1. Doing Research Online:
A Crash Course
Where do you plug
this damn thing in?
Gary Handman

2. 1. Introduce selected sources for finding
The point of all this...
1. Introduce selected sources for finding
books and journal topics online
2. Introduce a group of basic moves and
features common to many online catalogs
and indexes.
3. Practice using these features in selected
databases.

3. Card Catalogs Contained:
The Information Universe (Then)
The guy next to me
is soooo hot!
Card Catalogs Contained:
Records for:
Books
Journals/Newspapers
Other stuff (maps, media, dissertations, manuscripts…)

4. The Information Universe (Then)
Call #
Kesey, Ken.
One flew over the cuckoo's nest.
New York : New American Library, 1962.
Moffitt PS3561.E667.O5
Get da Book in da Stax

5. The Information Universe (Then)
I know! I’ll
do my paper on
Marilyn Manson!
Indexes/Abstracts
Annual/semi-annual print volumes
Allow subject searching in a group of journals in a particular discipline or topical area.
Some indexes also offer abstracts-- short description of article content

6. The Information Universe (Then)
Wright, Robert.
'I'd sell you suicide': pop music and moral panic in the age of Marilyn Manson.
Popular Music v19, n3 (Oct, 2000):365 (21 pages).

7. The Information Universe (Then)
Wright, Robert.
'I'd sell you suicide': pop music and moral panic in the age of Marilyn Manson.
Popular Music v19, n3 (Oct, 2000):365 (21 pages).
Get da call #
Popular Music
Music ML5.P66
Shelved: Latest issue in Reading Room

8. The Information Universe (Then)
Wright, Robert.
'I'd sell you suicide': pop music and moral panic in the age of Marilyn Manson.
Popular Music v19, n3 (Oct, 2000):365 (21 pages).
Get da call #
Popular Music
Music ML5.P66
Shelved: Latest issue in Reading Room
Get da Journal in da Stax

9. The Information Universe (Now)
Online Catalogs .
--Pathfinder
--MELVYL (CDL cat)
Indexes & Abstracts
Print
Online

10. The Information Universe (Now)
Online Catalogs
--Pathfinder
--MELVYL (CDL cat)

11. The Information Universe (Now)
Books in Stax
Online Catalogs
--Pathfinder
--MELVYL (CDL cat)

12. The Information Universe (Now)
Books in Stax
Online Catalogs
--Pathfinder
--MELVYL (CDL cat)
Full-Text Online (ebooks, ejournals [but NOT e-articles]

13. The Information Universe (Now)
Books in Stax
Online Catalogs
--Pathfinder
--MELVYL (CDL cat)
Full-Text Online (ebooks, ejournals [but NOT e-articles]
Indexes & Abstracts
Journals in Stax

14. The Information Universe (Now)
Books in Stax
Online Catalogs
--Pathfinder
--MELVYL (CDL cat)
Full-Text Online (ebooks, ejournals [but NOT e-articles]
Indexes & Abstracts
Full-Text Articles Online
Online
Journals in Stax

15. The Information Universe (Now)
Library Acquires Full-text materials in
three ways:
1. Subscribes to full-text journals
2. Links from electronic indexes and abstracts
3. Subscribes to searchable full-text archives: e.g. JSTOR, Project Muse
But remember...

16. Not everything is online!!!!!:
The Information Universe (Now)
Not everything is online!!!!!:
Indexes: Generally only go back yrs online
Not every publication is indexed
Fairly small (but rapidly growing) subset of the books and journal universe is currently available in full-text

17. What to do if nothing is turning up:
The Information Universe (Now)
Remember Also:
Not every topic has lots written about it, either in books or journal lit.
--Research on very current topics
--Research on topics off the beaten academic track or off the pop culture radar
What to do if nothing is turning up:
Broaden your topic / select a different angle
Rethink your search strategy (new keywords, new concepts, etc.)
Bail out and choose another topic

18. The Information Universe (Now)
Google
Rocks!
The Net
LibraryLand

19. How to Begin? Before you click: THINK
Formulate your search in terms of
keyword and key phrases:
The impact of exposure of children to advertising television and television violence on school performance.

20. How to Begin? Before you click: THINK
Formulate your search in terms of:
KEY WORD Searches :
--Look for words anywhere in record: title, subject, abstract and full-text (if available)
PHRASES:
--Looks for words in the exact order entered

21. Keywords
e.g.
-- Keyword: Cold War Horror Film looks for words Cold AND War AND Horror AND Film ANYWHERE in the record
You would conceivably retrieve an article entitled:
“At War With Your Refrigerator?: How to Avoid
the Horror of Moldy Film on Cold Cuts.”
--Phrase: Cold War Horror Film looks only for those 3 words in that order; would not find a book entitled
Depending on db:
--May be able to limit keyword/phrase searching to specific fields: title, subject, or all fields.

22. --e.g.: Advertis* will give you: advertise, advertising, advertisers,
Truncation:
When appropriate, use truncation to scoop up broader results:* # or ? Depending on db
--e.g.: Advertis* will give you:
advertise,
advertising,
advertisers,
advertisements

23. Once you’ve found something that looks promising,
Check out the “official” subject headings

24. Choosing a database
Look at the alphabetical listing of indexes and abstracts on the library’s home page:
Listings of subject-specific electronic resources on individual branch library home pages
CDL Searchlight

25. Before we plunge...questions???