Writing Across the Professions Library Resources: A Review Frederic Murray Assistant Professor MLIS, University of British Columbia BA, Political Science, University of Iowa Instructional Services Librarian Al Harris Library
Today’s Goal Deepen your research skills using library resources.
The universe (which others call the Library) is composed of an indefinite and perhaps infinite number of hexagonal galleries… - Jorge Luis Borges The Library of Babel 1941
Outline of Session Evaluation of Sources Planning your search/Keywords/Boolean Library Tool: Catalog –Al Harris/WorldCat/Ebrary Library Tool: Periodical List Snowballing/Tracking Citations Library Tool: Databases Sample searches/Putting it all together
Institute For Historical Review
Outline of Session Evaluation of Sources Planning your search/Keywords/Boolean Library Tool: Catalog –Al Harris/WorldCat/Ebrary Library Tool: Periodical List Snowballing/Tracking Citations Library Tool: Databases Sample searches Information Literary
Planning Your Search: Major Concerns Right keywords to search –Language, language, language Narrowing the search –Too much information running through my brain Too much information driving me insane - Sting Navigating the Library Web Page –Do you know the neighborhood?
Identifying Keywords Identify the significant terms and concepts that describe your topic from your thesis statement or research question. These terms become the key for searching catalogs, databases and search engines for information about your subject.
Boolean AND = Narrow OR = Expand NOT = Exclude
Boolean Operators Connect keywords only Must be placed between keywords AND –Narrows your search OR –Expands your search with synonymous terms NOT –Excludes words from your search –If used too much, it can work against you!
Library Tool: Catalogs
Catalogs Al Harris Library - Local Holdings - Boolean - Subject Headings - Add Limiter - 2 nd Floor - Last 5 years Open WorldCat - Global - Boolean - Related Subjects - Refine Your Search - Interlibrary Loan Keywords
E-Books: Ebrary/Netbook 24/7 Full Text Searching* Chapter Results Highlight Markup Note Taking Changeable Font Size Online Bookshelf Multiplicity of Use
Library Tool: Periodical List
We think of citation patterns as the flow of information," says Carl Bergstrom, a biologist at the University of Washington. "That's what a citation is — the trace that an idea flowed from one place to another."
Snowballing Building on the works of others A scholarly article will always have References/Bibliography… …and a bibliography is always ripe for the picking.
Tracking Citations Wild, D. (2003, March). GOING TO WAR: A LITERATURE REVIEW. Emergency Nurse, 10 (10), 18. Retrieved June 4, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database
Tracking Citations Wild, D. (2003, March). GOING TO WAR: A LITERATURE REVIEW. Emergency Nurse, 10 (10), 18. Retrieved June 4, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database
The Citation Video
Class Exercise Periodicals List Worksheet Do we have access to the Journal? If so, do we have access to the specific article?
Library Tool: Databases
Choose Appropriate Databases Google is not (usually) the answer Start with Library Resources for your Subject First Search a range of databases Think about the range of sources: books, journal articles, statistics, websites, conference reports…
JSTOR Includes archives of over one thousand leading academic journals across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Search by discipline: Sociology
Project Muse Project Muse contains the full text of over 40 Johns Hopkins Press scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences
EBSCOhost Databases: Academic Search Complete PsycARTICLES SocINDEX with Full Text TOPICsearch
Working with EBSCOhost Create a Folder Narrow Your Search –Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals –Filter by Publication Date –Filter by Subject:Thesaurus Term –Filter by Publication Cited References
The Citation Video: Advanced
Class Exercise Academic Search Complete Worksheet Work with your topic Work together Get familiar with narrowing your results
Recommendations Subject Headings –Catalogs/PL/Database Discipline Specific Dictionaries Bibliographies –Citation Research
Writing Your Paper Writing Center –Located in the basement of the library –Call for appointment # MLA Style –Style Sheets –MLA Handbook at Reference & Circulation Desk –
Questions? Contact me: Frederic Murray
Thanks!