Library Research Strategies

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Library Research Strategies

• PO 525 The Politics and Institutions of
  International Economic Relations
• PO 861 The Limits and Possibilities of
  Cooperation in World Politics
• Prof. David Deese

Michelle Baildon baildon_at_bc.edu http//www2.bc.edu
/baildon/
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Tell Me, Please

• How do I get the library information I need . . .
  
• . . . at ONeill?
• . . . at BC?
• . . . in Boston?
• . . . in the world (online and otherwise)?
• How do I get primary and secondary sources?
• Youll need the right tools

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Lets Get to Know the BC Libraries Web Site

• Remember Michelles Home Page (okay, not
  technically part of the BC Libraries site)
  lthttp//www2.bc.edu/baildon/gt
• Library home page http//www.bc.edu/libraries/
• Quick Searches
• Research Help
• Subject specialists
• Research Guides
• How do I . . . ?
• Tutorials CHECK OUT THE QUEST TUTORIAL
• Resources
• Online Databases
• Electronic Journals
• WorldCat

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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 and other tools all go by the alias
  database

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Using Quest

• (Again, check out the Quest tutorial
  http//www.bc.edu/libraries/research/tutorials/s-q
  uest1/)
• Basic search Good for title, author, keyword
• Use keywords to get LC subject heading
• Boolean logic (a.k.a. and or)
• Advanced search
• Combine searches
• Limit by language, format, library
• Remember . . . Use these strategies with other
  catalogs and databases!

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Using Quest (cont.)

• Requesting checked-out books or in-process books
• Create lists, save records
• Other catalogs Journal Titles Course Reserves
• Check Quest Help!

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Scholarly Journal Articles

• What is a scholarly journal?
• Contains articles by academics
• Peer-reviewed
• Theyre both digital and print (and microfilm . .
  . )

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Finding Journal Articles Tell Me How

• The Old-Fashioned Way
• Step 1 Use an index or database to find an
  article title
• Some key indexes
• Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
• PAIS International
• Step 2 Find the journal in Quest

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Some Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

• Shortcut 1
• Use full-text databases
• Some key full-text databases
• Business Source Premier
• Columbia International Affairs Online
• JSTOR

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Some Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

• Shortcut 2
• Look for the Find It Icon
• Youre in a database and have found an article
  you want. How do you get it?
• Easiest way? Click on Find It.
• Find It will tell you
• Does BC have the article in full text online?
• . . . Or is it in print in the libraries?
• . . . Or can you get it through interlibrary loan?

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Some Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

• Shortcut 3
• If you know exactly what youre looking for, use
  Citation Linker on the E-Journals Page

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Finding Primary Sources

• See the guide to 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 Newspapers Research Guide and
  Newspapers Collection page
• Archival sources
• Archival Resources, ArchivesUSA
• For specific examples, see PO 525 861 Guide to
  Resources

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What if BC Doesnt Have It?

• Try Interlibrary loan (ILL)
• Use your Boston Library Consortium (BLC) card
• WorldCat can be helpful here

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Some General Tips

• Get leads from footnotes and bibliographies in
  books and articles
• Use call numbers to browse the stacks for similar
  books

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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