Library Research Strategies HS 300 79 The Reading

Library Research Strategies HS 300 -79: The Reading & Writing of History Authoritarianism & Democracy in Latin America Prof. Sergio Serulnikov Michelle Baildon Collection Development Librarian baildon@bc. edu http: //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 3 rd. . . ) • 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

All Information Is Not Created Equal What kind of source? Primary source Secondary source What kind of material? Books Journal articles Government documents Archival material Music Film Etc. etc. What format? Print Digital (online) Microfilm DVD CD 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

Different Tools Find Different Things • Catalogs: Everything a library holds • Union catalogs: Everything that many libraries hold (see World. Cat) • Indexes: Show you where to find specific articles – Take you down another level of specificity • Finding aids: Manuscripts and archival records

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 inprocess books • Other catalogs: Journal Titles; Course Reserves; World. Cat • Create lists, save records • Check Quest Help!

Finding Journal Articles • What is a scholarly journal? • 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 • 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 “Find. It” (Welcome to the 21 st 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 “Find. It” buttons and links to articles – Historical Abstracts; Hispanic American Periodicals Index (HAPI) • Some are indexes with “selected full text” – Expanded Academic ASAP • Some are journal collections – JSTOR • There are more. . . Please see – HS 300 -79 Guide to Resources – History Online Databases – Latin-American Studies Research Guide

Finding Primary Sources • Print sources – Use Quest and World. Cat • Digitized sources – See Research Guides, Online Databases Page, Quest – Think critically about free Internet sources • Microfilm – Use Quest Advanced Search and limit to microfilm • Archival sources – Archival Resources, Archives. USA • For specific examples, see HS 300 -79 Guide to Resources

What if BC Doesn’t Have It? • How would you find something BC doesn’t have? – An index or database – World. Cat • 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. 5 th ed. New York : Modern Language Association of America, 1999. (O'Neill Reference Desk LB 2369. G 53 1999) – Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 6 th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. (O'Neill Reference Desk LB 2369. T 8 1996)

The BC Libraries Web Site: Highlights!! • • Home page Subject specialists Research guides Online databases Quest Electronic journals How do I. . . ? Tutorials

Want help from a real person? • Contact Michelle Baildon, Shari Grove, or other subject specialists • Visit or call (2 -4472) the Reference Desk during these hours • Email or online chat (Ask 24/7) reference help