Library resources,

1
Research Methods in Sociology

• Library resources,

and how to access them.
2
Resources available
Mahoney Library

• Primary resources
• Documents containing firsthand information
  or original data from
• resources such as newspaper articles,
  diaries, interviews etc.
• Used in compiling data for
  original research.
• Secondary resources
• Professional,scholarly research
  involved in analyzing, evaluating and
• synthesizing primary source materials to
  advance a particular academic
• discipline. Found in books, journals,
  conference reports other sources.
• These sources make up literature
  reviews, the first task of a researcher.
• Tertiary resources
• Encyclopedias and other reference works
  based on secondary sources
• providing a general overview and
  conventional understanding of a topic.
• Valuable for an introduction into
  a topic, at the beginning of the research
• process.

3
The research process First step Topic
selection
Mahoney Library

• Process that continues throughout your
  research.

Encyclopedia of Sociology 5 v. (2nd ed. 2000
)R301.03EN196. Excellent , if dated starting
point with essays providing good introductions
to various topics.
Research Starters Sociology Comprehensive,
summary guides written by subject experts with
bibliographies and links to scholarly articles
for further research.
4
The research process
Mahoney Library

• Three components of the research process
• Searching for resources
• Locating the full text of the documents
• Evaluating the content

Some full text databases allow you to carry out
all three operations within a single search. Do
not limit yourself only to the results of
searches that allow you to carry out all three
operations at once. You may miss key resources
for you topic by doing so.
5
Searching for resourcesNavigating the new
library homepage.
Mahoney Library
To access the library page from the new college
website, click on Academics and then Mahoney
Library on the left side of the page
The library website, redesigned to be more user
friendly and better organized.
Coolcat catalog
Evaluate sources
Databases alphabetically or by subject.
Locate full text.
Subject guides New central access point to
resources for a particular academic discipline.
Newspapers encyclopedias
Borrow from another library
Quick links Popular sites
Ask Online
6
Subject Guides
Mahoney Library
Click on the Sociology link to access the guide.
7
Searching for resources Coolcat
Mahoney Library
Shared catalog for Mahoney Library and the FDU
libraries.
Coolcat Library catalog for searching for
books, videos and other resources by author,
title or subject. CSE students have
borrowing privileges at both Mahoney and FDU
libraries.
Setting limits icon
Select Simple or Advanced search Select the kind
of search you wish to perform (Author, title,
subject, etc.) from the dropdown screen on the
right of the page.
Setting limits You can limit your results in a
number of ways, such as a specific date range, or
to items in Mahoney Library by clicking on the
limits icon in the lower right hand corner of the
page.

• Set your limits before entering search terms.
• Select the way you wish to limit your search.
• 3. Click on the Select Limits button to return
  to a blank search screen.

. 3.
8
Reviewing results of your searches
Mahoney Library

• After your search, the results screen appears
  listing those items
• found fitting your criteria. These may include
  items from FDU libraries.
• At the top of the page will be listed your
  original search.
• Below in the blue fields will be listed the
  titles of the works cited for your search.
• Below the titles is listed the location of the
  item and whether it is available.

Status Coolcat will indicate whether the book is
checked out or on the shelf.
Call number specific number assigned to every
book and video in the library collection. It is
based on the subject of the item and is essential
for finding resources in the collection.
Location Specific library and floor where the
book can be found.
Mahoney Library
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Opening up the record

• If more than one library owns
• the item, open up the record to
• see which libraries own the
• item, what the call number is,
• and whether the item has been
• checked out.

• Click on the title of the item to open up the
  record.
• The title appears at the top of the page with
  data about the record below.
• 3. Libraries owning the item appears below with
  call numbers to locate the item.
• 4. Click on the Additional information link for
  access to items like the table of contents,
• book reviews, summaries and other useful
  information.

Mahoney Library
10
Sociological Abstracts Database providing the
most comprehensive coverage for sociology.
Edit search
Records marked
I. Searching functionality A. Basic
searches (keyword, title, abstract
etc.) listed first. B. Words next to each
other searched as a phrase. C.
Wildcard (). Asterisk can stand in for
letters (ie Teen teenager,
teens, etc.). D. Date range set as needed.
Abstract
Check to mark records
Subject headings
II. Retrieving results A. Mark records
of records marked for retrieval
B. Abstracts subject headings available.
C. Edit search Returns to search screen.
III. Opening up the record. A. Click on the
title to open up the record. B. Subject
headings can be combined to do new searches.
C. Full abstract is now available.
Mahoney Library
11
Searching for resourcesBibliographies.
Mahoney Library

• Listings of citations identifying
• key resources for professional
• researchers in their work .

• Bibliographies should appear in all
• scholarly research. Be suspicious
• of any document without one.
• Think of them as recommended
• reading lists on particular topics
• compiled by scholars in the field.
• Bibliographies can provide access
• to conference reports and other documents
  that may not show up
• on the databases.
• Bibliographies provide a valuable alternative
  to database searching
• for scholarly works.

Major limitation of bibliographies Some of the
citations can be dated.
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Searching bibliographies in Sociological
Abstracts
Mahoney Library

• 1. From the search screen, Select RE (for
  references) from the dropdown menu and enter your
  search terms.

2. Click on the References link when it appears
below the record.
3. Click the Cited by link for articles listing
the current record in their bibliographies.
a. Having multiple records listed under
the Cited by link is a good indication
of the importance of the article.
4. A new list of records will now appear with
their own References and Cited by links.
References
Cited by
13
Retrieving resourcesLinking to the full text
from Sociological Abstracts.
Mahoney Library

• Sociological Abstracts provides the most
  comprehensive coverage
• for sociology, but it is not a full text
  database.

• To see if the full text is available through
• any of our other databases, click on
• Search for full text.
• 1. This takes you to a listing all
  databases
• with full text access to the journal
  and
• range of coverage.
• 2. Select a database providing the range
• of coverage needed.
• 3. You can then link to the database
• chosen, with a listing of volumes
• and/or years available.
• 4. Click on the volume or year to reveal
  all
• the issues available.
• 5. Click on the particular issue you need
• to access the article you are looking
  for.

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Retrieving resources Finding the full text from
just a citation.
Mahoney Library

• If you found a citation and want to see if we
  have
• access to the full text, click on the Electronic
  and
• Print Journals link on the library home page.
• Type in the title of the journal (not the title
  of the article) and click on the search button.

• You will be taken to a results screen listing the
  databases, and/or our print collection that
  provides coverage of the journal.
• Follow the same procedures outlined
• earlier on finding the full text of
  articles in
• databases.

15
Retrieving resources
Searching library collections through WorldCat.
Mahoney Library
If a book or journal is unavailable at our
library, find out which libraries own the item by
searching WorldCat, a worldwide collection of
catalogs.

• 1. Click on the WorldCat link found in the
• dropdown menu under Quick Links on
• the library home page.
• 2. This will take you to the WorldCat search
• screen. Type in the title of the publication
• and select title from the dropdown screen.
• 3. Click on the item type (Books or Serials
• most likely) and click search.
• 4. WorldCat will generate a list of records.
• Scroll down to find the record that you
• are looking for.
• 5. Click on the Libraries Worldwide link to
• find libraries that own this item.
• 6. A new screen will appear listing all the
• libraries that own the item you are
• searching for.

• Libraries underlined and in blue indicate links
  to their online catalog, to check if the item
• is available.

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Retrieving full text of documents through
inter-library loan
Mahoney Library

• If you cant to locate a book or article through
  the librarys databases or print
• collection, you can always request the document
  through Inter-library Loan.

Inter-library loan provides access to books
and articles belonging to other libraries.
Through reciprical borrowing, the library
provides access to almost any document a student
may need in her research.
Borrow from Another library Library page link to
Inter-library loan.
Inter-library loan request forms

• Click on the Borrow from Another Library
• link from the library home page.
• Under InterLibrary Loan Submit your Request
  Below click Book Request Form or Journal
  article request form.
• Fill out the form and click on the submit
• button. The library will call or email you
  
• when your item arrives.

You may also visit the nearest library possessing
the document to get it yourself. To borrow a
book fill out an ALA form at Mahoney Library
(see a librarian for assistance)
17
Evaluating information
Mahoney Library

• Criteria for evaluating information.

1. All information should come from secondary
sources.
2. Accuracy Depth of information.
a. Peer review is a useful tool for identifying
scholarly work.
3. Currency. Up-to-date information. a.
Information should date back no further than five
to ten years.
4. Information should be written from a
Sociological perspective.
a. Scholarly publications should identify the
author, his/her affiliations, etc. which will
tell you whether he/she is a practicing
sociologist.
b. If you are unsure of the publication,
Ulrichsweb is a database available that
identifies and evaluates periodicals

• c. If all else fails, try doing a Google search
  on the author to identify him/her.

You as the researcher will be the final arbiter
of whether a document is worthy of inclusion into
your research. These other tools are useful
markers, by only you can make that final decision.