Electronic Resources for research in physics

Overview of session  Navigating Oxlip, our information gateway  Search tips  Locating full-text articles.

OxLIP  Library catalogues including OLIS  Bibliographic databases (journal article summaries & tables of contents)  Full-text electronic journals  Internet sites (subject gateways)  Reference works & Statistics

Glossary  Library Catalogue = a list of books, journals, maps, records etc. held in the library arranged in a systematic manner  Bibliographic Database = an indexed source of citations of journal articles

Bibliographic databases  Multidisciplinary in coverage, eg. Web of Kowledge  Subject specific, eg. MathSci, Inspec, Compendex  SCOPUS New, on trial in Oxford until September 2006 New, on trial in Oxford until September 2006 Covers sciences and social sciences Covers sciences and social sciences  Some references will provide links to full text via new “TOUR” feature

Bib. databases - Subject specific For Physics For Physics - INSPEC - INSPEC Comprehensive database covering Physics, Computers and Control, Electrical and Electronic EngineeringComprehensive database covering Physics, Computers and Control, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Uses BRITISH English (all other databases use American English)Uses BRITISH English (all other databases use American English) Access from OxlipAccess from Oxlip Available from Oxlip/WebSpirs databasesAvailable from Oxlip/WebSpirs databases No need for password within the Oxford domainNo need for password within the Oxford domain.

Search strategy  Ask a clear search question  Break the question into search concepts  Select a range of search terms  Combine terms into a search strategy  Search appropriate subject databases/resources  Find more search terms from retrieved records while searching

Searching techniques  Boolean connectors : AND, OR, NOT  AND to narrow the search  OR to broaden the search (synonyms)  NOT to exclude some terms  Symbols for wildcards and truncation ? for a single character within the word ? for a single character within the word wom?n will find woman or womenwom?n will find woman or women * for truncation or variant spellings * for truncation or variant spellings enzym* for enzyme, enzymes, enzymology etc.enzym* for enzyme, enzymes, enzymology etc.

Search topic How could traffic congestion be improved by fitting more cars with cruise control, more specifically with adaptive cruise control (or ACC)? ( ACC is a modified version of traditional cruise control which automatically accelerates or decelerates a car to maintain a fixed distance between it and the car in front of it)

OR, AND, NOT Traffic Adaptive cruise control Cruise control

Search string: Traffic control AND (cruise control OR adaptive cruise control OR ACC)

Getting your hands on the full- text  Use “TOUR” link to see if full text is available  Check TDNet (Oxlip/Electronic Journals)  Is it in an Oxford library? Check OLIS (Oxlip/OLIS) Check OLIS (Oxlip/OLIS)  If not, try Inter-Library Loan from the RSL