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CONTENTS 3 Where to start Search by Subject Catalogue Electronic journals Journal databases Search engins - Google Additional information Where to start Search by Subject Catalogue Electronic journals Journal databases Search engins - Google Additional information

Where do I start????? 4

5 Point of departure: SEARCH BY SUBJECT

6 Choose your Subject, eg CHEMISTRY

7 Web page with Information Sources for your chosen subject

8 Different types of information are available Books: Printed & Electronic (also known as e-books) Journals: Printed & Electronic (also known as e-journals) Internet: by making use of a search engine, eg Google Books: Printed & Electronic (also known as e-books) Journals: Printed & Electronic (also known as e-journals) Internet: by making use of a search engine, eg Google

9 To check the holdings and availability of textbooks and/or journals on the NWU campus, go to the LIBRARY CATALOGUE

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11 Enter under Search ór at Search Options using available information for the publication

12 A typical catalogue record for a BOOK. At which library the book can be found. The shelf number where you will find the book. If the book is available or already taken out. 1

13 A typical catalogue record for an E-BOOK This link will take you to the full text

14 The volumes and years that are available for this journal title in the Library Printed journals may only be used in the Library At which library you will find this journal title Journal title

15 Information on the NATURAL SCIENCES LIBRARY

16 ELECTRONIC JOURNALS (e-journals) Many journals are available in electronic, full text format. For a complete alphabetical e-journal title list & period of availability, go to the A–Z list

17 From your chosen subject page, eg CHEMISTRY

18 Example of an e-journal entry in the A-Z list Type the journal title here and enter on search The provider’s name + the period of e-availability. Enter on the provider’s name (in green) to access the full text

19 Example of an electronic journal on the provider’s web page. From here select: 1. Volume. 2. The specific page numbers of the article you need. 3. Enter on the PDF link for the full text

20 The first page from a journal article. 1= Journal title, 2= Article title, 3= Authors, 4=Abstract, 5= Keywords

21 JOURNAL DATABASES To find references to journal articles, make use of JOURNAL DATABASES, eg ScienceDirect, ISI Web of Science, EbscoHost, etc.

22 From your chosen subject page, select the JOURNAL DATABASE that you want to search in, eg ScienceDirect, ISI Web of Science, EbscoHost, etc.

23 SEARCH STRATEGY To perform a search in a Journal Database, you need to plan your search strategy. Identify the concepts and formulate keywords, using Boolean operators: AND = will narrow your search, eg lesion AND pancreatic for articles including both these concepts. OR = will widen your search, eg using synonyms, alternative spelling, eg kidney OR renal for articles including either the one or the other keyword. NOT = will eliminate irrelevant keywords, eg ganglia OR tumor NOT malignant (Examples from ScienceDirect

24 As an example of a Journal Database, let’s take a look at EbscoHost

25 EBSCOHOST EbscoHost is a “host” to many databases with subject coverage from theology to engineering. Select the databases you want to search in, and then perform your search simultaneously on all those selected databases.

26 Select the databases you want to search in, eg Academic Search Premier and enter on Continue

27 The Keywords you need information on. The Position in article where these keywords should appear. Section of the Result List. Article is available full text Link to determine if journal is available on NWU campus Link to A-Z list to determine if journal is available in electronic, full text format

28 In Result List mark the relevant results by entering on Add to folder After selecting the promising references from Result List, enter on Folder at top of web page. Here you will find a list of the references you marked, from where you can print, save, etc. Wherever the full text of an article is available, you should first open the full text and print, save, etc. from there.

29 Add to Folder Folder

30 Example of an information search on the Journal Database, ScienceDirect. Enter on Advanced search

Search strategy using keywords. 2. Position in articles where keywords should appear. 3. Period you need information on.

32 Example of a Result List from ScienceDirect Enter on the PDF, when available, for the full text article. Where there’s no PDF available, check the A-Z list to determine if this journal is: a) available full text from one of the other ejounal providers. b) if this journal is available in printed format on campus.

33 Engineering students – please take note. From your chosen subject page: 1 = 250+ Full text engineering ebooks. 2 = Full text patents. 1 2

34 Search engines eg GOOGLE See if there’s a person/organisation taking ownership and responsibility for the information – because, if no one wants his name appearing on a web page….why not?? Compare the information on the web pages to what you already know about your topic – does it make sense? What was the last date this web page was updated? When you do use information from a search engine, always keep a copy of the original information (print out/ memory stick…) + the date of access, because if your project leader wants to check the information on the search engine, and the web page is gone, you’ll have a difficult time proofing the existence of the information, without a copy of the original. Anyone can place information on a search engine and these web pages come and go – therefore you should by very critical on the information you intend using.

35 When using Google, use Google Scholar preferable. It provides you with academic and scientific information from journal articles, books, patents, thesis and dissertations… Google Scholar

36 Result List from a search in Google Scholar Information available in full text

37 GOOGLE BOOKS is convenient when searching for full text, e-books on a specific topic. After providing the keywords, mark FULL VIEW ONLY

38 Additional functionalities on GOOGLE (Advanced Search) These additional functionalities will enable you to use GOOGLE more effectively.

39 Additional information Bibliographic style. For an electronic copy of the instructions to the NWU Harvard bibliographic style, go to Plagiarism. For information on this subject, go to: Interlibrary Loans (ILL). The service is available to registered fourth year degree course students, Hons-, M- and D-students as well as staff of the NWU: Potchefstroom Campus. Research Support. For more useful information to assist you in your research: from your chosen subject page, eg Chemistry, select Research Support

40 From your chosen subject page, eg Chemistry, select Research Support

41 RESEARCH SUPPORT

42 THANK YOU and success with your studies.