-University of Texas at El Paso-
LIBRARY INSTRUCTION SESSION
Date:
Tuesday, 09/19/06 (12:00 noon – 1:20 p.m.; 1:30 p.m. – 2:50 p.m.)
Location:
Room #204B, University Library
For:
Communication 1301 – Public Speaking (Fall 2006)
Instructor:
Kim Klorer (E-Mail: kklorer@utep.edu)
Librarian:
Lisa Borden, Electronic Resources Librarian
Subject Specialist: Communication/Women’s Studies
Phone: (915) 747-6709
E-Mail: lmborden@utep.edu
Phone: x5914
UTEP Library Resources:
For all Library Information, see the home page at http://libraryweb.utep.edu
Learn how to do research by clicking on How to do Research
http://libraryweb.utep.edu/start/getting_started.cfm
Learn about the Library’s electronic resources and how to access them at
http://libraryweb.utep.edu/electronic/electronic.cfm
(*NOTE: Includes information regarding access from home, how to set up
your library patron record)
View your patron record, renew books online, track ILL requests, and review
library holds at https://lib.utep.edu/patroninfo~S0
Locate course materials on reserve (placed there by your instructor) at
http://lib.utep.edu/screens/course.html
Request materials from other libraries via Interlibrary Loan (ILL) at
http://libraryweb.utep.edu/departments/ill.cfm
Look at our listing of online electronic citation style guides at
http://libraryweb.utep.edu/db/citing.cfm
(*NOTE: Printed copies of both the APA and MLA style manuals can be located
at the Reference Desk)
Ask a librarian questions using the virtual reference and chat services at
http://libraryweb.utep.edu/avc/avc.cfm?page=asklib
Library Instruction for COMM 1301 - Klorer (Fall 2006)
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Research Strategies – A General Approach
1)
Plan based on your time frame. Ask yourself the question, “how much time
do I have to get the materials I need?” This is important to note because some
document delivery services, such as Interlibrary Loan, can take up to two
weeks or longer, so plan accordingly.
2)
Start off by finding out what’s easily available within the UTEP Library,
either in printed format or in electronic format. Check Nugget, the UTEP
Library Catalog, along with any electronic databases relevant to your search.
Look for links to full text items, if available, but don’t overlook the fact that
many items are still provided in printed format. If you limit your
searching to electronic full text items only, you will certainly miss many just
as relevant and valuable printed resources. Please don’t hesitate to ask at the
Reference Desk for help if you’re not sure how to find something.
3)
If some of the items you need aren’t available in the UTEP Library, check
other libraries in the immediate local area (i.e. within easy driving distance)
to see if they can be obtained there. Note that the UTEP Library has a
reciprocal checkout agreement with the NMSU library: UTEP students,
faculty, and staff can check books out at NMSU, and vice versa. Links to
other libraries may be found at http://libraryweb.utep.edu/db/otherlibs.cfm.
4)
In the event that some of the materials you need are available neither at the
UTEP Library nor at other libraries in the immediate local area, you will have
to order these via Interlibrary Loan or another document delivery service, if
time permits. A good resource for checking overall availability of Interlibrary
Loan materials is the international database OCLC WorldCat (a link to this
product appears on the “Other Libraries” web page above). When looking for
journals, remember to always double-check each library’s holdings for that
title to verify that the volume/issue you need is, in fact, held by that library.
5)
If time or convenience are pressing factors, you may want to employ special
strategies such as fee-based document delivery services or by networking
with friends or colleagues at other universities to obtain your materials. Feebased document delivery services such as Ingenta Connect may come in
handy if you don’t have the luxury of time to wait for Interlibrary Loan. Be
sure to double-check for any local rules, copyright, or licensing
restrictions that may apply. Some authors are most cooperative about
sending out copies of article reprints, reports, and the like, upon request. It’s a
good way to practice networking with colleagues or peers in your field.
6)
If you’re not sure what to do or how to begin, PLEASE don’t hesitate to ask
for help either in person, via phone, or by e-mail. The UTEP Library staff are
always willing to help out whenever they can.
Library Instruction for COMM 1301 - Klorer (Fall 2006)
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Locating Materials in the UTEP Library Related to Speech Topics
How to locate books, journals, government documents, etc.
Strategy:
Perform a search for these materials in Nugget, the UTEP Library’s Catalog. Links to the
catalog are available from the UTEP Library’s home page. Various types of searches can
be performed as needed, including keyword, author, title, subject, call number, etc. Note
that many searches can be limited by language, material type, location, and the like.
Records may be printed out, e-mailed, or saved to diskette as appropriate (See
“Save Marked Records,” “Save all on Page,” and “View Saved” buttons). Make
sure to “Clear Saved Records” after printing, e-mailing, or saving each batch otherwise
Nugget will cache or append each successive batch of records to the group, resulting in
duplication. Some of the Library’s subscription databases provide a direct link to Nugget
right from their search interfaces to make it easier to verify our holdings information.
FYI: Do not use Nugget to search the content of a journal! New feature: It is now
possible to save “preferred searches” when logged into Nugget from the patron
record (“View Your Records”) screen!
NOTE: Many of the bibliographic records in Nugget, the UTEP Library Catalog, are
very brief and don’t contain much detailed information regarding what the book, journal,
government document, or other item, is about. Some records will contain a note showing
the book’s “table of contents,” for example, but not the full text. Those that are
“electronic books” will include a link to the complete full text that can be viewed online
through a database called netLibrary. Setting up a free, personal account in netLibrary
will allow you to set up preferences, create a list of favorites, and take notes on the EBook. In most cases, however, the book, journal, or other item, must be retrieved
and examined to determine its actual subject content.
Brief in-class demonstration (see Nugget handout for additional help)
Sample searches by KEYWORD
Public speaking (phrase)
Debates AND Debating
NOTE: The differences between phrase searching and combining search
terms with the Boolean operators AND, OR, NOT. Use a keyword
search to determine the appropriate subject heading for your topic.
Sample searches by SUBJECT
Public speaking (NOTE: “Forensics” is an older subject heading)
Debates and debating (NOTE: Use in place of “Forensics”)
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Experimentation strategies with student speech topics:
Male Contraceptives
e-Skin (Artificial Touch – Robots)
Identity Politics
Poems about “Rivalry”
Diffusion (Communication Theory)
Augmented Reality (AR) Goggles
Special search strategies:
Note that for some of the topics listed above, it may be difficult if not impossible
to locate a book specifically or exclusively devoted to that topic within Nugget –
unless it is physically or virtually owned by the UTEP Library. A search of
WorldCat (OCLC/FS), an international book catalog, is highly recommended to
verify whether any published book exists on a specific, related, or broader topic.
That book can then be obtained via Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
To locate relevant material in Nugget in book format, special search strategies by
broad or related subject may need to be employed if nothing is found on the more
specific topic. It is recommended that a working thesaurus or list of synonymous
subject terms be constructed, including all broader and narrower terms as well as
related terms. Since the bibliographic records within Nugget are typically brief
and do not include any full text, it is usually likely that viable information on a
topic can be located by examining the table of contents and/or index of a book
whose bibliographic record displays a much broader or related subject term than
the one specifically desired.
For topics of fairly recent vintage or those that are considered “cutting edge,” a
search of the journal literature specific to the topic area is typically much more
rewarding due to the longer publishing cycle required by most books. Also, the
scholarly literature of some disciplines is much more prevalent in journal format
than in book format.
Topics that need to be “localized” or focused on the immediate local area or
community involved will require a search of publications such as newspapers,
newsletters, magazines, and manuscript materials that were published or created
locally. Conducting personal interviews or contacting local media outlets are
other ways to “localize” topics.
How to locate journals
Strategy:
Determining whether or not specific journals are available at the UTEP Library is a twostep process. It involves to checking to see if the UTEP Library has the journal in its
holdings, in either print or electronic format. Bear in mind that the Library may have the
journal available in print format, in electronic format, in both print and electronic
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formats, or it may not carry the journal in either format and you will need to locate the
item in a neighboring library or request an article via InterLibrary Loan.
To check the UTEP Library’s print holdings for a specific journal, perform a title
search in Nugget, the UTEP Library Catalog. If you find a match for your title, the
Nugget record for the journal will indicate what years/volumes/issues are held by the
Library. Check the information in your bibliographic citation to determine if the article
you need is included in the Library’s holdings for that journal title. If you’re just
interested in browsing that journal and have no specific subject focus, you’ll need to
decide if you want to browse current or older issues, based on availability indicated in
the Nugget record. To do that, write down the call number for the journal and go to the
location in the Library (either M&M or Main Stacks) where those issues are shelved.
FYI: Use the Library’s electronic databases to search the contents of a journal. This is
usually easier and faster than searching each volume and issue on the shelves by hand.
To check the UTEP Library’s electronic holdings for a specific journal, note that many
of the journal records in Nugget contain links to full text content for that journal in
various other subscription databases. Because some of the Nugget record links aren’t as
up-to-date as those on the Library’s web page listing for these items, please follow the
guidelines below for locating journals in electronic format.
How to locate a current listing of all of the Library’s electronic journals
Strategy:
As a general rule, most materials that are physically or virtually owned by the UTEP
Library can be found in Nugget, the UTEP Library Catalog. Because UTEP’s electronic
journals inventory is constantly changing, the Library maintains a separate listing of
these items at http://fu5wr4ks6k.search.serialssolutions.com/. NOTE: Electronic
journals not included on this list cannot be accessed online through UTEP. The
electronic title must be on subscription through the Library for online access to occur,
with very few exceptions. This list is completely ACCESSIBLE FROM HOME.
Remember to set up your library patron record FIRST!!!
Note that titles may be searched or browsed both alphabetically and by subject. Some of
the links will take you directly to the journal’s table of contents page where you can
access your journal by volume and/or issue number. Others will take you only to the
search interface of the database in which the journal is contained and you will have to reperform your search in order to locate the needed article. Many of these titles are indexed
or tracked for content in the electronic databases listed below.
IMPORTANT: Use the Library’s E-Journal Portal as a COUNTERPART to Nugget and
not in place of the electronic indexing and abstracting databases (*below*). If the
database you’re searching doesn’t provide the full text article or a direct link to it, check
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Nugget or the E-Journal Portal to see if UTEP has either a printed copy or an electronic
copy of the one you need.
How to search electronic databases for journal articles
Strategy:
The best and most efficient way to look for journal articles and other information
dealing with various topics is to use online bibliographic indices or abstracting
databases. These powerful, Internet-based tracking tools are rapidly replacing indices in
both print and CD-ROM formats. They are very helpful for sorting through and
manipulating large quantities of literature in one or more subject areas. Use these tools
primarily to learn what kind and how much information has been published with respect
to your area of interest.
Start by searching the indexing and abstracting database that covers or tracks the bulk of
the primary literature for your subject area. A certain amount of subject or content
overlap exists among databases based on each one’s primary function: subject awareness
and/or full text content support. Content overlap among databases is also dictated by
what types of materials each one is assigned to track or provide awareness for. Search in
secondary indices or specialty products only for unique literature that is not already
covered or tracked in the primary index. NOTE: A thorough literature search will always
involve more than one indexing and abstracting database.
Since no single electronic resource will cover all of the published literature on a topic,
plan on using a flexible search strategy that will encompass several electronic database
resources. Be prepared to do a little navigating through the various search interfaces or
platforms you’ll encounter in the process, since they will all be somewhat different in
terms of design and content. Features and functionality, however, will show much more
similarity and will allow you to determine patterns that will increase your information
literacy with respect to electronic resources.
Once you’ve established what’s potentially available on your topic, you can then start the
process of locating the actual documents. The full text of some of these documents may
actually be included within the interface of the primary indexing database you used to
perform your initial search. Certain indexing or tracking databases provide links to other
databases to help you locate full text documents in either print or electronic formats.
These other databases provide full text content or support for the indexing or tracking
databases. Some databases provide no external linking mechanisms whatsoever to assist
you in your search for the documents themselves. The best way around this is to
familiarize yourself with each online resource to determine its function and usefulness.
NOTE: A wide range of online indexing and abstracting databases, grouped together by
subject or category, can be located on the Library’s “Electronic Databases” web page at
http://libraryweb.utep.edu/db/index.cfm. From this page, specific online databases can be
located alphabetically by title and also by keywords in the database title. Each of the
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online products discussed below will be demonstrated during class using student topics,
as time permits.
Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) -- Comprehensive, multidisciplinary index
complete with citations, abstracts, and some full text. Formats indexed include books,
newspapers, and magazines, as well as scholarly and peer-reviewed journals. Subject
coverage includes social sciences, arts and humanities, education, computer sciences,
engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, health sciences, multicultural
studies, and many more. Coverage: 1975 - present (updated daily).
Sample KEYWORD search
1st Search Box = smoking
2nd Search Box = vaccine
NOTE: You can set limits for retrieval of either periodicals or scholarly/peerreviewed journals
Sample SUBJECT search
Smoking (NOTE: Also try “Tobacco habit”)
NOTE: Click on the “subject terms” button from the green navigation bar at top
of screen and choose “relevancy ranked.” Enter the terms of your choice, then
click on the “browse” button at top/right of screen to view results. After
selecting the most relevant subject heading by marking it with a check, add it to
your search so the term (prefix DE=Descriptor) appears in the “find” box above.
View the bibliographic citations for that term by clicking on the “search” button.
You can combine several subject descriptors using the Boolean operators: AND,
OR, NOT.
MEDLINE (EBSCO) -- Comprehensive index for international literature in
biomedicine, bioengineering, and health. Includes those areas of the life, behavioral, and
chemical sciences needed by health professionals and others engaged in basic research
and clinical care, public health, health policy development, or related educational
activities. Subject coverage includes medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine,
the health care system, and the pre-clinical sciences. Materials indexed include scholarly
journals, newspapers, magazines, and newsletters. Many citations include abstracts and
some include full text or links to full text, based on institutional subscriptions.
Coverage: 1966 - present.
Sample KEYWORD search
1st Search Box = male
2nd Search Box = contraceptives
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NOTE: You can set limits for retrieval of either peer-reviewed journal articles,
population group, gender, intended audience, and more.
Sample SUBJECT search
Male contraceptives = Contraceptive Agents, Male
NOTE: Click on the “thesaurus” button from the green navigation bar at top of
screen. Enter the terms of your choice, opt to rank results according to relevancy,
then click on the “browse” button at right of screen to view results. After
selecting the most relevant subject heading by marking it with a check, add it to
your search so the term (prefix DE=Descriptor) appears in the “find” box above.
View the bibliographic citations for that term by clicking on the “search” button.
You can combine several subject descriptors using the Boolean operators: AND,
OR, NOT. Examine the “scope” notes for definitions of terms.
Engineering Village 2 (Compendex) -- Comprehensive index for engineering and
applied science literature from journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports.
Includes abstracts and links to some full text, based on institutional subscriptions.
Coverage: 1970 - present (updated weekly). Provides access to two independently
searchable sources for patents: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) full
text/full image databases and esp@acenet for patents (some full text) produced by
national patent offices in Europe, the European Patent Office (EPO), the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and Japan.
Sample KEYWORD search
1st Search Box = artificial touch (NOTE: Try “tactile sensors”)
2nd Search Box = robots
Sample SUBJECT search
Robotics
Contact sensors
Robots, Industrial – Contact sensors
NOTE: Click on the blue “thesaurus” tab at the top of the screen, enter your
desired search terms, and click on the gold “submit” button. Select the term that
best matches what you’re looking for from the list given (it will automatically be
entered into the “search” box below) and then click on the “search” button at the
bottom of the screen to bring up a list of the bibliographic citations for that term.
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