1. This section of UPLift! is aimed at all students. It focuses on the core skills required to make effective use of the specialist databases provided by the University of Portsmouth’s Library. These databases are essential for helping you to locate suitable academic information for your studies. This section, for example, will help you to locate and access reference resources, audio-visual information and scholarly journal articles using the Discovery Service. Perhaps you know how to do some of these things already? Take the short quiz to find out. Perhaps you need to develop a particular skill? Take the link to find out more. If you would like some more help click on the Help! button, otherwise move to the next page using the arrow icon. Core Skills UPLift! is designed to work with Microsoft Office 2007. If required, a viewer can be downloaded from here. To interact with UPLift! view as a Slide Showhere Searching for information using specialist databases

2. Click on Q&A to link to a short quiz to see if you can do the basics of this skill. Click on the ? icon to find links to information, guides, video clips etc. to help you develop this skill. Move between slides by following the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen. Tick the box when you have completed the quiz. First of all, select Slide Show, then From the Beginning.

3. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills SkillCan I do this?Find out more Identify which sources to use for your research Suggest why the library Discovery Service is a good place to start your research Explain why it is important to refine your search results when using the Discovery Service Identify how to access additional databases from the Discovery Service Locate and access databases from on and off-campus via standard or alternative login procedures Locate and search reference resources such as Credo Reference      

4. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills SkillCan I do this?Find out more Identify icons which will enable you to print, save or email useful information found Identify specialist databases in your subject area, e.g. maps and statistics Identify guidance and comply with copyright law when using databases    Esc to exit

5. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Identify which sources to use for your research Where should we look for the latest news from the Prime Minister? Prime Minister’s website Twitter or Facebook Newspapers Television/radio news Straight from the Official Site Are you following the PM or commentators? May take a day to be published – also consider the bias of the reporter May take a day to be published – also consider the bias of the reporter Likely to be up-to-date – consider the bias of the reporter Click on the suggestions

6. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Identify which sources to use for your research When you are asked to undertake an assignment it is likely that your research will require you to investigate several topics for the same piece of work. It is helpful to identify those different topics and then decide what sort of information sources are likely to help you find what you need. For instance, if your topic is very up-to-date, you will need to look at journal articles or authoritative websites. Books generally talk about well established ideas. The Information Landscape has more information about when and why you should use different types of information and gives some examples of where to start looking.Information Landscape

7. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Suggest why the library Discovery Service is a good place to start your research Library of Congress CC. From Flickr It searches a wide range of databases at once. You can find books, journal articles, images and other academic information. It searches a wide range of databases at once. You can find books, journal articles, images and other academic information. Press button to find out Why is the Discovery Service a good place to start my research?Discovery Service Why is the Discovery Service a good place to start my research?Discovery Service

8. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Suggest why the library Discovery Service is a good place to start your research The Discovery Service is a good place to start your research because it searches across many library databases at once. It is important to refine your results to get the most relevant search results (refer to the next question). The guide Library Discovery Service will help you to search effectively.Library Discovery Service

9. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Explain why it is important to refine your search results when using the Discovery Service Sarah has found more than a million search results relating to her keywords. What should she do to reduce this number and make her search more relevant to what she wants?

10. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Looking at this screen shot from the Discovery Service, how can you help Sarah to reduce the number of search results and make them more relevant to what she wants? Click here to find out what she could do Refine your results Full Text Online is a good option if you are working at home Available in Library Collection is a good option to select if you are researching an essay Catalogue Only is a useful option if you’re just starting out on your research More Slide the Publication Date ruler to more recent years, if appropriate Source Types – refine using this if you know that you only want e.g. books or journal articles Keep working down the column; there are even more refine options.

11. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Explain why it is important to refine your search results when using the Discovery Service Chiot’s Run CC. From Flickr As with any search engine, you need to take control of the search. Refining your results simply enables you to sift through to find what you are really looking for. Some people prefer to do this when they begin their search, others like to see what comes up and then refine the results. Page 2 of the Discovery Service guide will help you to do this well. Discovery Service

12. Click here to reveal the answer Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Identify how to access additional databases from the Discovery Service Visit the Discovery Service.Discovery Service Search for “computer animation”. Look to the right of the page to see this column: Additional Resources. Hover your mouse over the icon next to the word Details – what do you discover? Visit the Discovery Service.Discovery Service Search for “computer animation”. Look to the right of the page to see this column: Additional Resources. Hover your mouse over the icon next to the word Details – what do you discover? Even more results! Visit the Find out More Page to find out why. Even more results! Visit the Find out More Page to find out why.

13. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Identify how to access additional databases from the Discovery Service Some databases and other resources are shown on the right of the results screen, labeled Additional Resources. You will need to select Show more to view them. We are not currently able to integrate them into the main Discovery Service results, so instead they are searched simultaneously, with results kept separate on the right hand side. To view these search results, just click on the specific Additional Resource, or tick it to include them with the main Discovery Service results.

14. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Locate and access databases from on and off-campus via standard or alternative login procedures Click on the button which describes the standard password procedure for logging into databases from off campus Shibboleth Athens Moodle No, Try again Correct, Shibboleth

15. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Locate and access databases from on and off-campus via standard or alternative login procedures The Help & Support section of the Library website has lots of information about logging in to databases and other resources from on and off campus: Accessing Electronic Resources Accessing Electronic Resources is a good starting point for guidance on how to access the majority of Library resources. Some databases require a special login and these can be found on a separate list of Off-Campus Passwords.Off-Campus Passwords You may find it useful to set up your home computer so that it behaves as if it were on-campus. You can do this by setting up University Web Proxy.University Web Proxy

16. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Locate and search reference resources such as Credo Use Credo to find out who said the following:Credo “Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate” (click to reveal answer) “Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate” (click to reveal answer) John F. Kennedy: Source: Bloomsbury Thesaurus, 1997 Image from: U.S. Embassy New Delhi, CC. Flickr

17. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Locate and search reference resources such as Credo Many databases have useful help pages or videos to show users the main features. Visit the Credo Help Pages. Search for help on Mind Map (you may need to login).Credo Help Pages Access Credo Reference from the Library Catalogue or from the right hand side of the Discovery Service search results page.Library Catalogue Help

18. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Can you identify icons which will enable you to print, save or email useful information found? PrintSave Email ???

19. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Identify icons which will enable you to print, save or email useful information found Most databases will offer you the option to print, save or email your search results: Sometimes there are options to add your selected items to a folder or ‘mark’ your records, which usually means tick a box next to the item you wish to select. You will then need to go to the folder or ‘marked records list’ to select which items you want to save, print or email.

20. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Identify specialist databases in your subject area, e.g. maps and statistics I need to find some specialist databases which will help me to find information relating to my topic Visit the Library homepage and try out some links which might help Alexis to get startedLibrary homepage then choose your subject, then Find Articles Click here to reveal possible answers

21. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Identify specialist databases in your subject area, e.g. maps and statistics On the Library homepage you will see a tab called My Subject. Here you will find resources recommended by your Faculty Librarian. They will include specialist databases for your subject area, e.g. government sources or statistics as well as databases for locating journal articles, websites and much more. My Subject is a good place to start your research.My Subject

22. Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Identify guidance and comply with copyright law when using databases Link (and log on) to the Business Source Complete database. At the very bottom of the search screen you will see a link to ‘Terms of Use’. Look at the information and answer the following question.Business Source Complete Link (and log on) to the Business Source Complete database. At the very bottom of the search screen you will see a link to ‘Terms of Use’. Look at the information and answer the following question.Business Source Complete My friend is studying at a different University, would it be okay if I gave her my password so that she could use this database? YesNo Click on the correct answer 

23. Others, such as those provided by EBSCO put their ‘Terms of Use’ at the bottom of the page. This is where you will often find such information for individual websites Searching for information using specialist databases Core Skills Identify guidance and comply with copyright law when using databases Some databases, e.g. Nexis UK, asks that you accept the ‘Terms of Use’ prior to entering and searching the resource Copyright information about particular databases can be found under a heading such as ‘Terms of Use’ or ‘Terms and Conditions’. You should be aware of such guidelines.