A. Discovery versus access concept

If you search in the BU library catalog for the book The Virtual Student by Rena Paloff, you will discover that BU owns this book. But, from our library catalog you will not be able to access this book because we do not own it in electronic format. You have just encountered the discovery versus access issue that exists for online students. Does this mean that you cannot use this book for your research? Hopefully not - see the Retrieving Sources section of this tutorial for advice on how to access all kinds of reserach materials.

With online resources, the distinction between discovery and access has become blurred. Many online indexes that used to contain only lists of publications' authors, titles or subjects now include abstracts (brief summaries of books and articles) and sometimes even full texts. Not every book you need will be available in full-text online, but online tools may still help you discover interesting and useful books in print.

Just as not all books are available online, not all journal articles are available. As you learn to search our indexes and databases, you will see that some of the articles you discover have a link to access the full-text of the article. But you will also discover many that do not; these may be just as important to your research as articles available online, so it is important to use alternative methods to access them. In this section you will learn about how to select tools to help you discover appropriate research materials.

B. Types of Finding Tools

1. Find Background Information

a. Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

i. Use encyclopedias to get background information on your topic- they provide a good starting point if you are just beginning to do research. Articles are generally concise and help you understand what is generally known about your topic. Encyclopedias and dictionaries exist both in print and online reference collections.

L.O. screen shot of the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language at www.bartleby.com

L.O. screen shot of World Encyclopedia "pollution" entry (Oxford Reference Online)

ii. The Virtual Reference Shelf at BU Libraries is a great place to locate encyclopedias and dictionaries. The reference shelf is located at: http://www.bu.edu/library/refshelf/index.html (**make sure that Oxford Reference Online etc. is on this page. If not make these resources a separate bullet)

iii. The Librarian's Internet Index also lists many freely available reference materials such as dictionaries and encyclopedias.

iii. Don't forget to check the bibliography at the end of the article for useful citations. Sources cited will provide useful starting points for further research.

L.O. screen shot of encyclopedia article bibliography (from Grove online - Zoltan Kodaly article)

 

2. Use catalogs to find books and/or media

a. Local Library Catalogs

Search local library catalogs to find books or media. After searching a catalog, write down the citation (author, title...) and the location of the information (the call number and the library). Take note of the circulation status (available or checked out). When you look at the book, scan the bibliography for additional sources that may be useful.  

i. Most public libraries do not have extensive collections to support university classes but larger branches may have some materials suitable for your research. Many public libraries offer extensive online resources that may supplement our databases. Most public libraries offer Interlibrary Loan services to their patrons for a minimal charge or for free. Contact your local public library for details.

ii. Most state supported colleges and universities have programs supporting access for local residents. Proof of local residency may be required. Often services are restricted to enrolled students (borrowing may be restricted and Interlibrary Loan privileges may not be available) but there are usually no restrictions on using books and journals on site or using databases from within the library. Visit or call your local campus library for details.

iii. Some private colleges and universities have libraries open to the public although borrowing is usually restricted. Visit or call your local campus library for details.

iv. Private libraries (hospitals, law firms, corporations) are often closed to the public. If you are interested in using one of these libraries, always call in advance to learn about policies.

L.O. screen shot of a library catalog showing a typical display - highlight features such as the call number and circulation status

b.WorldCat

i. Use WorldCat to simultaneously search the contents of hundreds of library catalogs throughout the country. The Libraries Worldwide link shows which libraries own the item you are looking for. Use WorldCat to determine if books are located near you.

L.O. screen shot of WorldCat OR flash demonstration showing how to search

c. BU Library Catalog

i. The BU library catalog contains many e-books (electronic books that can be read from your computer). To search the BU library catalog for e-books:

• Go to the library catalog: http://library.bu.edu/
• Click Advanced Search
• Type your keywords into the search boxes
• Limit to Type of Material: Books - electronic (right side of screen)

d. E-books via subscribed sources (Source OCED books, Safari text books, etc.)

Some subscription databases contain the full-text to e-books. In some cases not all books your find in each databases will be available through the BU subscription. In addition to searching the BU Library catalog also search:

i. NetLibrary. Currently over 3,600 e-books in all subject areas are available. Many of the books are pre-1923.

ii. Oxford Scholarship Online. Over 1,000 e-books covering Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, and Economics and Finance.

iii. Safari Tech Books Online. Safari Tech Books Online is a fully-searchable e-reference library of technical books covering programming or technical issues.

iv. SourceOECD. Includes access to books, related periodicals and statistical databases.

e. Open access e-books

E-books may also be available online for free or at relatively small cost.

i. Bartleby.com. Free full text online access to reference, literature and verse books.

ii. Librarian's Internet Index. This site compliles a list of reputable websites that provide free access to electronic books.

3. Use Indexes and Databases to search for journal articles, newspaper articles, biographies, book reviews, statistical data, and more.

Introduce concept of indexes and databases:

i. Library catalogs generally do not provide access to everything in a library'scollection. Although you can find journal titles in a library catalog, you will not find the titles to the articles themselves. The same is true of news stories. To search for articles you must search a database that indexes journals and newspapers.

ii. Some databases cover general information while others are subject specific. There is a large range in the scope, content, and time period covered by the databases subscribed to at BU. Currently BU subscribes to over 200 indexes and databases. To view a full list see: http://www.bu.edu/dbin/ejournals/esources/alpha-es.php. Use the dropdown menu at the top of the screen to view only databases relevant to your topic area.

iii. Some databases include only articles that have gone through the peer review (define this) process, others include articles that have not been peer reviewed, while some databases include both. Databases that include both usually have a way for users to limit search results only to articles that have been peer-reviewed.

iv. Some databases include full text for articles, others include only citation information (define a citation) to help you find the article, other databases include some, but not all, full text for articles. Databases that include some full text normally allow users to limit the search results to articles that are available in full text (use caution with this approach because it can severely limit your search results! ).

v. In some cases, users can search multiple databases at once (ex. WilsonWeb, Web of Knowledge Cross Search).

vi. Most of the library's databases are available for use remotely, but a few are not. Be sure to choose a database that is available from off campus.

vii. How do the library's subscription databases differ from what I would find searching Google or Google Scholar? ( see ShowMe: Surfing or researching )

L.O. Flash demonstration: find one or more articles in a subscription database. Use the library's e-resource by subject list and: choose a subject, choose a databases, use the abouts if you need help deciding which one. Be sure the database is available for remote use. To search for a specific database, use the alphabetical list.

 

4. Librarians

i. Reference librarians can be one of your most valuable resources. Phone, e-mail or chat with reference librarians when you have questions about your research or using library services: http://www.bu.edu/library/ask/index.html