Survey | Qualtrics Survey Software

Please tell us about your past library and research experience.

Answer as honestly as possible. It's O.K. to answer "I don't know." The answers you provide will help us tailor our instruction to best meet your research needs.

Before coming to SNHU, how often did you use your school or public library to borrow books, movies, video games, etc.

2-3 Times a Week
Once a Week
2-3 Times a Month
Once a Month
Less than Once a Month
A couple of times a year.
Never

Did your high school or public library provide access to any research databases, such as InfoTrac or EBSCO?

No
Yes, we had a selection of research databases but I didn't use them.
Yes, we had a selection of research databases and I used them regularly.
I don't know what a research database is.
Other

Since you've been on campus, have you explored SNHU's Shapiro Library website?

No.
Yes.
Comments:

In the past, when you have needed to find books for your research, where have you usually started your search?

I browsed the library shelves.
Google, or another Internet search engine
A library online catalog
I asked a librarian or teacher for help.
I haven't needed books for research before.
Other

In the past, when you have needed periodical articles for your research, where have you usually started your search?

I browsed the library's periodical shelves.
Google, or another Internet search engine
A database, such as Infotrac or EBSCO
A library online catalog
Google Scholar
I asked a librarian or teacher for help.
I haven't needed periodical articles for research before.
Other

Have you ever used an electronic periodical database, such as Lexis Nexis or EBSCO to find newspaper or journal articles?

Yes.
No.
I'm not familiar with what a periodical database is.
Other

Libraries typically arrange books on the shelves by call number so they can be accessed by what organizational scheme?

Author
Title
Subject
Year of publication
I don't know.

If you know little about a subject, which would you first consult in order to become more familiar with it (choose only one):

A library periodical database
An encyclopedia (specify print or electronic/Web)
A book
A website
I don't know.
Other

You have entered the words "business letters" into the search box of a library research database. The computer finds zero items. What do you conclude?

The database does not have any documents on this topic.
I have not used the right words in my search.
All items on the topic are already checked out.
The system is down.
I don't know.

Which of the following citations refers to a journal article?

Miller, A.W. (1997). Clinical disorders and stressful life events. Madison, CT, International University Press.
Anderson, K.H. (1999). "Ethical dilemmas and radioactive waste: A survey of the issues." Environmental Ethics, 2 (3): 37-42.
Hartley, J. T. & D.A. Walsh. (2000). "Contemporary issues and new directions in adult development of learning and memory," in L. W. Poon (ed.), Aging in the 1980s: Psychological issues, Washington, D.C., American Psychological Association, pp. 239-252.
I don't know.

A friend tells you that you should read an article published in the May 15, 2007 issue of Electronic Engineering Times, "Upgrades Confer Elite Status on XBox 360," by Patrick Mannion. To check the availability of this article in the library, where do you search?

Google, or another Internet search engine
In the library's online catalog under Mannion, Patrick
In a library periodical database under Upgrades Confer Elite Status on XBox 360
In a library periodical database under Mannion, Patrick
All of the above will work.
I don't know.
Other

To find books about Lance Armstrong in the library catalog, what kind of search would you do?

A title search
A publisher search
A subject search
An author search
I don't know.
Other

True or False: Information found in the library does not have to be evaluated because it has been selected by experts.

True (please comment on your selection)
False (please comment on your selection)
I don't know

To find the most recent and most reliable information about "drug abuse and teenagers," which would you consult first (choose only one):

A book
A website
A journal article
A dictionary
A magazine article
An encyclopedia
I don't know.
Other

You have to write a paper on the "Treatment of depression." Which search strategy will find the fewest number of items?

Depression AND psychotherapy
Depression OR psychotherapy OR antidepressants
Depression AND psychotherapy AND antidepressants
Depression
I don't know.

You have found a book that is relevant to your research topic. Which section of the book do you consult to find other documents on the same topic?

The glossary
The index
The table of contents
The bibliography
I don't know.

Which of the following citations refers to a book?

Doctor Zhivago. New York: MGM/UA Home Video, c1988.
Mitchell, T.R. (1987). People in Organizations: An Introduction to organizational behavior (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Reid, J. (1993). Prevention of conduct disorder before and after school entry: Relating interventions to developmental findings. Development and Psychopathology, 5 (1/2), 243-262.
American Library Association, Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. (1989). Final report. Retrieved on April 15, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ala.org/acrl/nili/ilit1st.html
I don't know.

Which of the following best defines "primary source material"?

An information source that reports original research or ideas
The first source you find when doing research
An article in a scholarly journal or popular magazine
An analysis of previous sources
I don't know.

Using a metasearch or federated search engine such as Dogpile or AlltheWeb, it is possible to:

search in foreign language Web sites
search in all existing Web sites
search in many search engines simultaneously
I don't know.

Research produced by faculty at research universities is most often published (check all that apply):

In books and scholarly journals
On the Internet
In popular and general interest magazines
I don't know.

Which of the following best describe(s) an article published in a scholarly journal (check all that apply)?

The information is written for a general audience.
The article includes a list of cited references.
The research method used is described.
The article has been evaluated by an editorial board before publication.
None of the above.
I don't know.

The characteristics of a website that are used to evaluate the quality of its information include (check all that apply):

There is a date on the page.
The author is known in the discipline.
The site's webmaster is clearly indicated.
The site loads quickly in a browser, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox.
The host site is reputable.
All of the above.
None of the above.
I don't know.

For which of the following situations do you need to cite the source you used (check all that apply):

You used someone else's exact words using quotation marks or a block quote.
You used exact words you found on a Web page.
You paraphrased someone else's words or ideas.
You paraphrased someone else's words or ideas found on a Web page.
You used parts of a paper you wrote for another class.
All of the above.
A and B
I don't know.
Other