ENG 102 Finding Information Martin J. Crabtree MCCC Library

Agenda The College’s Card Catalog Electronic Searching –Keywords & Boolean Searching Electronic Databases at Mercer –Accessing the databases –Databases available through Mercer Library Database Info ≠ Web Info MLA resources

Using The Card Catalog The catalog is available online. Used to find books, videos and other material both in the MCCC collection and the Mercer County Public (MCL) libraries. You can have materials from MCL brought to the college. Deliveries arrive Tuesday and Friday afternoons. (DVD’s not available from MCL) Link to the catalog is on the library’s web pages. library’s web pages.

The link to the catalog is on the library’s web pages.library’s web pages.

Searching Electronic Databases And The Web Too

Starting An Electronic Search Keywords Keywords are used when searching electronic databases and web search engines First step - Generate a list of words (keywords) that describes or is commonly used when discussing your topic. For example: –Ozone –Layer –Depletion –Atmosphere –Hole

Starting An Electronic Search Boolean Searching/Logic Boolean searching - Connecting keywords with the terms –and –not –or For example –eagles NOT football –(car or automobile) and exhaust More Terms = Fewer “Hits”

Searching More Than Just Keywords Phrases & Truncations To search for a phrase, use quotation marks –“survival of the fittest” Truncations allow for searching related words all at once –The * is usually used (! For Lexis-Nexis). For example: “child*” would include: child, children, childhood, childproof, etc.

Searching More Than Just Keywords Field Limiters Field limiters allow you to specify your search within varied parameters for example: –Only full-text articles –Only peer reviewed (scholarly) publications –Date (or date range)

Let’s take a quick look at how Boolean searching can help

Electronic Databases at the Mercer Library

Electronic Databases In General Over 60 databases available Not every article is available full text though many are Abstracts (summary) is often available when full text is not

Electronic Databases In General Accessible at any computer on the MCCC/JKC campus network Most are available off campus, though you do need to use a password. Can print/ /download articles

Accessing Databases Remotely You can access most of the databases from any computer with internet access. Use your student ID number (no dashes) and your last name to log into the databases. i.e. If you are already using a library issued password and ID number, they are still valid too.

Remote Login Screen Use your previously issued User ID & password Use your student ID number & last name

Some Useful Databases Academic Search Premier (EBSCOHost) –Broadest of the databases covering everything from science to the humanities including many scholarly journals –Not every article full text –Need Acrobat Reader for some articles Literature Resource Center - Reviews, criticisms, and biographical info on a number of authors and their works.Literature Resource Center

More Databases A number of subject specific databases are available covering: –Business (ABI/Inform) –Newspapers (Academic-Universe: News) –Social Science (Proquest Social Science Journals) –Architecture (Architectural Index) –Education (Proquest Educational Journals) –more Also other resources –Encyclopedia Britannica –Oxford English Dictionary –AP Photo Archive – News & historical photographs

Database info vs. web info Is this stuff any good?

What is a databases? A collection of electronically searchable information (frequently, but not limited to, periodical articles) that is accessible via the internet Access to this information is by paid subscription only (paid by the library). It is accessible via the internet, but it is not truly web information.

Database info ≠ Webpage info Though both use a browser (like Netscape or Explorer) the information is not the same. Database info comes from known sources of information such as Newsweek or The New York Times. Web information can be put up by anyone hence the quality of this information varies greatly from site to site.

Database info ≠ Webpage info Accuracy: Editors & fact checkers insure this for periodicals, can’t tell if it’s done for many websites. Authority: Articles are written by experts or people who have researched a subject, with web info it can be hard to tell if the writer is an expert. Objectivity: Periodicals strive to give an unbiased presentation of information, some websites can be very opinionated

Database info ≠ Webpage info Currency: Periodicals always have a given date (i.e. Spring 2002, January 2005), often you can’t tell how old web info is. Coverage: Periodical articles, especially journals cover their subject thoroughly (though sometimes it can be very narrow), web info tends to be abbreviated (20 page journal articles are common, 20 page web pages are not).

Using the MLA format You will be using the MLA (Modern Language Association of America) style. The latest MLA manual is available in the library: –MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers at: LB 2369.G (in the reference collection & on reserve). The manual is not available on line.

Added MLA info is at the Research & Report Guides linkResearch & Report Guides

Now it’s your turn…