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Library Session: Locating Information Resources

This document provides guidance on locating and using information resources for a research project through the Pace University Library, including how to search the library catalog and databases to find books and articles, use reference sources to gather background information, and correctly cite sources using MLA or APA style. Boolean logic and advanced search techniques are also outlined to help students perform more precise searches.

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140 views

Library Session: Locating Information Resources

This document provides guidance on locating and using information resources for a research project through the Pace University Library, including how to search the library catalog and databases to find books and articles, use reference sources to gather background information, and correctly cite sources using MLA or APA style. Boolean logic and advanced search techniques are also outlined to help students perform more precise searches.

Uploaded by

LibraryPace
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Library Session:

Locating Information Resources


CHI 154
Mortola Library
Spring 2010
Session Objectives
 Use reference sources to locate background
information
 Locate books pertaining to your topic using
the Pace Library Catalog.
 Find articles on your topic in library
databases.
 Cite resources correctly using either MLA
or APA documentation style.
Subject vs. Keyword Searching
 Keyword searches target entire records in the
library catalog.
 “history of education”
 Subject searches target only the Library of
Congress subject headings that have been
assigned to materials. Search terms must
match subject headings exactly.
 education, history
 curriculum change
Search Tip: Boolean Logic
 Most electronic search tools (library catalogs and
databases, Web search engines) allow you to
combine concepts using the Boolean operators AND
and OR.
 Use AND to combine concepts (authors and titles)
 (robert frost AND birches)
 Use OR to search for a single concept using
synonyms or related terms.
 (fairy OR folk) AND tales
Reference Sources…
 Can familiarize you with a subject area or
discipline.
 Can help you focus your topic.
 Can lead you to other useful books and
articles.
 Are an excellent place to start your
research.
Finding Relevant Reference Sources
 Gale Virtual Reference Library
 Search the Pace Library Catalog…
 …by keyword for “[subject area] and encyclopedias”
 …by keyword for “[subject area]” with location
limited to “Mortola Reference”
 If you are unsure of the subject area that your
topic falls under, try a general source like
Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Pace Library Catalog

 Use the library catalog to find out what we


have and where to find it.
 To find materials on a given topic, perform a
keyword search.
 To find books about a person, perform a
subject search for “last name, first name.”
 i.e., Morrison, Toni
Finding Articles Using Pace
Library Databases
 Databases provide access to articles (citations,
abstracts and/or full text) published in
periodicals.
 Use a database that is appropriate to the
subject area you are researching.
 Databases are subscription products available
on campus or from home with your MyPace
Portal username and password.
Suggested Databases
 Academic Search Premier
 Research Library
 Watch out for book and theater reviews!
 New York Times Archive
 Provides full-text access to news reports.
 JSTOR
 Use the “Advanced Search” screen for more
precise searching
Advanced Google Searching
Search by Domain:

 .org = nonprofit organizations

 .edu = academic/educational institutions

 .gov = government entities in the U.S.


Citing Your Sources
 When you build upon the ideas of others, you
always need to give appropriate credit for
those ideas.
 Failure to do may be considered plagiarism
 Always use a conventional documentation
style (MLA, APA, etc.) so that your reader
can locate the sources you used.
Questions?
Mortola Library Reference Desk:
(914) 773-3505

For Doug Heimbigner:


http://librarypace.blogspot.com
[email protected]

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