Gary Handman

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Doing Research Online A Crash Course
Where do you plug this damn thing in?
Gary Handman ghandman_at_library.berkeley.edu 643-856
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The point of all this...
1. Introduce selected sources for finding
books and journal topics online 2. Introduce a
group of basic moves and features common to
many online catalogs and indexes. 3.
Practice using these features in selected
databases.
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The Information Universe (Then)
The guy next to me is soooo hot!
Card Catalogs Contained Records for

• Books
• Journals/Newspapers
• Other stuff (maps, media, dissertations,
  manuscripts)

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The Information Universe (Then)
Call

Kesey, Ken. One flew over the cuckoo's
nest. New York New American Library,
1962. Moffitt PS3561.E667.O5
Get da Book in da Stax
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The Information Universe (Then)
I know! Ill do my paper on Marilyn Manson!

• Indexes/Abstracts
• Annual/semi-annual print volumes
• Allow subject searching in a group of journals in
  a particular discipline or topical area.
• Some indexes also offer abstracts-- short
  description of article content

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The Information Universe (Then)
Wright, Robert. 'I'd sell you suicide' pop
music and moral panic in the age of Marilyn
Manson. Popular Music v19, n3 (Oct,
2000)365 (21 pages).

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The Information Universe (Then)
Wright, Robert. 'I'd sell you suicide' pop
music and moral panic in the age of Marilyn
Manson. Popular Music v19, n3 (Oct,
2000)365 (21 pages).

Get da call
Popular Music Music ML5.P66
Shelved Latest issue in Reading Room
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The Information Universe (Then)
Wright, Robert. 'I'd sell you suicide' pop
music and moral panic in the age of Marilyn
Manson. Popular Music v19, n3 (Oct,
2000)365 (21 pages).

Get da call
Popular Music Music ML5.P66
Shelved Latest issue in Reading Room
Get da Journal in da Stax
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The Information Universe (Now)
Online Catalogs
.
--Pathfinder --MELVYL (CDL cat)
Indexes Abstracts
Print
Online
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The Information Universe (Now)
Online Catalogs
--Pathfinder --MELVYL (CDL cat)

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The Information Universe (Now)
Books in Stax
Online Catalogs
--Pathfinder --MELVYL (CDL cat)

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The Information Universe (Now)
Books in Stax
Online Catalogs
--Pathfinder --MELVYL (CDL cat)
Full-Text Online (ebooks, ejournals but NOT
e-articles

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The Information Universe (Now)
Books in Stax
Online Catalogs
--Pathfinder --MELVYL (CDL cat)
Full-Text Online (ebooks, ejournals but NOT
e-articles
Indexes Abstracts

Journals in Stax
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The Information Universe (Now)
Books in Stax
Online Catalogs
--Pathfinder --MELVYL (CDL cat)
Full-Text Online (ebooks, ejournals but NOT
e-articles
Indexes Abstracts
Full-Text Articles Online
Online

Journals in Stax
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The Information Universe (Now)

• Library Acquires Full-text materials in
• three ways
• 1. Subscribes to full-text journals
• 2. Links from electronic indexes and
  abstracts
• 3. Subscribes to searchable full-text
  archives e.g. JSTOR, Project Muse

But remember...
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The Information Universe (Now)

• Not everything is online!!!!!
• Indexes Generally only go back 10-15 yrs
  online
• Not every publication is indexed
• Fairly small (but rapidly growing) subset of the
  books and journal universe is currently available
  in full-text

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The Information Universe (Now)

• Remember Also
• Not every topic has lots written about it,
  either in books or journal lit.
• --Research on very current topics
• --Research on topics off the beaten academic
  track or off the pop culture radar
• What to do if nothing is turning up
• Broaden your topic / select a different angle
• Rethink your search strategy (new keywords, new
  concepts, etc.)
• Bail out and choose another topic

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The Information Universe (Now)
Google Rocks!
The Net
LibraryLand
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How to Begin? Before you click THINK
Formulate your search in terms of keyword and
key phrases The impact of exposure of children
to advertising television and television violence
on school performance.


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How to Begin? Before you click THINK

• Formulate your search in terms of
• KEY WORD Searches
• --Look for words anywhere in record title,
  subject, abstract and full-text (if available)
• PHRASES
• --Looks for words in the exact order entered

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Keywords
e.g. -- Keyword Cold War Horror Film looks for
words Cold AND War AND Horror AND Film ANYWHERE
in the record You would conceivably retrieve
an article entitled At War With Your
Refrigerator? How to Avoid the Horror of
Moldy Film on Cold Cuts. --Phrase Cold War
Horror Film looks only for those 3 words in that
order would not find a book entitled


Depending on db --May be able to limit
keyword/phrase searching to specific fields
title, subject, or all fields.
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Truncation
When appropriate, use truncation to scoop up
broader results or ? Depending on
db --e.g. Advertis will give
you advertise, advertising, advertisers,
advertisements


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Once youve found something that looks
promising, Check out the official subject
headings



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Choosing a database

• Look at the alphabetical listing of indexes and
  abstracts on the librarys home page
  www.lib.berkeley.edu
• Listings of subject-specific electronic resources
  on individual branch library home pages
• CDL Searchlight

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Before we plunge...questions???