Finding Academic Literature in Physics Richard Holmes, Durham University Library.
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Transcript of Finding Academic Literature in Physics Richard Holmes, Durham University Library.
Finding Academic Literature in Physics
Richard Holmes, Durham University Library
Aims
• To bring everybody up to speed• Pre-empt some common questions• Dispel common misapprehensions• Explain the tools available• Provide time for hands-on and for Q&A
Format
• Where to search Introduction to the tools• Hands on• How to search: strategies and techniques• Hands on• Q&A• Feedback
Quick Question
• Where do you search for academic information at the moment?
Use the Right Tool
• Google isn’t great for academic research• Alternatives are more efficient…• Save you time• Improve your results
What’s wrong with using Google then?
Problems with Google
• Too many search results• Not targeted at academics• Indiscriminate harvesting of information• Search results are manipulated (personalised)• Google has no awareness of Durham holdings
or subscriptions
But, good for finding ‘grey’ literature
Library Catalogue, then?
Hands-on!
Using the library catalogue - http://library.dur.ac.uk - find at least one good-quality piece of academic research on:
Determination of the Hubble Constant
Library Catalogue
Benefits:• Degree of quality assurance• Check local availability of
specific content• Find monographs on your
subject• Access to everything it finds
No good for finding:• Chapters (in textbooks)• Articles• Conference papers• Newspaper reports• Theses • Technical notes• Images
An extremely superficial search tool
Commercial Databases
Two distinct types:
Full Text
VS
Bibliographic
Commercial Databases
1 - Full text collections– ScienceDirect– Institute of Physics e-journal collection
• Search every word in every paper (deep searching)• View the full PDFs immediately (where entitled)
But…
• Narrow breadth (limited or individual publishers)• Multiple search interfaces to learn• Increased chance of ‘false hits’
Commercial Databases
2 - Indexes of bibliographic information– Web of Science– FirstSearch– Astrophysics Data Service (ADS)
Search multiple publishers at onceMainly peer reviewed materials
But…
No knowledge of your access entitlementsUse ConneXions to check Local availability
A Hybrid…’Discover’
• Deeper searching• Identifies a range of content types (including articles,
chapters, images, primary material)• Options to limit or filter results• Searches just owned/subscribed content but can also
search more broadly
But…
• Less comprehensive than some alternatives• No citation data to assess popularity or impact• Less refined than some alternatives
Have a Go!
“Determinations of the Hubble Constant”
Catalogue - http://library.dur.ac.uk
ScienceDirect - www.dur.ac.uk/library --> Databases
Web of Science - www.dur.ac.uk/library --> Databases
Discover - www.dur.ac.uk/library (link under search box)
No one resource covers everything! Use a range of options.
What to search
Entering correct syntax
The Research Cycle1.
Decide where to
search
2.Choose
your search terms
3.Perform
the search
4.Review results
Choosing Search Terms
Identify keywords from your topic:
Describe the physics behind butterflies’ iridescent colours
Choosing Search Terms
Identify keywords from your topic:
Describe the physics behind butterflies’ iridescent colours
Choosing Search Terms
Identify keywords from your topic:
Describe the physics behind butterflies’ iridescent colours
Advanced searching techniques:• Synonyms: butterfly | Lepidoptera | diurnal insect • Truncation: physic* to locate physics, physical science, physicist… • Wildcards: colo?r to locate colour or color• Phrases: “iridescent colour”• Joining Words: AND, OR, NOT
Have a go!
Identify keywords from your topic:
Describe the physics behind butterflies’ iridescent colours
Advanced searching techniques:• Synonyms: butterfly | Lepidoptera | diurnal insect • Truncation: physic* to locate physics, physical science, physicist… • Wildcards: colo?r to locate colour or color• Phrases: “iridescent colour”• Joining Words: AND, OR, NOT
A Word on Google Scholar
• Filters out web sites and other ‘lay’ material
• Searches mainly academic domains
• Some awareness of Durham collections
• Broader search than some alternatives
• Indexing is still automated• Hazy definition of
‘scholarly’• Depth of coverage (misses
key resources)• Limited filter/refine options• Less structured/consistent
records than alternatives
Tip: Set up ‘library links’
The Good The Bad
Evaluate your resources
Consider:• Who wrote it• What are their credentials?• Who did they write it for?• Why did they write it?• When did they write it?
Further guidance at• http://prezi.com/q5jglgamre6c/evaluating-information/ • https://www.dur.ac.uk/library/using/finding/evalinfo/
Key Points
• In most databases you do not have full access to everything• No one database searches everything• Use the right tool for the type of information you need• Full Text searches deeply in a narrow spectrum of literature• Bibliographic searches information about materials; not the
full text• ‘Discover’ combines bibliographic and full text searches• Commercial databases need more careful and more literal
instructions than Google…• …but are more efficient and offer better limit/filter options
Further Information
Physics Subject Page - https://www.dur.ac.uk/library/physics/ (follow link marked ‘Research Skills’)
Slides available at: https://www.dur.ac.uk/library/physics/info_skills/undergradsession/