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 CourseUse the Helmke Library Geosciences Subject Pathfinder to find additional reference books and searching tips. A few key resources for this course include: Encyclopedia of Water (Reference GB655 .N38 2003)
Oxford Reference Online Premium (Oxford University Press) [Database available to authorized IPFW users (on or off campus)]
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater: Including Bottom Sediments and Sludges (Science Reference QD142 .A5 20th ed. 1998)
Selected Water Resources Abstracts: A Semimonthly Publication of the Water Resources Scientific Information Center, Office of Water Research and Technology, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1968-1986 (Science Reference TC1 .S45)
Sources of Information in Water Resources: An Annotated Guide to Printed Materials, 1976 (Science Reference Z7935 .G548)
Times Atlas of the World (Atlas Stand G1021 .T5644 1999)
Water and Water Use Terminology, 1966 (Science Reference TD392 .V36)
Water Atlas of the United States (Reference G1201 .C3 W3 1973b)
Water Encyclopedia (Science Reference TD351 .V36 1990)
Databases for this CourseUse the following search strategy in the databases below to retrieve articles dealing with water issues and social variables such as poverty. Substitute geographic terms in the brackets. Because authors may not include the broad terms Africa or African, you may need to specify particular places within the continent of Africa, for example, Tanzania or Nigeria. Similarly, not all pertinent articles will mention the United States but will instead focus on localities. It may be best to do a very broad search and evaluate a larger number of results to find a perfect match for your needs.
Feel free to substitute additional words or phrases within parentheses, or omit a cluster of terms altogether. This search stategy example will yield a large but fairly focused set of results: (water resources or water conservation or water availability or water use or water quality or water supply or fresh water or potable water or clean water or ground water or groundwater or rain or rainfall or irrigation or hydrology or hydrological) AND (social class or social status or social standing or class standing or poverty or poor rural) AND (health or political or politics or politician or politicians or economic or economy or environment or environmental or ecology or ecological or sustainable or sustainability)
Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost)
Content: | Provides abstracts and indexing of articles in nearly 8,000 popular magazines, scholarly journals, and major newspapers, updated daily, in a wide range of fields including business, education, science and technology, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences, with nearly 4,000 titles available full text. Limit to scholarly, peer-reviewed articles or full-text articles only, if desired. Indexing coverage varies, with full-text content for some titles beginning 1975 or earlier, and most titles indexed from the 1990s. A complete list of titles covered is available. |
Access: | Database available to authorized IPFW users (on or off campus). Database available to authorized IPFW users (on or off campus). Other Indiana residents with an Internet service provider not based in Indiana (AOL, MSN, EarthLink, etc.) must first register for an INSPIRE password account. |
| More ... |
GeoRef (CSA)
Content: | Produced by the American Geological Institute, GeoRef provides more than 2 million bibliographic references with abstracts, in 40 languages. Coverage includes articles in 3,500 journals, plus books, maps, conference papers, reports and theses published in North America since 1785, and other world areas since 1933. Updated monthly. |
Access: | Database available to authorized IPFW users (on or off campus). IPFW library owns the printed Bibliography and Index of Geology Exclusive of North America 1933-1948, 1950-1968, and Bibliography and Index of Geology 1970-1991 (Science Reference Z6031 .B5). |
| More ... |
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.
Using Government InformationThe U.S. government is an excellent source for primary research materials. Helmke Library has been a selective federal depository for U.S. government publications since 1965, receiving items in the categories of business, the census, commerce, defense history, education, health, justice, foreign affairs, presidential and congressional materials. Many federal government publications are freely available in digital format, and these resources can be accessed using IUCAT Catalog. The library's Public Information Reference Service (PIRS) provides research assistance as well as access to the wealth of local, state, federal, and international government information on the Web. The Allen County Public Library is also a federal depository library.
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?
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.
 |
sandstrp@ipfw.edu
2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
260-481-5404
Fax: 260-481-6509
|
Pamela Sandstrom M.L.S., Ph.D.
Director of Library Programs & Development; Liaison to Anthropology, CAET, Computer Science, ECET, Engineering, Geosciences, Mathematical Sciences, MIET, Physics; Collection Developer for Library & Information Sciences
Helmke Library, LB 148 |
|
|
|
|
