the Library

Find Journal Articles - Fast

By: Christy Branston Mark Polger September 27, 2005

Workshop Objectives

After this session, you will know how to…

• Select appropriate databases • Develop successful search strategies • Combine search terms and add limits to focus a search • Mark and save, print or email records • Track down articles in the library and beyond

Indexes & Databases

Why use them?

• Find articles on your topic (can’t use Trellis) • Save time (faster than browsing) • Get brief descriptions (abstracts) • Link to Full Text articles

Indexes & Databases

How to Choose: • Different databases for different topics • Note date ranges of Indexes • You may have to search more than one database for one topic

Brainstorming & Breaking Down a Topic • Imagine title of ideal book or magazine article “Identity and Motivation for Body Modification” • Identify key concepts – IDENTITY / MOTIVATION / BODY MODIFICATION • Think of synonyms / alternate search words • Background research and definitions can help you think of possible terms

Isolating Search Terms

IDENTITY MOTIVATION BODY MODIFICATION

Personality Character Self Students Sailors Prisoners Reason Purpose Body Art Body Marking Tattoos

Search Strategies

Phrase formations :

Body art versus “ Body art ” versus ( Body art )

Truncation Symbols:

Tattoo versus Tattoo* versus Tattoo?

Using Boolean Operators

OR – combines synonyms in one search AND – combines different concepts in one search NOT – excludes concepts 1. Tattoos 2. Tattoos 3. Tattoos

Choosing a Research Database: • Choose a database according to your research topic, ensures good results.

• Research Topic: Identity & Motivation for Body Modification • For this topic, you may try searching for scholarly journal articles in Sociological Abstracts

Databases by title A-Z Databases by subject

Databases by title A-Z Databases by subject

Getting Copies of your Articles: • • • Problem: Unfortunately, UW Library doesn’t have everything in every Research Database To get copies of articles, you will need to use the “Get it @ Waterloo” button on Sociological Abstracts.

Most databases have the “Get-It-@ Waterloo” button

Getting copies of articles if they’re not at U. Waterloo 1.

If Journal is in print and it’s located at Guelph / Laurier / Annex?

 Use the

TUGdoc form

: found at “Request item from TRELLIS” 2. If Journal cannot be found at any of the three Universities?

 Use “Request item not in TRELLIS” and choose

RACER

(the Interlibrary Loan requesting system)

Choose article that WE DON”T have

Marking Records

Subject Searching

• Helps to focus your search (save time) • Most databases use a subject index – Thesaurus – Descriptors – Subject Headings

Evaluate the descriptors

• Take a look at the descriptors (subject headings) in each citation • Are they relevant to your research?

• Re-do your search using Descriptors instead of keywords • Remember, a keyword search gives quantity, not necessarily quality

Search Multiple CSA Databases

More Databases

• Web of Science • Social Sciences Fulltext • Anthropology Plus

Social Sciences Fulltext

Wrap-Up

• Break down your topic before you begin • Select the databases you should be searching • Track down the articles in Trellis • Request articles from TUG • Request articles from Racer

Any Questions?