 Sometimes, a book has a title that seems
relevant but turns out to have little to do with the focus of
your concern. You can find out about its usefulness by looking
at its table of contents, which comes at the beginning of the
book. If the book is of little use, give it up and move on to
other books. If its headings and structure seem to be relevant
to your study, read such chapters or the relevant parts. In
this case, you may also turn to the index (if any) at the end
of the book.
Indexes may be organized by name or by subject. A name index
is a list of proper names (of individuals, works, and places)
that have been mentioned in the text while a subject index
lists the key notions, terms, issues, and theories. Both name
and subject indexes are arranged in alphabetical order. Each
of their entries is followed by the number of the exact page(s)
where the names or the subjects appear. Go over the index
quickly and spot relevant entries. Then go directly to the
page(s) you are referred to and search the information you
need. Skip other parts of the book unless cross-reference
is made in those pages you have read.
In the case of an article, read the introduction and conclusion
parts if it does not have an abstract so that you will have
a general idea of what is discussed in the article. If you
think that it contains useful information, read the whole
article.
Remember to skip irrelevant paragraphs - or even pages -
whenever you read so that you do not waste time on discussions
not applicable to your study.
If you locate something useful from an online source, you
may copy and paste the relevant parts in a computer file directly.
Always remember to copy the URL address which will be necessary
when you compile your final bibliography later. An entry for
electronic resources in the bibliography would look like this:
(You may compare it with the sample bibliography entry for
print materials in Unit 9 below)
| Hobbs,
James. "Bridging the Cultural Divide: Lexical Barriers
and Translation Strategies in English Translations of
Modern Japanese Literature." Translation
Journal Volume 8, No.2,
April 2004. On-line. Available from Internet Explorer
@ http://www.accurapid.com/journal/28litera.htm Accessed
on October 10, 2004. |
|
