Getting Started in the LibraryThis library guide points you in the direction of some basic library resources for completing library assignments and writing research papers in this course. Many of these resources are available from the library's homepage at http://www.lib.ipfw.edu/, so you may want to bookmark both the homepage and this guide.
Here are some resources to get you started:
Gaining an OverviewTo develop and refine your search, it often helps to consult a specialized dictionary, encyclopedia, handbook, textbook, guide, or bibliography. These tools are designed to offer an overview of your topic or research problem written by an expert. They may provide an historical perspective, a chronology of events, definitions of terms or concepts, or bibliographic references leading to the literature in a particular field of study. Many useful reference works are now available online. These handy e-reference collections are accessible via Find Resources By... Subject, Title, or Type on the library's homepage.
Selected Reference Works for this CourseThe New Encyclopaedia Britannica (Ready Reference AE5 .E363 2003) is one of many general encyclopedias available at IPFW. While students writing college-level papers do not usually quote extensively from general encyclopedias, they do use them to gain an overview and locate a bibliography of key works to start off their information search. Better yet, find a specialized encyclopedia article signed by an expert.
The Gale Virtual Reference Library provides access to over 200 specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries from many disciplines. Here is the title list, which includes Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Encyclopedia of Science, Technology and Ethics, West's Encyclopedia of American Law, Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns, World Encyclopedia of Police Forces and Correctional Systems.
Don't know what to write about? These two "hot topic" databases cover many current social and political issues and are good starting points for ideas and initial bibliographies:
CQ Researcher
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
Searching IUCAT for Books and PeriodicalsSearch IUCAT Catalog (Indiana University's online library catalog), to find books and periodicals (scholarly journals, popular magazines, newspapers, and other serials), or library materials such as music CDs, electronic resources, and videos. Materials at the Fort Wayne Helmke Library are designated by the library location FORTWAYNE.
IUCAT searches from on-campus computers will show only materials held by the IPFW Fort Wayne Helmke Library. To search all IU libraries, choose ALL from the Select Library pull-down menu on the search screen.
Sometimes IUCAT will lead you to articles in periodicals, but the most efficient way to locate articles is to use a periodical database or index to search many periodicals simultaneously.
Learning about IUCATSave time in the long run by investing a half-hour with our interactive Searching IUCAT Tutorial. It is an easy way to grasp fundamental search techniques and try your hand at practice searches designed to reinforce your knowledge. Also check our other IUCAT Guides for help in using IUCAT to your best advantage.
Choosing the Type of SearchUse the default Basic Search search option to find important keywords or phrases in an IUCAT record, in any order. Choose this search when you are unsure of the exact author or title of works on your topic.
Choose the Begins With (Browse) option from the box labeled More IUCAT Searches to find words or phrases exactly as typed, letter-for-letter, searching from left to right. Choose this search to find known authors or titles. Step 1. Enter term(s) in Title, Author, or Keywords Anywhere search boxes.
Step 2. Under Library, leave Fort Wayne Helmke Library as default, or change to ALL.
Step 3. Click the Search button.
Keyword Search ExamplesKeywords Anywhere will search for words anywhere in a record. This search is the default when the Enter key is used instead of clicking the button.
Example: bioethics or medical ethics
Example: morrison toni (finds works by or about Toni Morrison)
Author will search for first or last names in any order in the author fields of a record. Included are personal names, organizations, agencies, corporations, conferences, etc.
Example: morrison toni (finds works by Toni Morrison, yields the same results as toni morrison)
Title will search for important words in the title. Do not use initial articles: a, the, la, das, etc.
Example: color purple (finds The Color Purple)
Example: hot tin roof (finds Cat on a Hot Tin Roof)
Subject will search for important words in the official Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH).
Example: american literature and (wom?n or feminis$)
Finding Periodicals in IUCATStep 1. Choose Periodical Title Search from the box labeled More IUCAT Searches.
Step 2. Enter the periodical title. Choose Keyword or Exact depending on the search you need.
Step 3. Select the correct record from the Search Results screen.
Step 4. In the IUCAT record look for the URL (for Electronic Resources available Online) or Holdings (for printed periodicals) to find what specific years and volumes are available at IUCAT's FORTWAYNE location.
Step 5. When the library owns the printed volumes you need, write down the call number and location. The call number and IUCAT Shelving Locations will help you determine where an item will be shelved in the library. Or if the resource is available online, follow the URL link to the full-text content.
Locating Books and Periodicals in the LibraryBooks, printed periodicals, and other library materials are shelved in Library of Congress Classification (LC) call number order. The call number and IUCAT Shelving Locations will help you determine on which floor of the library an item will be shelved.
Searching for Periodical ArticlesThe most efficient way of finding a high-quality periodical article , is to search a periodical database or index that provides descriptive abstracts, subject indexing, and often, the full-text content of articles. Check out the interactive Finding Articles Tutorial to learn the basics of choosing and searching the Academic Search Premier database. Below is a selection of databases useful for your course. For a complete list, see the library's Find Resources By... page. Select a resource by Subject, Title, or Type (choose Abstracts, Databases, & Indexes).
Databases for this Course
Academic Search Premier -       |
Coverage: Indexing coverage varies, with full-text content for some titles beginning 1975 or earlier, and most titles indexed from the 1990s. |
Brief Description: Provides abstracts and indexing of articles in more than 8,000 popular magazines, scholarly journals, and major newspapers in all fields of study, with nearly 4,000 titles available full text. |
Tools Available: A complete list of titles covered is available. |
|
Is Your Article Scholarly or Popular?University instructors often ask students to use articles from scholarly journals rather than from popular magazines for their research assignments. The following Is Your Journal Scholarly? (PDF) summarizes major differences between scholarly journals and popular magazines. Which type of source have you located?
What about Full Text?Full text means that the text of the article is available in PDF or HTML digital format. Graphics and tables are not automatically included unless the database producer has rights to publish them. Many of the library's licensed databases offer the full-text content of periodical articles. IPFW students, faculty, and staff now have access to more than 20,000 full-text journals. Find them in E-Journal Finder.
When an article you need is not available full text in the database you are using, choose  to see all of your delivery options. You may be able to access the full-text content in another database, request the article from another library through Document Delivery Services, or make a photocopy of the article if the printed periodical is owned by Helmke Library.
When a Resource is Not Available in the LibraryRequest Delivery is an IUCAT feature that allows IPFW faculty, students, and staff to request materials held by other Indiana University Libraries and to have them delivered to Helmke Library (see the IUCAT Request Delivery Fact Sheet).
You may also request any item that is not available at Helmke Library through Document Delivery Services (DDS). DDS borrows books and provides photocopies of periodical articles from other library collections. The service is free for IPFW faculty, staff, and students.
Searching the InternetFor some information needs, the Internet may supplement library resources. To begin an Internet search, try one of the many search engines on our Internet Search site. One that works well is Google, which ranks results by number of links leading to a site. The section on Subject-Oriented Tools includes directories that have evaluated and selected sites for specific subject areas, such as the Librarians' Index to the Internet.
Because the World Wide Web is a massive, tangled directory of knowledge producers, research, facts, and entertaining tidbits of information, you must be critical about the material you find there. Quality and validity are not assured when anyone can publish anything, anytime, without the benefit of scholarly peer review. There are many useful guides and tutorials to help you understand how to navigate and evaluate Web sites, including Is Your Web Site Credible?
Style Guides and Useful Tools for WritingA variety of style guides are on reserve at the Service Desk on the first floor. These tools help you organize and write your paper, and format in-text references and bibliography lists. For more information, also see our Style, Publishing, & Writing Guides.
Style Guides for this CourseThe two most frequently recommended style guides used in this course are those published by two professional associations, the American Psychological Association, APA, and the Modern Language Association, MLA. The most recent editions of their style manuals are available at the Service Desk in the Library. Ask for the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers or MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing.
Many journal article databases, such as the one recommended above, Academic Search Premier, now allow the user to print out the journal references in APA or MLA format. Look for this helpful option when printing your search results.
And Finally, Ask a LibrarianLibrarians and skilled information assistants are always available to assist you. Visit the Service Desk to meet an information assistant who will help you get started. You are welcome to make an appointment with Your Subject Librarian if you need more in-depth assistance.
 |
skekloff@ipfw.edu
2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
260-481-6011
Fax: 260-481-6509
|
Sue Skekloff M.L.S., M.A.
Reference & Information Services Librarian; Liaison to English & Linguistics, Human Services, Organizational Leadership & Supervision, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Women's Studies; Training & Staff Orientation Coordinator
Helmke Library, LB 162 |
|
|
|
|
