Library Services & Finding Information for M.Sc (DL) Students Gareth Johnson [email_address] Tue 8 th AM Apr 2008

Session Outline Services An overview of services available from the Library Distance Learning Service Resources Introduce key subject information resources available Accessing Explain access to physical and electronic information Next steps Taking your searching beyond the basics Time for questions

Services

An overview of services available from the Library Distance Learning Service

Resources

Introduce key subject information resources available

Accessing

Explain access to physical and electronic information

Next steps

Taking your searching beyond the basics

Time for questions

Services: Your Key Contacts Hywel Williams (Education Librarian) ( [email_address] ) Tel: (+44) 0116 252 5048 Distance Learners Enquiry service [email_address] (+44) 0116 252 5051 http://www.le.ac.uk/li/distance/

Hywel Williams (Education Librarian)

( [email_address] )

Tel: (+44) 0116 252 5048

Distance Learners Enquiry service

[email_address]

(+44) 0116 252 5051

http://www.le.ac.uk/li/distance/

Services: Essential Things Your library number is on your student card under the barcode 075… Your PIN is a 4 digit number Emailed or from an enquiry point Your CFS username and password Once registered with the Computer Centre https://register.le.ac.uk/

Your library number is on your student card under the barcode 075…

Your PIN is a 4 digit number

Emailed or from an enquiry point

Your CFS username and password

Once registered with the Computer Centre

https://register.le.ac.uk/

Services: Library Website Provides a lot of online information Contact information What support and help is available Information resources & catalogue Leicester e-Link for journals Passwords for off-campus access to resources Distance learning support Dedicated section Details of all services open to you Demo!

Provides a lot of online information

Contact information

What support and help is available

Information resources & catalogue

Leicester e-Link for journals

Passwords for off-campus access to resources

Distance learning support

Dedicated section

Details of all services open to you

Demo!

Resources: Library Catalogue Accessible globally without a password Offers simple and more advanced searches Links to other library services Access your library record on-line Tips Use author/title search when you know an item E.g. drennan risk management Use subject search to find books on specific topics Advanced searching options Boolean logic Truncation $ e.g. educat$ for education , educated etc Demo!

Accessible globally without a password

Offers simple and more advanced searches

Links to other library services

Access your library record on-line

Tips

Use author/title search when you know an item

E.g. drennan risk management

Use subject search to find books on specific topics

Advanced searching options

Boolean logic

Truncation $

e.g. educat$ for education , educated etc

Demo!

Resources: Bibliographic Dbs To find specific articles in journals Need to search bibliographic databases Each one indexes lists of bibliographic information for publications Such as journal articles, reports, theses and some books Some overlap in coverage Bibliographic information normally comprises: Author, title, source (journal title), year, volume, page numbers & abstract summary Not full text of articles

To find specific articles in journals

Need to search bibliographic databases

Each one indexes lists of bibliographic information for publications

Such as journal articles, reports, theses and some books

Some overlap in coverage

Bibliographic information normally comprises:

Author, title, source (journal title), year, volume, page numbers & abstract summary

Not full text of articles

Resources: Bibliographic Dbs Education bibliographic databases British Education Index (BEI) ERIC Australian Educational Index (AEI) Each one specifically covers literature In the field of education and training Overlaps to a degree with each other Use all for comprehensive searching Can search all three at once

Education bibliographic databases

British Education Index (BEI)

ERIC

Australian Educational Index (AEI)

Each one specifically covers literature

In the field of education and training

Overlaps to a degree with each other

Use all for comprehensive searching

Can search all three at once

Resources: Bibliographic Dbs Web of Knowledge Covers all subjects Sophisticated but easy to learn interface Very useful filtering tools Best when researching cross-disciplinary areas PsycINFO For educational psychology articles Subject Rooms Lists other useful databases Portal to trusted educational resources on the web Includes guidance, tutorials and contacts

Web of Knowledge

Covers all subjects

Sophisticated but easy to learn interface

Very useful filtering tools

Best when researching cross-disciplinary areas

PsycINFO

For educational psychology articles

Subject Rooms

Lists other useful databases

Portal to trusted educational resources on the web

Includes guidance, tutorials and contacts

Resources: Open Access A move from academics annoyed over journal prices No passwords, subscriptions or access restrictions Full text (not just abstracts) in most cases Researchers make articles available for free Outside of journals and held in online repositories 100,000s of articles Still include peer-reviewed materials Very useful when journal not available Can easily be searched OpenDOAR Search or BASE

A move from academics annoyed over journal prices

No passwords, subscriptions or access restrictions

Full text (not just abstracts) in most cases

Researchers make articles available for free

Outside of journals and held in online repositories

100,000s of articles

Still include peer-reviewed materials

Very useful when journal not available

Can easily be searched

OpenDOAR Search or BASE

Accessing: Information Resources Off Campus www.le.ac.uk/library/digital/authentication.html Start at Library Home Page Digital Library Demo! Education Indexes Web of Knowledge

Off Campus

www.le.ac.uk/library/digital/authentication.html

Start at

Library Home Page

Digital Library

Demo!

Education Indexes

Web of Knowledge

Accessing: Journal Articles Use Leicester e-Link to check if journal is available Links on Library Web page, Catalogue and from databases Demo! If articles are not available via Leicester e-Link Try finding an Open Access version Check the library catalogue to see if available in print Request a photocopy through document supply Limits 20 requests a year paid for by Library Additional ones may be purchased No more than one article from a single journal

Use Leicester e-Link to check if journal is available

Links on Library Web page, Catalogue and from databases

Demo!

If articles are not available via Leicester e-Link

Try finding an Open Access version

Check the library catalogue to see if available in print

Request a photocopy through document supply

Limits

20 requests a year paid for by Library

Additional ones may be purchased

No more than one article from a single journal

Accessing: Books (Worldwide) Search Library Catalogue to see if we have the text Postal Loan Service Up to 4 books by post on loan for 6 weeks You are responsible for costs incurred when returning Short Loan and Reference items cannot be borrowed by post Alternatively individual chapters (or 5%) of texts can be photocopied for you

Search Library Catalogue to see if we have the text

Postal Loan Service

Up to 4 books by post on loan for 6 weeks

You are responsible for costs incurred when returning

Short Loan and Reference items cannot be borrowed by post

Alternatively individual chapters (or 5%) of texts can be photocopied for you

Accessing: Other Libraries Take advantage of access schemes SCONUL Access scheme Application form on Web site 6 tips to remember Check opening hours before you go Search online catalogues beforehand Have your Leicester ID or library card with you If unsure contact Leicester Enquiry service Take money (for photocopying) Remember – their rules bind you not ours!

Take advantage of access schemes

SCONUL Access scheme

Application form on Web site

6 tips to remember

Check opening hours before you go

Search online catalogues beforehand

Have your Leicester ID or library card with you

If unsure contact Leicester Enquiry service

Take money (for photocopying)

Remember – their rules bind you not ours!

Next Steps: Searching Strategies Step by step plan Step 1 Consider resources Step 2 ID keywords Step 3 Build search Step 4 Test search Step 5 Refine results Step 6 Evaluate Step 7 Locate and read!

Step by step plan

Step 1 Consider resources

Step 2 ID keywords

Step 3 Build search

Step 4 Test search

Step 5 Refine results

Step 6 Evaluate

Step 7 Locate and read!

Next Steps: Boolean Logic Allows more sophisticated searching than keywords alone AND disaster and management <- focuses down OR disaster or management <- broadens a search NOT disaster not management <- eliminates terms (handle with care!)

Allows more sophisticated searching than keywords alone

AND

disaster and management <- focuses down

OR

disaster or management <- broadens a search

NOT

disaster not management <- eliminates terms

(handle with care!)

Next Steps: Sophisticated Searches (risk or disaster) and management Simple, will find some results (risk* or disaster*) and manag* Better, will find more results May need to limit/refine ((risk* or disaster* or emergenc*) and (manag* or admin* or super*)) not earthquake* Best! But might need tweaking…

(risk or disaster) and management

Simple, will find some results

(risk* or disaster*) and manag*

Better, will find more results

May need to limit/refine

((risk* or disaster* or emergenc*) and (manag* or admin* or super*)) not earthquake*

Best! But might need tweaking…

Next Steps: Tools to Refine Results You can also use limits/filters to narrow your search E.g. by date or publication type Can include before or after a search Helps avoid potentially overwhelming levels of results Easier to chose the pick of the crop Saves you reading through hundreds of semi-relevant results

You can also use limits/filters to narrow your search

E.g. by date or publication type

Can include before or after a search

Helps avoid potentially overwhelming levels of results

Easier to chose the pick of the crop

Saves you reading through hundreds of semi-relevant results

Next Steps: Improved Internet Searching Use more than one search engine as they use different searching algorithms Use the advanced search features in Google & Yahoo Phrase searching Search a specific field e.g. title or URL Limit by language, file type, domain Use the options for specific media e.g. images, groups, news…etc.

Use more than one search engine as they use different searching algorithms

Use the advanced search features in Google & Yahoo

Phrase searching

Search a specific field e.g. title or URL

Limit by language, file type, domain

Use the options for specific media e.g. images, groups, news…etc.

Next Steps: Google Scholar “ Searches specifically for scholarly literature ” No definition as to what Google classify as scholarly! There are some odd gaps/omissions http:// scholar.google.com Often links to full text Might not link to the version of the full text available to the University On-campus e-link option will show whether you can access the full text for free Good first place to see what is available and what keywords to use But use bibliographic databases in your subject too!

“ Searches specifically for scholarly literature ”

No definition as to what Google classify as scholarly!

There are some odd gaps/omissions

http:// scholar.google.com

Often links to full text

Might not link to the version of the full text available to the University

On-campus e-link option will show whether you can access the full text for free

Good first place to see what is available and what keywords to use

But use bibliographic databases in your subject too!

Next Steps: Evaluating Websites Intended Audience Is the site aimed at researchers or the general public? Authority and Reputation Is the resource well known? Is it an academic site? Is it factual or opinion based? Does the information have a basis in research and is a bibliography provided? Subject Coverage Is the site an overview or does it cover the subject in-depth? Currency Has the site been recently updated?

Intended Audience

Is the site aimed at researchers or the general public?

Authority and Reputation

Is the resource well known?

Is it an academic site?

Is it factual or opinion based?

Does the information have a basis in research and is a bibliography provided?

Subject Coverage

Is the site an overview or does it cover the subject in-depth?

Currency

Has the site been recently updated?

Next Steps: Top Tips Explore resources yourselves Experiment with searches Get in contact with the library for support General assistance (e.g. books, accessing resources and general difficulties) Contact the enquiry service Expert advice and assistance with searching information resources Contact the Education Librarian If in doubt – ask!

Explore resources yourselves

Experiment with searches

Get in contact with the library for support

General assistance (e.g. books, accessing resources and general difficulties)

Contact the enquiry service

Expert advice and assistance with searching information resources

Contact the Education Librarian

If in doubt – ask!

In Conclusion Library provides access to physical and electronic resources The library catalogue contains books on broad topics of interest Use bibliographic databases and other resources when looking for specific subject information Time invested searching increases the quality of results

Library provides access to physical and electronic resources

The library catalogue contains books on broad topics of interest

Use bibliographic databases and other resources when looking for specific subject information

Time invested searching increases the quality of results

Questions?