The Monsignor William Barry Memorial Library has several Librarians who are available to help.
Here are some of the ways your Librarian can assist with your library needs:
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Librarians |
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Merlene Nembhard, M.S. |
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Eduardo Porben, M.S. |
Remember! We are here to help. If you need any assistance with using the library and its resources, contact us for assistance.
Email: libraryhelp@barry.edu
Phone: 305-899-3760
Browse our subject guides: eguides.barry.edu
Check out our knowledge base: Library FAQs
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Databases are electronic indexes or catalogs of published books, journals, journal articles, conference papers, data, etc. The Monsignor William Barry Memorial Library subscribes to nearly 150 electronic databases.
On the Barry Library Homepage, you will find in the center column Databases by Subject and Databases by Title.
Databases by Subject: Here is a list of categories that will help you choose the best databases for your area of study.
Databases by Title: Here you will find links and descriptions of our databases in alphabetical order.
Using the library's single search engine, you will find most of the resources available from the Monsignor William Barry Memorial Library, including books and eBooks, journal articles, streaming audio/video, DVDs & videos, dissertations and theses, and much more.
With the Publication Finder you can find a specific journal title, e.g., Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, or choose a group of eJournals based on a subject related to your research (Education). Publication Finder displays the database(s) that include full-text articles for that journal. Before selecting a database, note the years available for that journal.
The library can get it for you within a few days with our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service. ILL provides current Barry University Faculty, Staff, and Students access to resources not available at the Monsignor William Barry Memorial Library.
ILL’s hours of operation are Monday–Friday from 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Borrowing services can be reached at 305-899-3943 or at ill@barry.edu.
Each participating institution issues the SEFLIN One Card to its patrons, students, faculty, and professional library staff according to its own policies.
A SEFLIN OneCard is available (free) to all currently registered Barry students in Southeast Florida. Request a SEFLIN OneCard at the Library's Main Floor Circulation Desk. To receive a SEFLIN card by mail, contact Circulation Supervisor at 305.899.3943 or 1.800.756.6000 x3943.
WorldCat contains over 40 million citations to books, periodicals, sound recordings, videos, musical scores, archival materials and much more, representing holdings of most libraries in North America and some in Europe.
You can search for popular books, music CDs and videos—all of the physical items you're used to getting from libraries. You can also discover many new kinds of digital content, such as downloadable audiobooks. You may also find article citations with links to their full text; authoritative research materials, such as documents and photos of local or historic significance; and digital versions of rare items that aren't available to the public. Because WorldCat libraries serve diverse communities in dozens of countries, resources are available in many languages.
Use wildcards, boolean operators, limiters, and grouping for better results.
Visit the 'Help" or 'FAQ' links below for additional information.
Frequently used eBook collections:
The Research Paper Process
Consider the following:
When in doubt, consult with your instructor.
The easiest way to search for information electronically is to enter a couple of keywords into the search box of the resource and see what type of results you get. This strategy, however, will often result in too few, too many, or irrelevant results.
In order to retrieve the most relevant results, you will need to construct a search string. A search string is a combination of keywords, truncation symbols, and boolean operators you enter into the search box of an electronic library resource or an Internet search engine.
Boolean searching is the traditional way to search for information in most online databases and on the Internet. Boolean operators are connector words (AND, OR, and NOT) used to create phrases and concepts based on specific rules of search logic.
| " " (quotations) | Use quotation marks around two or more words to find words or word variants in an exact order. | "social justice" |
| + (plus sign) | Use before a search term to find results containing that term. | +education |
| ( ) (parenthesis) | Use around search terms to group items when using AND, OR, NOT. | (disaster OR emergency) AND (funding OR appropriations) |
| ~ (tilde) | Use with a number after two or more words enclosed in quotation marks to find results containing all words (or word variants) within the specified distance from each other. | "social justice"~10 |
| ? (question mark) | Use in the middle or end of a word to indicate a single character ‘wildcard’. Finds results that include the search term with a single character variant. | wom?n |
| * (asterisk) | Use in the middle or end of a word to indicate a multiple character ‘wildcard’. Finds results that include the search term with zero or more character variants. | educa* |
There is a vast amount of information available on the Internet. However, the Internet is not regulated by any agency, so anyone can post information that may not be reliable. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the information before using it as a source.
Peer-reviewed (or refereed): Refers to articles that have undergone a rigorous review process, often including revisions to the original manuscript, by peers in their discipline, before publication in a scholarly journal. This can include empirical studies, review articles, meta-analyses among others.
Empirical study (or primary article): An empirical study is one that aims to gain new knowledge on a topic through direct or indirect observation and research. These include quantitative or qualitative data and analysis. In science, an empirical article will often include the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.
Review article: In the scientific literature, this is a type of article that provides a synthesis of existing research on a particular topic. These are useful when you want to get an idea of a body of research that you are not yet familiar with. It differs from a systematic review in that it does not aim to capture ALL of the research on a particular topic.
Systematic review: This is a methodical and thorough literature review focused on a particular research question. It's aim is to identify and synthesize all of the scholarly research on a particular topic in an unbiased, reproducible way to provide evidence for practice and policy-making. It may involve a meta-analysis (see below).
Meta-analysis: This is a type of research study that combines or contrasts data from different independent studies in a new analysis in order to strengthen the understanding of a particular topic. There are many methods, some complex, applied to performing this type of analysis.
North Carolina State University Library. (2014, May 1). Peer Review in 3 Minutes [Video]. Youtube.
An important part of gathering and evaluating sources for research projects is knowing the difference between scholarly, popular, and trade publications.
The physical appearance of print sources can help you identify the type of source as well. Scholarly journals are usually smaller and thicker with plain covers and images. Popular magazines and trade publications are usually glossy with many photos. In electronic sources you can check for bibliographies and author credentials or affiliations as potential indicators of scholarly sources.
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Scholarly (including peer-reviewed) |
Trade Publications |
Popular Magazines |
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Content |
Research results/ reports; reviews of research (review articles); book reviews |
Articles about a certain business or industry |
Current events; general interest articles |
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Purpose |
To share research or scholarship with the academic community |
To inform about business or industry news, trends, or products |
To inform, entertain, or elicit an emotional response |
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Author |
Scholars/researchers |
Staff writers, business/industry professionals |
Staff writers, journalists, freelancers |
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Audience |
Scholars, researchers, students |
Business/industry professionals |
General public |
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Review |
Editorial board made up of other scholars and researchers. Some articles are peer-reviewed |
Staff editor |
Staff editor |
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Citations |
Bibliographies, references, endnotes, footnotes |
Few, may or may not have any |
May not have citations, or may be informal (ex. according to... or links) |
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Frequency |
Quarterly or semi-annually |
Weekly/monthly |
Weekly/monthly |
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Ads* |
Minimal, usually only for scholarly products like books |
Ads are for products geared toward specific industry |
Numerous ads for a variety of products |
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Examples in Library Databases |
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A primary source is a firsthand or eyewitness account of information by an individual close to the topic. Examples of primary sources include autobiographies, personal correspondence (e.g., diary entries, letters), government documents, works of art and literature, statistics and data, and newspaper articles written by reporters close to the source. Today, even some social media posts are considered primary sources, because they are firsthand accounts of information.
Purdue OWL. (n.d.). Primary vs. Secondary Sources. Purdue Online Writing Lab.
Academic Video Online: Premium - Streaming video resource covering the following areas and more: art, architecture, counseling and therapy, dance, education, law and public safety, literature, opera, psychology, theatre, and musical performance.
Films On Demand - Web-based digital video delivery service.
Kanopy - Video streaming platform with over 30,000 award-winning documentaries, foreign and indie films, training films, classic movies and more.
Through a range of customized services — from First-Year Academic Advising and individualized academic success coaching to professional tutoring to financial aid counseling — CASA ensures that students have the support they need to realize their full potential at Barry University.
Barry University’s Glenn Hubert Learning Center serves as an academic resource for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students seeking assistance with college-level reading and analytical thinking skills, writing, and mathematics. Through GHLC’s Mathematics Laboratory, Reading Center, and Writing Center, students can work one-on-one with experienced professional tutors and obtain necessary support to be successful in a college-classroom setting. Services provided by the GHLC include customized directed tutorials, workshops, seminars, and classroom visitations, among others.
Barry University guide to citing and writing.
Purdue OWL is the foremost writing assistance resource. You will find a multitude of resources detailing all aspects of research and writing.
OWL Purdue. (2020, November 30). APA 7th Edition: References | Part I [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/qQ0iUeUxazM
OWL Purdue. (2020, December 2). APA 7th Edition: References | Part II [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/7FXMuW0qY9k
A literature review is a critical summary of what the scientific literature says about your specific topic or question. Often student research in APA fields falls into this category. Your professor might ask you to write this kind of paper to demonstrate your familiarity with work in the field pertinent to the research you hope to conduct.
While the APA Publication Manual does not require a specific order for a literature review, a good literature review typically contains the following components:
Some instructors may also want you to write an abstract for a literature review, so be sure to check with them when given an assignment. Also, the length of a literature review and the required number of sources will vary based on course and instructor preferences.
NOTE: A literature review and an annotated bibliography are not synonymous. While both types of writing involve examining sources, the literature review seeks to synthesize the information and draw connections between sources. If you are asked to write an annotated bibliography, you should consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for the APA Format for Annotated Bibliographies.
Scribbr. (2020, April 3). How to Write a Literature Review: 3 Minute Step-by-step Guide [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/u0KVJ0lj8rw
Scribbr. (2021, March 14). LITERATURE REVIEW: Step by step guide for writing an effective literature review [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/Vc_Yu_61Ymg
Health Sciences Literature Review Made Easy by 
Succeeding with Your Literature Review: a Handbook for Students by 
Preparing Literature Reviews-3rd Ed by 