Mildred F. Sawyer Library Suffolk University

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Mildred F. Sawyer Library Suffolk University

• Just the Basics
• Rev. 8/11
  

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Introduction

• This presentation will
• Help students learn to improve the quality of
  their submitted papers by increasing their
  productivity (save time) and efficiency (search
  smarter).
• Help students discover Sawyer Librarys resources
  and services.
• Help students become aware that librarians answer
  questions. Ask us!

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Library Tools OPAC (the catalog) and
Subscription Databases

• Searching Basics
• Keyword searches for words that might appear
  anywhere in the catalog or database record, such
  as titles, authors, subjects, abstracts, etc.
• Use AND to combine Key terms (aka, Boolean)
• Example television and violence

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Library Tools OPAC and Subscription Databases

• Searching Basics
• Subject The OPAC uses the Library of Congress
  (LC) Subject Headings. It is necessary to know
  the actual subject heading for this search to be
  productive.
• LC Subject Headings for the book, Media Violence
  and Children, are
• Children and Violence
• Violence in Mass Media

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Library Tools OPAC and Subscription Databases

• Searching Basics
• Author Search by last name, first name (or
  first initial). Example
• Hughes, L
• Editor (no author) Search by last name, first
  name (or first initial). Example
• Gentile, D.
• Organization of Government Body Example
• United States. Dept. of Education.

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Library Tools OPAC and Subscription Databases

• Searching Basics
• Title Eliminate beginning articles in titles.
• the OPAC does not recognize beginning articles
  (such as A and The )
• Example
• search the title French Revolution
• not
• The French Revolution

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Boolean Searching

• Searching with Boolean operators refines a
  search
• AND
• OR
• NOT

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Boolean Searching

• AND limits your search by requiring all terms
  to be in each search result. Example
• Searching for the relationship between poverty
  and addiction retrieves results with both terms
  present.
• This operator decreases (limits) the number of
  hits.

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Boolean Searching

• OR expands your search by allowing any of the
  terms to be in each result. Example
• The search for records discussing teenagers or
  adolescents requires that at least one of the
  terms appear in the search results.
• This operator increases the number of hits.

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Boolean Searching

• NOT limits your search by excluding the term
  appearing after the NOT operator.
• Example
• The search for records discussing addiction
  not alcohol requires that the term alcohol must
  not appear in the search results.

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Boolean
AND operator narrows the search results
OR operator expands the search
NOT operator narrows the search and eliminates
one term
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Accessing OPAC and Databases

• The catalog (OPAC) is available from the Sawyer
  Librarys home page.
• Click the link Library Catalog.
• Subscription Databases are also accessible from
  the Sawyer Librarys home page.
• Click the link Databases by Subject or A to Z
  List of Databases.

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Keyword Catalog (OPAC) Search

• We are seeking Sawyer Library books about women
  in politics
• Use the Boolean and between words

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Catalog (OPAC) Record
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Locating a Book from the OPAC Record
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Retrieving Subscription Database Articles

• To illustrate how to retrieve articles from the
  Sawyer Librarys subscription databases
• From the Sawyer Library home page, click the link
  Databases by Subject.
• Choose Academic Search Complete under Social
  Sciences.

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Retrieving Subscription Database Articles

• Example
• Find articles about the effects of media violence
  on children.
• Use the following keyword search with the Boolean
  operator and on the Basic (opening) search screen
  
• media and violence and children
• Limit by Date and Type of results

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Database Results List
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Why Review Abstracts?

• An abstract is a summary describing the article.
  To read an abstract of an article, click on link
  for the article's title.
• Read the abstract before printing or e-mailing
  the full text, as this will help you to determine
  if the article is relevant to your topic.
• If it is not relevant, then you have saved time
  and/or saved paper.

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Researching Skills Scholarly vs. Popular
Articles

• Scholarly sources
• Authors are researchers and discipline experts
• Contains a bibliography
• Content or purpose is research based
• An association or university is the publisher
• Articles reviewed by another scholar
• Example American Economic Review

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Scholarly vs. Popular Articles

• Popular Articles
• Authors are staff writers or unsigned
• No bibliography
• Content is general interest or news
• Publisher is a commercial organization
• Purpose is to disseminate general news or to
  entertain
• Not reviewed by experts
• Example Newsweek

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Limit Search to Scholarly Results Database
Subject Terms
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Deciphering a Journal Citation
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Deciphering a Book Citation
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Evaluating Print Sources

• Printed material often contains bibliographic
  information (publisher and publication date) and
  author information which can determine its
  purpose and/or academic background.
• Use a books preface, table of contents, and
  index to determine its purpose.
• To locate specific pages of interest, use these
  sections of a book.

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Ethical Use of Information-Plagiarism

• Plagiarism means using someone elses thoughts or
  ideas, words or phrases, or entire work as if it
  were ones own.
• DO NOT
• Take notes from a book or article, or copy and
  paste from an electronic source, and then use
  this information in a research paper without
  identifying the source.
• Reproduce tables, charts, illustrations, graphics
  or other media without crediting the source.

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Ethical Use of Information-Citing of Sources

• Follow professors instructions on which style
  guide to use. Some popular examples are
• MLA handbook for writers of research papers
• REF LB2369 .G53 2009
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological
  Association
• REF BF76.7 P83 2010
• Manual for Writers Of Research Papers, Theses,
  And Dissertations
• REF LB2369 .T8 2007
• Sawyer Librarys Help and Research Guides
  (http//suffolk.libguides.com/index.php)

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Library Resources

• Reserves
• Two copies of course textbooks
• 62 laptops
• Reference Librarians
• provide research assistance in person, by phone,
  email, and chat.
• 17 Research Workstations with Printers
• on Floor 2
• Group study rooms, two- and four-seat tables, and
  individual study carrels

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Library Resources

• Sawyer Library Home page (http//www.suffolk.edu/s
  awlib/sawyer.htm )
• Provides links to databases, contact information,
  research guides, circulation services, a
  full-text search engine for journal titles, and
  much more.
• Help and Research Guides (http//suffolk.libguides
  .com/index.php)
• Sawyer Librarian - created and covering broad
  research subjects
• Fenway Library Consortium (FLC)
  (http//www.fenwaylibraries.org/)
• Suffolk students may borrow books from other area
  libraries, including Emerson and Simmons