Library Research Strategies:

HS300-94America Torn: The United States in the

1960sProf. Seth Jacobs

Michelle Baildonbaildon@bc.eduhttp://www.bc.edu/libraries/services/ref-instruc/s-xbaildon/

So What’s the Point?

• Yes, to learn about Quest, databases, etc.

• Yes, to learn how to find stuff for your papers (due May 9 . . . )

• Most important: To get the big picture– What’s the information landscape?

• What’s out there in the world?• What’s here at BC?• How do I find it?• Who can help me?

– You’ll have a clue for the rest of your lives

First, a Whirlwind Tour of the BC Libraries Web Site

• Home page• Subject specialists• Research guides• Online databases• Quest• Electronic journals• How do I . . . ?• Tutorials

Not All Information Is Created Equal

What kind of source?Primary sourceSecondary source

What kind of material?BooksJournal articlesGovernment documentsArchival materialMusicFilmEtc. etc. etc. etc.

What format?PrintDigital (online)MicrofilmDVDCDEtc. etc. etc. etc.

Different Information Is Kept in Different Places at

BC• Books: Stacks, Off-site Storage (Kenny-Cottle, NEDL, Newton Resource Center), and Other Libraries

• Reference Books: Reference Stacks, Reference Desk, Reference Index Area

• Newspapers: Current Periodicals, Online, Microfilm• Journals: We’ll get to that later• Films, music recordings: Media Center• Government Documents: Guess where? Gov Docs• Archival material: Burns Library

• Remember: The call number is key!!

Different Tools Find Different Things

• Catalogs: Everything a library holds• Union catalogs: Everything that many

libraries hold (see WorldCat)• Indexes: Show you where to find specific

articles– Take you down another level of specificity

• Finding aids: Manuscripts and archival records

• These all go by the alias “database”

Using Quest

• Basic search: Good for title, author, keyword

• Use keyword to get LC subject heading

• “Boolean logic”• Advanced search:

– Combine searches– Limit by language, format, library

Using Quest (cont.)

• Requesting checked-out books or in-process books

• Create lists, save records• Other catalogs: Journal Titles;

Course Reserves; WorldCat• Check Quest Help!

Finding Journal Articles

• What is a scholarly journal?– Contains articles by academics– Peer-reviewed

• What formats are they in?– Some are in print– Some are online– Some are both

Where are the journals?

• Current Periodicals• Stacks• Offsite Storage• Microfilm• Online

Finding Journal Articles: Tell Me How

• Finding articles the old-fashioned way:– Step 1: Find your article in an index– Step 2: Find your journal in a catalog

The crucial step in Quest: VIEW HOLDINGS

• The miracle of full text and “FindIt”(Welcome to the 21st century)

– If you know exactly what article you’re looking for, use Citation Linker on the Electronic Journals page

Finding Journal Articles: Databases

• Some databases are just indexes• Some are indexes with “FindIt” buttons and/or

links to articles– America: History & Life

• Some are indexes with “selected full text”– Expanded Academic ASAP

• Some are journal collections– JSTOR

• There are many more . . . Please see:– HS 300-94 Guide to Resources– U.S. History Research Guide – U.S. Foreign Policy Research Guide– History Online Databases

Finding Primary Sources

• Print sources– Use Quest and WorldCat

• Digitized sources– See Research Guides, Online Databases Page, Quest – Think critically about free Internet sources

• Microfilm– Use Quest Advanced Search and limit to microfilm– Newspapers: See U.S. History Research Guide

• Archival sources– Archival Resources, ArchivesUSA

• In general: Check footnotes and bibliographies• For specific examples, see HS300-94 Guide to

Resources

What if BC Doesn’t Have It?

• How would you find something BC doesn’t have?– An index or database– WorldCat– Someone tells you about it, it’s in a

bibliography, book review, etc., etc., etc.

• How do you get it?– Interlibrary loan (ILL)– Boston Library Consortium (BLC) card

More Information on Bibliographic Formats

• Step-by-Step Guide to Doing Research: Use a Standard Format for Your Bibliography

• Ready Reference: Writer’s Resources• At the Reference Desk:

– Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th ed. New York : Modern Language Association of America, 1999. (O'Neill Reference Desk LB2369 .G53 1999)

– Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 6th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. (O'Neill Reference Desk LB2369 .T8 1996)

Want help from a real person?

• Contact Michelle Baildon or other subject specialists

• Visit or call (2-4472) the Reference Desk during these hours

• Email or online chat (Ask 24/7) reference help