1. The Criss Library at UNO
An Introduction to Information Literacy and the Basics of Library Research

2. Table of Contents Part I Introduction to Library Research page 7
Part II The Criss Library Homepage page 38
Part III Electronic Indexes and Databases page 67
Part IV The World Wide Web page 136

3. Back to Table of Contents
Part I
Introduction to Library Research at UNO
Information Literacy page 7
Define a Topic page 11
Sources/Types of Information page 14
Characteristics of
Information Sources page 20
Evaluation Criteria page 32
Back to Table of Contents

4. Back to Table of Contents
Part II
The Criss Library Homepage
Homepage Overview page 38
Access Tools page 48
Criss Library Catalog page 49
Search the University
Library Catalog page 52
Back to Table of Contents

5. Back to Table of Contents
Part III
Electronic Indexes and Databases
Overview of Electronic Indexes and
Databases and Their Access Points page 67
Academic Search Premier page 79
Lexis Nexis Academic page 99
Locate Journals Service page 125
A Brief Review page 134
Back to Table of Contents

6. Back to Table of Contents
Part IV
The World Wide Web
The Pros and Cons page 136
Evaluation Criteria page 138
Google page 140
Advanced Searching
and Evaluating the Results page 142
Back to Table of Contents

7. Introduction to Library Research and Information Literacy
This presentation will introduce you to the principles of information literacy and serve as a guide to the research process at the Criss Library at UNO.
This presentation will also provide an overview of the Criss Library Catalog, electronic indexes and databases, and the World Wide Web.
Back to table of contents

8. What Is Information Literacy?
The American Library Association defines information literacy as the set of skills needed to:
Recognize the need for information
Access appropriate resources
Evaluate information/sources
Use information effectively
Understand ethical/legal restrictions
Where is this message?

9. Why Is Information Literacy Important?
To succeed in your classes at UNO
To navigate the complex world of information
To make the most effective and efficient use of your time in the library
To improve and expand your research skills

10. Who Needs To Be Information Literate?
We all do!
Undergraduates
Graduates
Community members
Faculty

11. Back to table of contents
Define a Topic
Where do you begin?
Your first step in beginning your research is to define your topic by asking yourself what it is that you want to write your paper about.
Has there been a current news or radio broadcast that has caught your attention?
Have you, your friends or family experienced something that you would like to write about?
Back to table of contents

12. Define a Topic
You’ve brainstormed and determined a subject that you’d like to write about.
Now it is time to create an arguable thesis.
An example from a first year English class:
“Displays of the Ten Commandments in public
buildings should be prohibited because they
violate the separation of church and state.”

13. Back to Table of Contents
Define a Topic
What are the key terms in this arguable thesis, and what is the order of importance?
“Displays of the Ten Commandments in public buildings should be prohibited because they violate the separation of church and state.”
“Ten Commandments” would be the main idea
“Public buildings” would be second
“Church and state” would be third
“Violation” would be fourth
Back to Table of Contents

14. Sources and Types of Information
Now that you understand how to define a topic, we will examine which sources of information are best for finding the following types of information:
Current
Background
Scholarly
Opinion-based
Statistical
Back to Table of Contents

15. Which Sources are Best for Which Type of Information?
Current refers to only the most recent
developments on the topic, published
within the last year or so.
For current information, the best sources are:
Journals
Magazines
Newspapers

16. Which Sources are Best for Which Type of Information?
Background refers to general information, often brief, and with a historical perspective.
For background information, the best sources are:
Books

17. Which Sources are Best for Which Type of Information?
Scholarly refers to the in-depth study of a subject or topic, peer-reviewed and scholarly.
For scholarly information, the best sources are:
Books
Journals

18. Which Sources are Best for Which Type of Information?
Opinion-based refers to a judgment by a person who may or may not be an expert on the topic; the bias of the author is used to sway the opinion of the reader.
For opinion-based information, the best sources are:
Magazines
Newspapers
The Web

19. Which Sources are Best for Which Type of Information?
Statistical refers to numerical data that may be raw or analyzed (interpreted numbers).
For statistical information, the best sources are:
Sources specializing in statistics (i.e. the U. S. Census)
Research studies
Government documents

20. Characteristics of Information Sources
We will now examine the various information sources and their characteristics.
Books
Journals
Magazines
Newspapers
Government Documents
Statistics
World Wide Web
Back to Table of Contents

21. Characteristics of Books
Books can provide an in-depth treatment of a topic or an aspect of a topic.
Books can also provide a broad overview or historical perspective on a topic.
Books may not be as timely as the information found in magazines, journals or other periodicals.

22. Characteristics of Periodicals
The word “periodical” refers to items that are published “periodically.” Journals, magazines, and newspapers are all examples of periodicals.
Let’s look at each type of periodical separately.
Journals
Magazines
Newspapers

23. Characteristics of Periodicals
Journals
Journals are published more frequently, and the information is more current than that found in books.
Journals are sometimes referred to as scholarly, peer-reviewed, or refereed journals; they are written to present results of research or thorough study of a topic.
Journals usually contain fewer commercial advertisements than popular magazines.
Articles are often lengthy (7-10 pages or more) and are usually written by the person who conducted the research.

24. Characteristics of Periodicals
Journals (continued)
Articles published have been evaluated by an editorial board of experts before they appear in print.
Sources of information are always indicated in some manner, whether it be footnotes, endnotes, works cited page, or a bibliography.
Articles may contain charts, tables and/or graphs.
Journals may be published monthly or quarterly.

25. Characteristics of Magazines
Also known as popular magazines as they are designed to appeal to a broad audience.
Usually printed on glossy paper and may contain many advertisements.
May include opinion and/or current events.

26. Characteristics of Magazines
Magazines (continued)
Articles usually less than 5 pages in length.
Usually do not include bibliographies.
Published very frequently, often weekly.

27. Characteristics of Newspapers
Provide the most current information of the three types of periodicals.
Published daily or weekly.
Not considered as scholarly as a journal article

28. Characteristics of Newspapers
Newspapers (continued)
Intended to communicate the news rather than provide in-depth research.
Considered a “primary source” as events are recorded /reported at the time they occur.
Present information in a short, concise manner.

29. Characteristics of Government Documents
Are items published under the authority of a governmental agency.
Can be considered primary source material.
Can be produced at local, state, and federal government levels – municipal (city), county, state legislature, or federal agencies such as the U. S. Congress or Department of Education.

30. Characteristics of Statistical Information
Contains data that may be presented in the form of tables or charts and may not include narrative passages.
Are often compilations of data from a variety of separate resources.
Currency of the data varies depending upon the source of the data.
End of Part I
Back to Table of Contents

31. Characteristics of the Web
World Wide Web
Offers a variety of current, historical, research, secondary, and primary information.
Currency of the information depends upon the author of the page or site–-some are updated daily, while others are not kept up-to-date.
Accuracy/Authority always in question.

32. Back to Table of Contents
Evaluation Criteria
Consider these points when evaluating books, periodicals, articles, web pages, newspapers, etc.
Accuracy
Authority
Objectivity
Currency or Timeliness
Coverage or Scope
Back to Table of Contents

33. Criteria for Evaluating Information
“Accuracy describes information that is factually irrefutable and complete.”
“Consider the editing and publishing policy of the source: Is it peer-reviewed?”
You should be able to verify factually correct information.
“Are there two or more reliable sources that provide the same information?”

34. Criteria for Evaluating Information
“Authority refers to the expertise or recognized official status of a source.”
“Consider the reputation of the author and the publisher.”
“When working with legal or government information, consider whether the source is the official provider of the information.”
“Authors recognized as experts amongst their peers are usually cited and reviewed in the literature” and should be verifiable.

35. Criteria for Evaluating Information
“Objectivity is the bias or opinion expressed when a writer interprets or analyzes facts.”
Is the author using persuasive language?
Is the author presenting other viewpoints, providing the reader with a balanced point of view?
Is the reason for presenting the information clear?
Is something being advertised?
Is the author wanting to influence change?

36. Criteria for Evaluating Information
“Currency or timeliness refers to information that is current at the time of publication.”
“Consider publication, creation, and revision dates”--are they apparent in the information?
“Beware of Web site scripting that automatically reflects the current day’s date on a page.”

37. Criteria for Evaluating Information
Coverage or scope “refers to the extent to which a source explores a topic.”
“Does the information cover the period of time of interest to you?”
What is included?
“What is excluded?”

38. The Criss Library Homepage
The Library homepage URL is
You will find links to:
Research Tools
Services
Collections
About the Library
Help
Ask a Librarian
Start of Part II
Back to Table of Contents

39. The Library Homepage: Layout and Services
The library homepage includes function buttons
for Research Tools, Services, About the
Library, Help, Ask a Librarian, and the Library
Catalog.

40. Link to Research Tools Click the Research Tools function
button to search the Library Catalog,
find articles in databases, use the
Locate Journals service, use the
Research Wizard, search area library
catalogs, and access SCOLA, etc.

41. Link to Services — Organized by Patron Type
Click here for information about Services. The
information is organized by patron type. Select
your patron type to find information about a
variety of Criss Library services.

42. Link to Collections Click here to learn more about the various
Criss Library Collections, such as the
Afghanistan Collection, University Archives, etc.

43. About the Library About the Library will provide “nuts and bolts”
information including library hours, maps, parking,
contacts and library directory, etc.

44. Help Link The Help page will provide an FAQ link for
more information about library services and
resources, as well as directions, maps and
parking information.

45. Ask a Librarian Reference Service 24/7
You can ask reference questions any hour
of the day or night. This page will provide
information on how to call us, ask by ,
or ask via Instant Messaging (IM) via Meebo.

46. The Library Catalog Links
Click the Library Catalog links to search
for items held in the library’s collection.
Select the Advanced Catalog Search
link for more precise results.

47. Key Access Points for Beginning Research
The library homepage includes access points to
the Library Catalog, Databases, Locate Journals
service, and the Internet.
The following slides will help you navigate these
links and services.

48. Back to Table of Contents
Access Tools
What is an access tool?
An access tool is used to locate different types of information.
We will examine four access tools:
Criss Library Catalog (for books, journals, media, etc.)
Indexes or Databases (for scholarly, peer-reviewed and other articles)
Locate Journals service (to find full-text access to articles in print or electronic sources)
Search Engines (ex. Google for web sites)
Back to Table of Contents

49. The Criss Library Catalog
Let’s start our investigation of access tools with a look at the Criss Library Catalog.
The Criss Library Catalog is the tool that will help you find the items held in our collection:
Books
Periodicals
Media (music CD’s, DVD’s, videos)
Reference materials
Government Documents
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50. The Criss Library Catalog
The Library Catalog will tell you:
What materials we hold in our collection
Where the item is located in the library
What the status of the item is – available, checked out, reserve, library use only, etc.
What periodicals are on the shelves (and sometimes, links to electronic databases that index that periodical)

51. The Criss Library Catalog
A word about periodicals
Remember that the Library Catalog will tell you what periodicals we subscribe to in print (sometimes including an electronic link to a database), but to get at the citation or content of the journals, you must look in a print or electronic index.

52. Search the University Library Catalog
Search options include:
Quick Search – keyword
Advanced Search – Boolean operators, truncation, and proximity
Journal Title
Subject – Library of Congress Subject Headings
Author
Title
Other search options – LCSH, SuDocs, etc.
Back to Table of Contents

53. Quick Search
Type your search term here to perform a quick keyword catalog search from the library omepage.
Click on the Advanced Catalog Search link for more options.

54. Advanced Search Other options include searching
by title, author, subject, journals,
reserves and databases.
Advanced searching helps you retrieve more
precise results by combining terms with Boolean
operators, such as AND, OR or AND NOT.
It also allows for searching by material type,
location, language, date range, etc.

55. Advanced Search: Boolean Operators
Boolean operators are used to narrow or expand searches. They include the words, AND, OR, and AND NOT.
AND
“AND" narrows searches
Example: love and marriage results will show only items with both terms in search fields

56. Advanced Search: Boolean Operators
Boolean logic is used to narrow or expand searches. OR
“OR" expands searches
Example: love or marriage Results will show items with either term in search fields
Parentheses can be used around Boolean operators to group similar concepts.
Example: (college or university)

57. Advanced search: Boolean Operators
Boolean logic is used to narrow or expand searches.
AND NOT
“AND NOT" removes terms
Example: love and not marriage results will show items with "love" that do not refer to "marriage”

58. Advanced Search: Truncation
Allows asterisks to the right of a word fragment:
One asterisk will look for 1-5 more characters
Two asterisks will look for as many letters as necessary to complete the word
Examples: indiv* will find individual indiv** will find individual, individualism, individuality, etc.

59. Advanced Search: Proximity
Two ways to find words near each other:
Use "near" to find words in any order Example: church near state
Use “within #” to find words within a specified number range
Example: Church within 3(#) words of State would retrieve results with the words church and state in any order within 3 words of one another.

60. Search the Criss Library Catalog
Books
Books may provide a more in-depth or historical understanding of the topic but may not be as current as a journal article.
Circulating books are shelved on the third floor.
Reference books are shelved behind the reference desk.

61. Search the Criss Library Catalog
Periodicals
Refers to items published “periodically” such as:
Journals
Magazines
Newspapers
Formats for periodicals might include:
Microfiche or microfilm
Print
Electronic

62. Search the Criss Library Catalog
Media
Other materials are held in the library besides books and periodicals.
The Criss Library has a musical score collection, a video/DVD collection, and a CD collection.
The Archives and Special Collections also has materials related to UNO history and other specialized collections for use in the library.

63. Search the Criss Library Catalog
Reference Materials
The Reference Department holds materials that are non-circulating but are for use in the library.
Dictionaries, encyclopedias, reference volumes, almanacs, print indexes, and other items are available here.

64. Search the Criss Library Catalog
Government Documents
The Criss Library is a designated depository of materials printed by the U. S. Printing Office.
Items are located on the first floor, and most documents may be checked out just like books.
Items declared “non-circulating” include certain reference items (e.g. decennial census summary reports or special collections materials such as the Congressional Record).

65. Search for Reserves and Electronic Reserves
Your instructors may place items on reserve for your class, which means they are set aside in some manner to allow for convenient access for your class.
Items may be held at the Circulation Desk or placed on E-reserves--an electronic link available to you via a password that your teacher should provide.

66. Search for Reserves and Electronic Reserves
Click on the Services function button to find
materials placed on Reserve.
Select your “patron type” (ex. UNO Student)
and scroll down the page until you find
Reserves & Electronic Reserves.
Reserve materials may be in print, electronic,
or streaming audio format and may be
searched by course name or instructor.
End of Part II
Back to Table of Contents

67. Electronic Indexes and Databases
The Criss Library Catalog vs. Electronic Indexes and Databases
We mentioned earlier that the Library Catalog provides information on the journal holdings in our collection but not on the specific content of the journals.
To access the content of journals, we must search in a electronic database or in a print or electronic index.
Start of Part III
Back to Table of Contents

68. Electronic Indexes and Databases
The Library Homepage provides several access points for locating databases.
The Alphabetical List in the catalog is one option.
You may also search in the section Find Articles in Databases either by subject or full list.
You may also click on the Top 10 Databases list.

69. Access Points for Electronic Indexes and Databases
Find databases using
the library catalog.
by subject link

70. Access Points – Database Links
Several options for locating databases by
title are available through the Criss Library
Catalog, including an alphabetical list,
a subject list and the new Top 10
Databases list.

71. Access Points – by Subject
Click on this drop-down menu to search
for a database by the subject or discipline.

72. Access Points – by Subject
A new option exists for locating databases by
subject or discipline through the Criss
Library Catalog. I’ve selected History as my
subject area or discipline and a list of apro-
priate databases is provided. Each database
has a description with dates of coverage.

73. Access Points – by Subject
After clicking on the subject list for History, you
will find the list of suggested databases recom-
mended for research in history.

74. Access Points – by Subject List
By clicking on the link to the database JSTOR,
you will be directed to the JSTOR homepage.

75. Access Points – by Alphabetical List
By typing in the letter “h” on the alphabetical
list, you will be directed to the database names
that begin with the letter “h”.

76. Access Points – by Top 10 Databases
Click on these links to search through an
abbreviated list of the ten most frequently
accessed databases at the Criss Library.
EBSCO’s Academic Search Premier and
Lexis-Nexis Academic are listed here.

77. Electronic Indexes and Databases
The Criss Library subscribes to over 100 electronic indexes and databases.
The Criss Library has databases that provide a general overview of a broad range of topics as well as some that are more subject specific and in-depth.
We will examine two general databases: Academic Search Premier for journal articles and Lexis Nexis for newspaper articles.
Back to Table of Contents

78. Electronic Indexes and Databases
Academic Search Premier and
Lexis Nexis Academic
We will now focus our attention on two important databases:
Academic Search Premier for journal articles
Lexis Nexis Academic for newspaper articles

79. Electronic Indexes and Databases
Academic Search Premier
Academic Search Premier is the world’s largest academic multi-disciplinary database.
Academic Search Premier provides full text for nearly 4,700 publications, including full text for more than 3,600 peer-reviewed journals.

80. Electronic Indexes and Databases
Academic Search Premier
PDF back files to 1975 or earlier are available for well over one hundred journals, and searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,000 titles.
This database is updated on a daily basis via EBSCOhost.databases provided to us through EBSCO.

81. Academic Search Premier: How to Access It
To access Academic Search Premier from the library homepage, select one of the following access points:
Alphabetical List
Subject List
Top 10 Databases List

82. Academic Search Premier: Several Access Options
Click on “A” in the Alphabetical List, to
find the link for the database Academic
Search Premier.

83. Academic Search Premier: Several Access Options
Click on “E” for EBSCO in the Alphabetical
List to find the vendor for the database
Academic Search Premier.

84. Academic Search Premier: Several Access Options
By clicking on the link to EBSCO Connect,
you will find Academic Search Premier
listed as the second option under all
EBSCO Indexes.

85. Academic Search Premier: How to Access
Click here to access
Academic Search Premier.

86. Academic Search Premier: The Interface
Type your search terms here.
The EBSCO interface: notice
the database name.

87. Academic Search Premier: A Sample Search
Type your search terms here.

88. Academic Search Premier
Searching in Academic Search Premier
As you see in the previous search, I used the terms, “church,” “state,” and “ten commandments.”
The Boolean operators are already set as a default to “AND.”
The following screen will show other search options.

89. Academic Search Premier: Search Options
Notice search field options

90. Academic Search Premier: Boolean Operators
Notice Boolean operators
(and, or and not) to refine
your search.

91. Academic Search Premier: Limiting Results
Local Titles means UNO
subscribes to the journal.
Full Text means either links to
full text, or HTML and/or PDF
documents available.
Scholarly (Peer Reviewed)
Journals means you are
selecting research articles.

92. Academic Search Premier: Limiting Results
Academic Search Premier search hints
Your instructor will often ask that you find “peer-reviewed,” “scholarly,” or “research” articles.
Academic Search Premier allows you to limit your results to include only the “scholarly” (peer-reviewed) journals.
You may also see the distribution of articles retrieved from the different categories of periodicals--
“Academic Journals,” “Magazines,” and “Newspapers.”

93. Academic Search Premier: Periodical Options
You may click on either periodical
option to limit your results to that
type of periodical (academic journals,
magazines or newspapers.
Result list

94. Academic Search Premier: Available Full Text Formats
This record shows the article is
available in three formats: Linked
Full Text, HTML Full Text, and PDF
Full Text.
Clicking on the UNO Subscribes
link will show the Library Catalog
record.

95. Academic Search Premier: Available Full Text Formats
HTML Full Text
The HTML Full Text option will be a text version of the document but is not a scanned image of the original.
HTML Full Text files are smaller than PDF documents and require less memory if ing or saving to a disk or other storage space.

96. Academic Search Premier: Available Full Text Formats
PDF Full Text
The PDF version is a scanned image of the document. The item will appear just as it looks in the original print journal or magazine.
PDF files are large and require a lot of memory.
PDF files require Adobe Reader to open.

97. Academic Search Premier: Available Full Text Formats
UNO Subscribes:
The UNO Subscribes link indicates that the Criss Library subscribes to this journal in print, and the link will direct you to the Library Catalog record.
It does not guarantee that the volume/issue you are seeking is available as the subscription may have stopped.
It is important that you note the date, volume, and issue numbers of your citation in order to determine if the library holds the item you need.

98. Academic Search Premier: Evaluating Your Result List
Academic Search Premier results
What can you tell about the results retrieved in this search?
Are they relevant to the topic?
Are they current?
What types of journals are they appearing in? Scholarly? Popular? Newspapers?
What about the author’s bias? Is it apparent?

99. Electronic Indexes and Databases
Lexis Nexis Academic
This database includes nearly 5,000 publications including newspapers, newsletters, magazines, wire services, federal and state court opinions, federal and state statutes, federal regulations, law reviews and SEC filings.
Lexis Nexis indexes the Omaha World-Herald.
Lexis Nexis is primarily full-text.
Back to Table of Contents

100. Electronic Indexes and Databases
Lexis Nexis Academic
To access Lexis Nexis from the library homepage, select one of the following access points:
Alphabetical List
Subject List
Top 10 Databases List

101. Lexis Nexis: How to Access
Click on the letter “L” to access Lexis Nexis
Academic from the Alphabetical List .

102. Lexis Nexis – How to Access
Click here to access Lexis Nexis
Academic from the Alphabetical
List. Notice other Lexis Nexis options.

103. Lexis Nexis – How to Access
Click here to access Lexis Nexis
from the Top 10 Databases list.

104. Lexis Nexis: The Interface
The Lexis Nexis interface

105. Lexis Nexis: Power Search
Click here for Power Search. The
Power Search option will allow us to
refine our search strategy to retrieve
more relevant results .

106. Lexis Nexis: A Sample Search
Power Search page

107. Lexis Nexis Use Lexis Nexis Power Search for more targeted searching:
Lexis Nexis requires that you complete three steps.
Enter search terms (terms and connectors or natural language)
Select sources
Specify dates

108. Lexis Nexis: Search Options
Enter search terms here

109. Lexis Nexis: Search Options
To find out more about connectors, click
on the View Connectors link. It will describe
how to refine your search using terms like and,
or and “and not” (Boolean operators) as well as
other ways to retrieve the most relevant results.

110. Lexis Nexis: Search Options
Clicking on the View Connectors
link will pull up this page. It explains
how to develop a search strategy.
You can review Boolean Searching
(and, or and “and not”) and learn about
other proximity commands that may
help you refine your search.
Select from the list of
available search options.

111. Lexis Nexis: Search Options
Click on the link Add keywords
(Index Terms) to find the most
appropriate terms for your search.

112. Lexis Nexis: Search Options
Click on Add keywords (Index Terms) to see how
the keyword or keywords you selected are categorized
in Lexis Nexis. The categories are Company, Industry,
Subject, and Geography with a default of All terms.
When I type in the word “Church,” I retrieve companies
with the name “Church,” affiliated church industries,
and the subject heading “church” including a link for
“Church and State”.

113. Lexis Nexis: Search Options
The drop-down menu allows you to select
from the list of available source options
including local, regional, national and
international news and wire services.

114. Lexis Nexis: Search Options
Select a specific date or date
range to narrow your search.
You may search for items
published as recently as today,
or as far back as the late 1970’s.

115. Lexis Nexis: A Sample Search
I entered the search terms, “church,” “state,” and “ten commandments” from U.S. Newspapers and Wires within the previous month.

116. Lexis Nexis: A Sample Search
Clicking on the link Show will allow you to select what section of the document will be searched, such as body, headline, dateline, etc. This is useful when you need to broaden or narrow your result list.

117. Lexis Nexis: A Result List
Clicking on the drop-down menu will allow you to select other viewing options. They include List, Expanded List, Full Doc-ument, Full with Indexing, KWIC and Custom. (Custom will not be covered in this presentation.)
Here is a sample document result list.

118. Lexis Nexis: Expanded List Option
An example of the Expanded List option.

119. Lexis Nexis: Full Document
Here is the full text of an article.

120. Lexis Nexis: Full with Indexing
Notice the search terms appear in red
in the article. This happens when we
Select the options Full Document and
Full with Indexing.

121. Lexis Nexis: KWIC Option
Select KWIC to see keywords
In context.

122. Lexis Nexis: Delivery Options
Lexis Nexis provides several delivery options.
Lexis Nexis allows you to print either citations or full articles.
Lexis Nexis allows you to citations or full articles.
Lexis Nexis allows you to save citations or full text articles.
Lexis Nexis allows you to export bibliographic references to Refworks.

123. Lexis Nexis: Delivery Options
By clicking on the different icons, you can
print, , save or export bibliographic
references.

124. Lexis Nexis: Print Option
Click on the print icon and a new window
opens to prepare your print job.

125. Lexis Nexis: E-mail Option
Click on the icon and
a new window opens to allow
you to send the document or
citation via .

126. Lexis Nexis: Save Option
Click on the save icon and a new
window opens to allow you to
download the document or
citation.

127. Lexis Nexis: Export Bibliographic Citation Option
Click on the book icon and a new
window opens to allow you to
directly export your citation into
Refworks.

128. Locate Journals Service
Another service the Criss Library provides is the Locate Journals service. Locate Journals shows where journals are available full-text (electronically or in print).
Locate Journals allows you to
Search for journal titles
Determine if journals are available electronically and/or in print
Determine if and where journals are available in full text

129. Locate Journals Service
Enter a journal name to find
out where the journal is
available in full text.
You may search by title, ISSN
number, alphabetically, or by
Subject.
Back to Table of Contents

130. Locate Journals Service: A Sample Search
Note the default selection option, “Title
begins with.” I have typed in the search
box the search terms, “Church and State.”

131. Locate Journals Service: A Result Page
Our search using the default selection option,
“Title begins with” and the search terms,
“Church and State,” retrieved one record.
We can see from the record that the item is
available in the Criss Library Catalog and
from 06/01/1996 to present in the electronic
database Academic Search Premier.

132. Locate Journals Service: A Sample Search
Locate Journals may be searched by known or unknown titles
In the previous search, I typed in the terms “church and state,” and one journal appeared in my result list.
Note that coincidentally, Church and State is also the actual name of a journal.
You may type in a known title or words of a title as well.
Locate Journals will tell you where the journal is indexed and in what format(s) it is available.

133. Locate Journals Service: A Result Page
When you select the option, Title contains
all words, and you type in the words, “Church
and State,” you retrieve two results.
The first journal title is Church & State and the
second is the Journal of Church and State.
Although these titles are similar, they are different
journals. Note that they are both available from the
Criss Library and Academic Search Premier but
only Journal of Church and State is available through
WilsonOmniFile Full Text Select.
Note the coverage dates

134. Locate Journals Service: A Result Page
When you select the option, Title equals,
and type in the words, “Church and State,”
you retrieve one result for the journal title
Church & State. Avoid ampersands when
you are creating a search string.

135. Locate Journals Service: A Result Page
This record provides the journal
Information for Church & State.

136. Locate Journals Service: Full Text Access Link
Notice the option to search within a
particular publication issue.
Result page for the electronic
version of the journal Church
and State indexed in the data-
base, Academic Search Premier.

137. Locate Journals Service: Print Holdings Access Link
The result page for the print version
of the journal Church and State
in the Criss Library Catalog.

138. Back to Table of Contents
A Brief Review
Library Resources
So far, we have looked at the Criss Library Catalog, Electronic Indexes and Databases, and the Locate Journals Service.
These resources are helpful for finding books and periodical articles in journals and newspapers.
Back to Table of Contents

139. A Brief Review (continued)
Library Resources
The Criss Library subscribes to electronic resources that we access through the Internet.
These resources are paid for with student fees and other funding and are not available remotely to people unaffiliated with UNO.
What is contained within the indexes has been handpicked by the index providers and may have originated in print format.
End of Part III
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140. World Wide Web: Pros and Cons
What is the World Wide Web?
The pros…
The World Wide Web is made up of billions of web pages on a very wide variety of topics.
The Web can be a good source of information for some topics and some types of information, particularly current information.
Start of Part IV
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141. World Wide Web: An Introduction
What is the World Wide Web?
The cons…
The World Wide Web is not the best source for all information.
Anyone can create and post Web pages on anything s/he wants whether they are an expert in the field or a fifth grader.
No one is monitoring the credibility or accuracy of the information posted.

142. World Wide Web: Evaluation Criteria
In addition to the previously discussed evaluation criteria--accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency/timeliness, and coverage/scope, remember to consider closely the following points:
Audience – Who is the intended audience--a student, a political party member, a consumer, someone familiar/unfamiliar with the topic?
Purpose – Why has this page been created--promotion, commerce, scholarly work, personal expression, other?
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143. World Wide Web Search Engines
A search engine is a tool primarily used to locate information on the Web.
Similar to the indexes we looked at earlier, search engines can be general or subject-specific.

144. Back to Table of Contents
World Wide Web: Google
We will now take a moment to look at a few sites that might relate to the topic of “separation of church and state and the ten commandments in public buildings.”
We’ll use Google for our search.
We’ll skip to the Advanced Search option.
Our initial search terms will be “church and state” and “separation” and “ten commandments.”
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145. World Wide Web: Google Skip this interface page and
click on the Advanced
Search Interface page.

146. World Wide Web: Google’s Advanced Search Page
Find results by entering search
terms or phrases here – notice
your choices.
Back to Table of Contents

147. World Wide Web: Google Advanced Search
A sample search

148. World Wide Web: Google Advanced Search Results
Notice the URL of each result.
Does it indicate a possible bias?
In this search, many of the URL’s
have a religious or political tag
indicating a possible bias in the
content.
Be aware of this!

149. World Wide Web: Google Advanced Search Results
Notice the URL of each result.
What is the domain name in the
URL? Is it a .com site., a .org site,
a .gov site, a .net site? What does
that tell you? Here is an example
of a pbs.org site, a news site for
public broadcasting.
Be aware of this!

150. World Wide Web: Google Advanced Search Results
Here is the pbs.org site. What do
you notice in this site? Is there any
indication of the author or publisher
of the site? What about the accuracy,
authority, objectivity, currency, coverage
purpose and audience?

151. World Wide Web: Google Advanced Search Results
The site is presenting an interview with
Judge Roy Moore, the Alabama judge who
was removed from office for defying a federal
court ruling to remove the monument of the
Ten Commandments from the courthouse.

152. World Wide Web: Google Advanced Search Results
The site is also presenting an
opposing side to Judge Roy Moore,
the Reverend Barry Lynn, from the
group Americans United for the
Separation of Church and State.

153. World Wide Web: Google Advanced Search Results
Scrolling down the pbs.org site,
the site lists the financial sponsors,
another helpful piece of information
in evaluating the point of view of a site.
How would you evaluate this site?

154. World Wide Web: Google Advanced Search Results
Here is another site with the URL:
Does the URL provide a clue to the
content? From what you see here, what
can you find out about the author of this
site?

155. World Wide Web: Google Advanced Search Results
Understanding the limits of a Power
Point presentation, what else can
you learn about this site from what
you see here? Remember to consider
the purpose, authority, scope and
audience as you research sites.

156. World Wide Web: Google Advanced Search Results
To find the author for this site, I had to
scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Does the author appear to be a scholar?
A student? A politician? A citizen?

157. World Wide Web: Google Advanced Search Results
Here is the author’s home
page. How would you evaluate
whether to use this site in your
Research?

158. World Wide Web
No single Power Point presentation can illustrate the complexities of evaluating the vast amount of material on the web.
You now have criteria to consider that will help you make sense of it. Remember:
Accuracy, Authority, Objectivity, Currency, Coverage, Audience and Purpose

159. Back to Table of Contents
Conclusion
This presentation has guided you through the library resources by type and access tools available to you for your research.
Our hope is that you will become critical and confident users of information.
GOOD LUCK!
For more information or assistance, contact the Criss Library Reference Desk at (402)
End of Part IV
End of Presentation
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