ENGLISH 130A:

Print Culture, Literacy, and Argument in American Life

Fall 2003 /Julie Nelson Christoph

• Liaison Librarian: Peggy Burge
• pburge@ups.edu
• Collins Library, room 131
• Telephone: x3512

[Students with questions about the research process are encouraged to contact the liaison librarian for assistance. Ask quick questions by e-mail or call or drop by. In-depth research consultations are also available by appointment.]

Types of Electronic Databases

Electronic databases are searchable indexes of articles and sometimes books or chapters of books that are paid for by subscription (your tuition dollars at work!). Access to most of the databases available through Collins Library is restricted to members of the UPS community. Databases can be characterized by what kinds of citations they provide and by what subjects they cover.

Citation only -- These databases index articles (and sometimes books and chapters in books) by title, author, and subject, but provide only the citation, i.e., the basic bibliographic information needed to locate the article elsewhere. Examples include Bibliography of Asian Studies and Essay & General Literature.

Citation plus abstract -- These databases also include a short abstract (summary) of the article to give you a better idea of what the article is about. Examples include America: History and Life and MEDLINE.

Citation plus link to full text -- These databases will provide the citation and also a link to the full-text article. If the link gives you a choice of .pdf or .html format, choose .pdf because this will give you the exact image of the paper-format article and will make it easier for you to cite pages. Examples include JSTOR and Lexis-Nexis Academic.

Subject related -- These databases index journals and sometimes books in a single subject area or discipline. Examples include Historical Abstracts, PsycInfo, and Zoological Record.

General (scholarly literature) -- These databases index journals covering a wide range of scholarly disciplines. Examples include Academic Search Premier, JSTOR and Research Library Complete.

General (popular literature) -- These databases index popular magazines, newspapers, and book reviews. Examples include Alternative Press Index, Book Review Digest, Discovery Complete, Lexis-Nexis Academic, Readers' Guide Abstracts, and Newspaper Source.

Choosing the Appropriate Databases for Your Research:

Always search more than one database! Although the coverage provided by one database sometimes overlaps a little bit with that provided by another database, the library has selected all the databases according to their unique content.

How to select a database: A to Z list, by subject, general and reference, full text. If you have no idea where to start, go to the Research Gateway, select the appropriate subject, and see what databases are listed there. If you are doing interdisciplinary research, you should consult more than one subject on the research gateway.

 

The library subscribes to hundreds of journals, whether in print or electronic versions (or sometimes both). Through Interlibrary Loan, you also have access to thousands more journal titles. It is a very rare occasion when you cannot obtain the articles you need!

Search Methods:

Almost all databases can be searched by keywords. Try as many keywords as you can think of to describe your topic. Once you have located an article that fits what you are looking for, look at its subject headings (called "descriptors" in some databases). Conduct a new search using these subject headings and you will get much more focused results.

Obtaining Articles:

There are three methods for obtaining the actual articles you wish to read.

Method 1: In some databases, you will be able to link directly to the full-text article. If given the choice between a PDF or HTML version of the article, always choose the PDF format. This will give you an exact image, including page numbers, of the article as it appears in the paper journal.

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Method 2: If a direct link to full text is not available, then check SIMON to see if the library subscribes to the journal. (If you do not want to lose your database results page, open a new window by going to File, then clicking New, then selecting Window. In the URL line, enter <http://simon.ups.edu> to connect to SIMON.)

When you pull up the record for the periodical, note carefully the "Holdings" section, which can be reached by scrolling down. Periodical issues can be in paper, microform, microfiche, or electronic full-text formats, depending on the date of publication! If the periodical is available only in paper or microfilm, you will need to check either the current periodicals area on the first floor, or go downstairs to the basement to find the bound volumes of periodicals or the microfiche/microform. If the periodical record indicates that full text is available, note which databases are named, and then follow these instructions:

1. At the top of the periodical record, click on SIMON. (Do not click on the highlighted names of the databases; this will lead you to a dead end.)
2. Click "Databases A-Z" (on left).
3. Click on first letter of the database name. For example, click on "R" if you want to access Research Library Complete.
4. Once in the database, select the option to search for a particular publication (varies depending on the database interface).
5. Enter publication title (for example, History of Religions).
6. You will now be able to browse through tables of contents in each issue and then select articles you'd like to read.

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Method 3: If the article you want is not available full text through the database or through SIMON, then request the article through Interlibrary Loan by filling out this form, or, if available, clicking on the "ILL" button in the database. Often you will receive an electronic version of the article in 24-48 hours.

 

Tip!

Never, ever give up! If you are not finding what you need and are feeling frustrated, please ask a librarian!