Poli Sci Fall2010

Political Science:
An Adventure in Research
Beaman Library
Fall 2010

Research is a process…
It is ORGANIZED
It is METHODICAL
It is COMPREHENSIVE

The Researcher’s 2 questions…
WHAT do I want to know?
WHERE do I find that information?

Searching Begins With Your Beaman Library Catalog
Access the library catalog & our electronic databases from any computer
Ask a Reference Question??? Links you with a librarian for all of your questions
Find out information about the library or read the latest library newsletter

Information Resources in Beaman Library
Books
Articles (print & electronic)
-Scholarly journal articles
-Popular magazine articles
-Newspaper articles
Websites

Books!
Reference Books:
use in library only
General Collection:
check out for 3 weeks
eBooks:
must create username and password on netlibrary.com from a Lipscomb computer before using 1st time!
access and read online from any computer, anywhere!

To find a Book…
Use…
The online catalog
Author Search
Title Search
Subject Search
Searches subject heading
Keyword Search
Searches every field EXCEPT subject heading
http://library.lipscomb.edu

Articles!
Scholarly journals
-aka “refereed”, “peer-reviewed”, “academic”
-articles reviewed and accepted by experts in the field
Magazines, popular and trade journals
-Booklist, Southern Living, GQ
Newspapers
-The Tennessean, Wall Street Journal

To find an Article…Searching
Search in a print index
OR
Use one of the databases from the library’s “Electronic Resources” page
--On- and off-campus access
Don’t look for articles in the Catalog!

Periodical Indexes In Print - Subject and general: access tools
Provides citations to articles in magazines, journals, and newspapers
Remember: citations only - no full-text
Examples of subject indexes
Biography Index
Business Periodicals Index
General Science Index
PAIS International Index
Social Sciences Index
Example of general index
Readers Guide to Periodical Literature

Periodical Indexes (print)- Location
Periodical indexes are located on the main floor, east wing of Beaman Library.

To find an Article…Searching
Search in a print index
OR
Use one of the databases from the library’s “Electronic Resources” page
--On- and off-campus access
Don’t look for articles in the Catalog!

Periodical Indexes
Online
Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)
Powersearch
Academic OneFile
Expanded Academic ASAP
General OneFile
National Newspaper Index
America: History & Life and Historical Abstracts
Biography Resource Center
Lexis-Nexis

To find an Article…Sorting
Citation: gives you the information you need to track down the work
Abstract: summary of article + citation
Full Text: complete text of article + citation

To find an Article…Locating
Found sources in a print index or database? Now, how do you find them?

Locating article…pt. 1
If the source located was cited in a database…
Check to see if full-text is available

Locating article…pt. 2
If the source located was cited in a print index or full-text was not available in a database…
Check the journal title in the Catalog by doing a Title Search to see if Beaman has the journal in print
Check the journal title in Ebsco A to Z

Locating articles…pt. 3
If the source is not available in print in Beaman Library or full-text via database…
Check other local libraries (in WorldCat or Athena) to see if they have the journal in print
Request the article through Interlibrary Loan (Allow 2 weeks)

Periodicals - Location
Current (2010)magazines and journals are arranged alphabetically on open shelves for easy browsing.

Bound periodicals are arranged alphabetically and chronologically.

Some periodicals are kept on microfilm or microfiche.

World Wide Web Resources
Academic .edu
Government .gov
Specialized/commercial .com/.org/.net

Online Indexes/Databases: Government
U. S. Government
Library of Congress
http://marvel.loc.gov
Congressional Directory
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cdirectory/index.html

Online Indexes/Databases Education
http://infomine.ucr.edu
…a virtual library of internet resources relevant to faculty, students, and research staff at the university level.
Electronic journals electronic books
Bulletin boards databases
articles

Online Indexes/Databases Commercial
http://scholar.google.com/
Search specifically for scholarly literature:
theses peer reviewed papers books
abstracts technical reports preprints

Evaluating Information
from monographs (books)
from periodicals (journals)
from databases/websites

Evaluating books
Is it a recognized author?
Does it have timely content?
Does it contain documentation?

What is a Scholarly Journal?
For scholars or researchers in a specialized field (e.g. medicine, psychology)
Cites research
Peer review (refereed)
Includes notes and/or bibliography
Usually quarterly or monthly
Mostly print with graphs and/or tables
Few or no ads

Web Site Evaluation—the WWW’s
Who says it?
Author or sponsor
Credentials of responsible party

What does it claim, assert, etc.?
Purpose of web site
Biased, objective, fair
Factual…in depth
Correct grammar, spelling, etc.

When was it said?
Publication date
Revisions
Links up-to-date

Interlibrary Loan
Question:
What do I do if a resource I need is not available in the Beaman Library?
Answer:
Use the Interlibrary loan service provided by Beaman Library

Interlibrary Loan
Facts about Interlibrary Loan:
Interlibrary Loan is a service provided by Beaman Library to obtain materials NOT owned by Beaman Library.
The conditions of this service are set by the National Interlibrary Loan Code.
The loan period is determined by the lending library.
Athena is an area consortium of local libraries who loan and borrow from one another without charge.
Applications are available at the Reference desk or onlinein Catacomb.
Access form online: http://library.lipscomb.edu

SAIL
Search – indexes/databases (evaluate)
Analyze – compare, contrast; separate fact from opinion
Inventory – Do I have enough, too
much, too little?
Learn – new information and new
information skills

Poli Sci Fall2010

by annbee on Sep 13, 2010

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