Library resources for your research

Butler College Dec 07

Laura Jeffrey

Outcomes

After this session you will be able to

• identify a range of secondary and online sources

• select the most appropriate sources for your subject

• search efficiently using catalogues and bibliographical databases

Which sources of information will you need for your research?

Resources

• Books & E-books

• Journals & e-journals

• E-prints

• Conference proceedings

• Theses

• Internet pages

• News sources

• Archives

• Statistics

• Official publications

• Patents

• Specialist reports

• Organisations/Contacts

• Discussion groups

• Academics & librarians

Scope of research

• Timescale

• Plan ahead

• Facts or opinion

• Primary or secondary data

– Conducting research

• Location of material and yourself

Begin Searches

Develop search strategy

keywords, phrases, authors

Identify suitable and relevant resources to

conduct initial searches

Define topic and issues in research

Maintain accurate records of all materials quoted or consulted substantially

Refine searches and search strategies based on initial results

Research cycle

There aren’t many books in the library that look relevant. How can I find out what else has been published?

Wider printed resources• To find out what’s out there:

– Other catalogues• COPAC• Public and University libraries

– Bibliographies– Online resources

• To get access:– Document Delivery Service– Visiting other libraries and archives

• check before you go• ID• SCONUL Access

I’ve found lots of books on the catalogue but haven’t time to read them until the summer. Have I wasted my time searching for them?

Library catalogue

• Catalogue can export records: Email/Save

• Reading history on your record

• Store – not everything is on the shelves

• Don’t forget reserves and recalls apply over the vacation

I’ve got an idea what I’d like to do my dissertation on but can only find a few things on the catalogue. How can I find out if I’m missing relevant titles?

Effective searches (1)

• Keywords and synonyms

• Truncation: soci* will find social, society, societal

• Wildcards: behavio?r will find British and US English spellings

Effective searches (2)

• Adjacency and Proximity: “Global warming” WITHIN 5 Kyoto

• Subject headings: Polymers - Organic compounds -Thin films - Monomolecular films

• Classmarks and browse shelves: 943.603

Keyword search strategy

AND

OR

colo?r

butterfl*

lepidoptera

AND NOT

moth*iridescen*

“diurnal insects”

Explain the iridescent colours on butterflies’ wing

crystal* WITHIN 3 photonic

UK

OR

I’ve found some interesting book titles but need to know what else has been published on this subject. Where should I start?

Bibliographic Databases

• Sort databases by subject• Web of Knowledge• International Bibliography of Social

Sciences (IBSS)• First Search

Check for access

• Off site access always go via the Library web pages

I’m fed up finding interesting journal articles that we don’t subscribe to. Where can I get hold of full-text articles?

Full-text databases

• JStor

• Science Direct

• Primary resources e.g. EEBO

• E-books e.g. DNB, Blackwell Reference

• E-prints e.g. OAIster or arXiv

• Off site access always go via the Library

web pages

Can’t I just use Google Scholar? I know I can get whole books and articles there.

Internet

• Who is the author? Their affiliation? Bias?

• Who hosts the site? When was it published?

• Are there any references to follow up?

• Use gateways for pre-evaluated web resources e.g. Intute

• Tutorials e.g. Internet for …

All my results are out of date – the most recent are from the late 1990s. How can I keep up-to-date?

Current awareness

• Table of contents alerts– Zetoc– RSS

• Conferences

• Theses

• Save searches on databases to re-run at later date

I’d like to analyse media representations of an historical event. Do I have to go to each newspaper’s website to view their archive?

News sources

• Access via Online Resources

• Times Online Digital Archive 1785-1985

• Infotrac – all major broadsheets from mid 80s and 90s

• Nexis - recent news from global sources and some local papers e.g. Banbury Guardian

• Microform for local papers

You’ve shown us lots of resources but how will I remember where to go to get access to them?

Subject pages

www.dur.ac.uk/library/resources/subject/

• Links to resources

• Contact details

• Training material

I haven’t started my research yet. What happens when I’ve forgotten all this in a few months time?

Assistance

• Enquiries Desk/ service points

• Online enquiry servicehttp://www.dur.ac.uk/library/use/enquiries.htm

• Academic Support Team for one-to-one information skills sessions – details at bottom of subject page

Any questions?