1. Library 150: Information Literacy & Research Skills E. Chisato Uyeki Fall 2006: Week 2 September 29, 2006

2. Getting Started  NIS accounts? Changing your password  Office Hours today: 12-1:30  Any questions?

3. Today’s Class: Finding Books  Search strategies  Library catalogs: CSULA Library Catalog (OPAC) All CSU Union Catalog (Pharos) WorldCat & Open WorldCat  Evaluation Criteria  Interlibrary Loan

4. Search Techniques  Alternative Terms / Synonyms Use synonyms for better-quality results  Example: teenagers  Alternatives: youth, adolescents  Related Terms Use words for similar concepts  Example: smoking  Related terms: tobacco, cigarettes

5. Search Techniques  Truncation Need at least three letters to start politic* retrieves:  politic, politics, political, politicians, etc. Check the HELP section of each database for the correct symbol

6. Search Techniques AND: Narrows a search Means ALL keywords must be in search results Reading AND children

7. Search Techniques OR Broadens a search Either one, the other, or both keywords must be in search results Women OR Females

8. Searching the catalog  Keyword vs. Subject Heading Searching  Books = Broad Topics  Reserves  Periodicals by name  Basic Search Basic Search  Advanced Search  Help

15. In-class Exercise Groups  Lekeith and Deisy  Jessica and Yelena  Michelle and Noe  Karen and Antonio  Sandra and Gabby  Esmeralda and Latasha  Miriam and Lamar  Maria and Luz

16. Broaden Your Search  Use OR with synonyms, alternative terms  car OR automobile to include related terms  driv*(e, er, ing) OR vehicle operator  Use a more general term (go from freeway to road)  Search by Keyword  Use truncation

17. Narrow Your Search  AND retrieves only items where the two concepts overlap  Example: smoking AND teenagers  Use Advanced Search to limit by place (United States, California, etc.) format (printed materials, scholarly articles, etc.) time period (last 5 years) language (English) Person or group of people (girls, Asian Americans)

18. Sophisticated Searching Techniques  Keep a record  Consider alternative perspectives  Discipline-based resources  And, Or, Not, & Truncation  Subject terms  Citation searching/chasing  Diversify types of materials  Refine & revise search terms

19. Evaluating your Results Critical evaluation:  Who created it? (authority)  For whom? (audience)  When was it created? (currency)  What does it include? (scope & treatment)  How does it relate to other works?  Does it help answer your question? Adapted from Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe’s “Evaluation of Information”

20. Other catalogs  All CSU Catalog Search: (urban OR city OR cities) and automobile* and change  Interlibrary Loan  Open WorldCat same  WorldCat Los Angeles and automobile* and change