ONLINE RESEARCH ANDEVALUATING SOURCES

Arts in NYCFall 2011

Introductions

NameMajor (if you have one)Describe one problem you have had while

doing academic research and/or one question you have about doing academic research

Finding Books and Journal Articles

Where to Start:

The Library link from the QC pagehttp://www.qc.cuny.edu

OR

Directly to the QC Libraries http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/Library

Concepts for Library Research

What is the difference between:

• Library database?• Library catalog

• Keyword search• Subject descriptor search?

Catalog vs. Database

A library database tells what has been published:

– It provides specific info about material (what is inside journals or books)

A library catalog tells what the library owns: – Books, journals, music, newspapers, videos, magazines, dvds– It gives general information about the material: author, title, location,

subject (usually not a detailed description of the contents)

Catalog vs. Database

• In general, you use a database to find what has been published on a topic, parts of publications (articles, essays, chapters, conference papers, e.g.), and material that is difficult to obtain/unpublished (doctoral theses, e.g.

• In general, you use a catalog to find books, films, or other whole publications on a topic that the library owns. The catalog can also tell you if we own a journal/magazine but does not tell you what articles have been published inside.

Keyword vs. Subject/Descriptor

• A keyword search usually contains informal/common words that come from the research question you are trying to answer

• A subject/descriptor search usually contains standardized terms/formal language specific to the field of study

Popular Periodicals vs. Scholarly Journals

• What is the difference? – Intended audience– Peer review process

• How can you tell the difference?– Frequency of publication– Title/Source of publication (not a guarantee)– Filtered search

Database Search

Databases to know about:Academic Search PremierArt AbstractsArt Full TextArt RetrospectiveARTbibliographies ModernARTstorBibliography of the History of ArtCinema Image GalleryDictionary of ArtFine Arts and Music Collection

Database Search

Other databases to know about:• Lexis-Nexis• Dissertation Abstracts International• JSTOR (full-text; may ask for $, not current)

Database Search

• Go to a database and use search terms; “Don Giovanni”– what do you find? How many references?

• How do you select sources?• How do you know if the sources are available

to you?

How to Obtain Articles

Option 1: Click on a Full-Text link or PDF link

Option 2: Click on the FindIt linking tool, thenclick on a Full-Text link or PDF link

Option 3: Click on the FindIt linking tool, thenclick on the CUNY+ Catalog to search for a printedpaper version of the periodical, then match theyear of the article to what years are available atQC or another CUNY library; look it up at QC or request it via Interlibrary Loan

Catalog Search: CUNY +

Go to qc.cuny.edu/Library and open CUNY+Click on “HELP” and read section on truncation

(psycholog*, ?economic) + boolean search terms (AND, OR, NOT)

Click on Queens College to limit your search.Use search terms; “South Pacific” How many references?What’s the difference between full/brief view?How do you send info about the reference to yourself?

Pick one reference and test this out.

Sharing Resources

• http://macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/seminar1fall2011feiner/

SOURCES

Most of the information in this presentationoriginally appeared in materials developed byProfessor Jim Mellone, Social Science Librarian

at Queens College:

• qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/~jmellone/lib_res_socsci.ppt

Instructional Technology FellowContact Information

Soniya Munshisoniyamunshi@gmail.com

Office Hours: Monday 9-1, Wed 10-12 (via email/skype)