finding something that seems relevant, and then clicking on the title. Now you can see what their subject headings are....