MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPY – RESEARCH & LIBRARY RESOURCES Megan Lowe, MFT Liaison Librarian/Assoc. Prof.

Session Overview  Research skills refresher  Databases (for MFT)  Off-campus access of databases  Interlibrary Loan (ILL)  Q & A

Research Skills Refresher  A broad topic is a bad topic – it only makes the process more difficult for you  Generating a list of keywords BEFORE you start researching is a good way to stay on task – it can also function as a brainstorming tool  Outlining never goes out of style – creating an outline of your research paper or project can help you break the process into steps, which keeps you from feeling overwhelmed  Organization is key – find a ‘system’ that works for you, and use it!

Research Skills Refresher  Procrastination is NOT an option in the research process – good research takes time; otherwise, you’ll just take what you can find, and that makes for bad research products  Do not multitask in the research process  Remember that preparation makes everything easier  And perhaps most importantly of all: if you need help at any stage in the process, you have a dedicated librarian (ME!) who is willing and able to help you!

Research Skills Refresher  Do YOU have any tips that you find help with research?  Do YOU have any habits that help you in the research process?  What slows you down?  What makes things easier?  What’s your secret weapon for research?

Databases (for MFT)  The benefit of using the Library’s resources is that our resources are vetted before you access them – you know you’ll be getting reliable, professional, scholarly resources if you use the Library’s resources  MOST of our resources are available off- campus/remotely, but more on how that works later – just know that you don’t have to be *IN* the Library to conduct productive research  Databases are a much more efficient way of locating articles on your topic/thesis

Databases (for MFT)  If you are looking for a SPECIFIC journal title, you can consult the ULM Library Catalog - OR - the ULM Electronic Journals (which we’ll look at shortly)  But if you just want a selection of articles on a topic, the Databases are your best bet – databases are basically just searchable collections of articles  We have a world of resources available for Marriage & Family Therapy – let’s take a look….

Accessing eJournals and Databases To get to all the great resources the Library has to offer, you simply start with the Library’s website Let’s take a look! We’re going to look at ULM Electronic Journals, Ebscohost, and JSTOR.

Accessing the Databases  Once you start using the databases and becoming more familiar with them, you can skip the “Databases by Subject” listings…  And go right to the “Databases by Name” listing  Just like on the subject listings, make note of the legend which indicates which databases are available ONLY on campus; which are free scholarly resources available on the Web (meaning: if they stop working, we have no control over them); and which ones require the creation of an account ON CAMPUS for OFF-CAMPUS use

Remote Access: Doin’ It From Home  MOST of our databases are available remotely – that is, off-campus  All the databases I have shown you today can be accessed off-campus  But remember: not all can – the legend will indicate which ones CANNOT be accessed off-campus; you’ll HAVE to come to the library to use those  When you attempt to access our electronic resources from off-campus, you’ll be intercepted by a login screen…

Remote Login Screen

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)  ILL is a free service whereby we borrow or obtain copies of materials from other libraries that the ULM Library does not have  We borrow them, then lend them to you  Most materials will have to be returned, and their lending period is not the same as the regular lending period  Photocopies/electronic copies of articles or essays/book chapters do NOT have to be returned

ILL  Fees for overdue ILL materials are higher than regular materials - $5 per day  We have a librarian dedicated to ILL – her name is Melinda Matthews  Please note: receiving items via ILL can take time; books can take 1-4 weeks (depending on where they’re coming from), though articles can sometimes arrive same day (via or fax) or within a couple of days  In order to request an item through ILL, you need an ILL account, which you must set up…

ILL – Account and Use In order to set up an account, and then to access the system once your account is set up, you’ll need to visit the Library’s website It doesn’t take much time, and it’s a very useful resource to use – especially since our databases don’t always have the full-text of a resource you might need.

Any Questions?

REMEMBER: IF YOU NEED HELP, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK! Thanks for coming (and laughing at my bad jokes)!