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 Course
Credo Reference -    |
Brief Description: Credo Reference is an electronic (e-reference) collection providing access to 3 million individual entries in nearly 300 encyclopedias and other reference works published by more than 60 publishers, including Cambridge, Collins, Routledge, Thames & Hudson, Blackwell, Penguin, Wiley, Merriam-Webster, McGraw-Hill, and others. |
Tools Available: Help for Credo Users
Credo Reference Content
How to Use the Content Map |
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Encyclopedia of Communication and Information -  |
Coverage: Published 2002 |
Brief Description: Provides a comprehensive overview of universal modes of communication, the media used to communicate, theories of communication and their implications, careers in communications and information, and biographies of notable figures in the field. Organized for the general reader and designed to complement social studies, communications, and information systems curricula. |
Other IPFW Formats: IPFW owns the printed set |
Call Number: Reference P87.5 .E53 2001 |
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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: (voting or elections) and comput$
Example: jobs steven (find works about Steven Jobs)
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: birnbaum michael (finds works by : Michael Birnbaun)
Title will search for important words in the title. Do not use initial articles: a, the, la, das, etc.
Example: comput$ and (police or crime)
Subject will search for important words in the official Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH).
Example: internet and education
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 CourseMultidisciplinary Databases include
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. |
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IEEE Xplore - |
Coverage: Full-text content from 1988 to present, plus historical articles from 100 IEEE journals published 1913-1987. |
Brief Description: The IEEE Xplore search interface provides access to peer-reviewed records of research in electrical engineering, electronics, computer science and a growing number of related disciplines, including theoretical and experimental papers and quality magazines focusing on practical applications in research, design and specification. |
Tools Available: IEEE Xplore FAQs
IEEE Xplore 2.0 User Guide
IEEE Digital Library Training |
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Use the Find Resources By...Subject listing to locate a database in your area of research. For example, if you are researching Use of Computers in Schools, look for databases providing access to education periodicals using the subject term Education.
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 CourseYour professor has asked that your sources be cited according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (sometimes referred to as the APA style guide). The APA Overview and Workshop page from the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers accurate guidelines for in-text citations and reference lists.
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.
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garrisoj@ipfw.edu
2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
260-481-6499
Fax: 260-481-6509
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Judith Garrison M.L.S.
Reference & Information Services Librarian; Liaison to School of Business & Management Sciences, Labor Studies, Division of Public & Environmental Affairs; Assessment Coordinator
Helmke Library, LB 160 |
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