Research Assistance
| Citation Styles |
|---|
|
| Searching the Internet |
| Finding Books |
| Finding Articles |
And- One of the Boolean operators. AND narrows a search by excluding records that do not include both (or all) of the keywords linked by AND. For example, dogs and cats will only retrieve the sites that contain both of these words.
Bookmarks- Way to save the URL of a web site that you wish to return to. To bookmark a web page in Netscape, click Bookmarks on the menu bar, and then click Add Bookmark. To visit a bookmarked site, select it from the bookmarked list.
Boolean Operators- Boolean operators are AND, NOT, OR, which are used to combine search terms. AND narrows a search. OR broadens a search. NOT narrows a search by excluding terms.
Browser or Web Browser- Software programs that enable you to view WWW documents. Netscape and Internet Explorer are two examples.
Cache- A cache temporarily stores the web pages you have just visited. In Netscape, you can change the size of cache by selecting Options, then Network Preferences, and then Cache.
Case Sensitive/Capitalization- Most search tools are not case sensitive or only respond to initial capitals. It is safe to key in words in lower case, because lower case will retrieve both lower and upper case.
Database- A collection of related information accompanied by a set of tools for searching, sorting and retrieving those records. A periodical index, an online catalog and a search engine are examples of databases.
Default- A value or setting that a device or program automatically selects if you do not specify otherwise. For example, Internet search tools have their own default operators. In AltaVista, the default setting is OR, while it is AND in Yahoo.
Domain Name- Generally refers to the name of the computer connected to the Internet. Common domains are edu (institution), gov (government agency), net (network), com (commercial), and org (non-profit organization).
Download- Copy a file from a remote system to your computer.
FTP- File Transfer Protocol. It allows you to retrieve a file from a remote computer, and view/save it on your computer.
Field Search- Ability to limit a search by requiring a word or phrase to appear in a specific field (title, url, link, etc.) of the document. It is one of the most effective techniques for narrowing results and getting the most relevant sites. For example, link:www.herkimer.edu will retrieve the sites that have links to HCCC’s web site.
GIF- A format for storing image files. The other common format is JPEG.
Gopher- A nearly, text only method for accessing Internet documents.
HTML- HyperText Markup Language. A programming language used to create web pages.
Hits- The number of documents that resulted from your search.
Home Page- The main or front page of a web document. It typically provides a table of contents or directory for other pages.
Host- A computer that provides web documents to clients or users.
Hyper Link/Link- See Hypertext Link
Hypertext- Any document that contains hypertext links to other documents. HTML documents are almost always hypertext documents.
Hypertext Link- An element that leads you to another place in the same document or to an entirely different document. To recognize a link, move the cursor of the mouse over the link, if it is a link, the cursor will be changed to a hand, and the URL of the link will also be displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Internet- Network of networks communicating by a common protocol (TCP/IP). Internet users can exchange email. Participate in discussion forums, and retrieve files and web pages.
Internet Resources- A collection of data, documents, and databases available on the Internet.
IP Address- Internet Protocol Address. The numerical form of the Internet address of a host computer connected to the Internet.
JAVA- A network-oriented programming language. Using small Java programs (called Applets), web pages can include functions such as animations, calculators, and other fancy tricks.
Keyword- A single term that, alone or with other keywords composes a search statement.
Listserv- A discussion group mechanism that allows you to subscribe and receive and participate in discussions via email.
Meta-Search Engine- Search engine (e.g. Metacrawler) that automatically submits your keyword search to several other search tools, and retrieves results from all their databases.
Newsgroup- A discussion group operated through the Internet.
Not-It narrows a search by excluding records containing the word(s) specified after the term NOT. For example, dogs not cats will retrieve the documents containing "dogs" but not those with the word cats.
Or- It broadens a search by retrieving all hits that include either keyword or both. For example, dogs or cats will find the sites containing either the word "dogs" or "cats".
Phrase Search ("")- A search for documents containing an exact sentence or phrase. It is usually indicated by quotation marks around the sentence or phrase. For example, "global warming" will only retrieve sites that have the exact phrase you entered.
Proximity Operators- Specifications of how close together search words must be. Common proximity searches include searching by a phrase (also know as adjacent) or by using "near" to specify within how many words the search terms must appear.
+ (Require) or — (Reject a term or phrase)
Insert + before a term to limit search to documents containing that term (same as AND). — excludes documents containing the terms (same as NOT). They can be used before a phrase as well. Example: dogs +cats, dog —cats.
Relevance Ranking- The order in which search results appear. Each search tool uses its own methodology for assigning a relevancy score.
Search Box- A place within a search engine’s page to enter your search term(s).
Search Engine- A program that lets you search for information on the Internet. AltaVista, Infoseek, and Excite are three examples.
Search Tool- A computer program that conducts searches on the web. There are several types of tools: subject directory, search engine, and meta-search-engine.
Stopword- Conjunctions, prepositions, and articles are often ignored when keyed as search terms.
Subject Directory- Also called a subject guide or a catalog (e.g. Yahoo). A subject directory is a topic-oriented catalog of web sites and is generally grouped together hierarchically by humans who have reviewed the sites. It may be browsed or searched by keywords.
TCP/IP- Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. It is the suite of protocols that defines the Internet.
Telnet- Internet service which allows you to log onto a remote computer.
Truncation- In keyword searching, truncation is used to expand search possibilities by allowing for variations in spelling. *, ?, and $ are the most commonly used. For example, colleg* will retrieve college, colleges, and collegial, etc.
URL- Uniform Resource Locator. It is the unique address of a web document.
Anatomy of a URL- for instance
| Transfer Protocol | Host Computer | Directory Path | File Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| http:// | www.herkimer.edu | 000_startup | openframe.html |
Usenet- Bulletin board like network featuring thousands of "newsgroups".
Web Page- Any HTML document found on the web.
Web Site- A collection of HTML pages.
World Wide Web-WWW or the Web. A global computer communication system that supports documents formatted in HTML as well as links to other documents, video, and audio files.
Subject Directories
Subject directories categorize web resources according to topics. They feature a top-down hierarchy (general to specific), and they usually come with keyword search option. Since a subject directory is reviewed and compiled by humans, the information in its database is usually of good quality. However, it often does not work well for very specific topics. It covers only a small portion of the web, and it’s not updated very frequently.
Yahoo---http://www.yahoo.com/
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A hierarchical, subject-oriented directory.
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Keyword search allows Boolean searching (+, -, not, or), and the default setting is "and"—"and" is assumed between words if not specified otherwise.
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Supports phrase searching.
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Can search by title [t] and URL [u]
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Allows truncation (*) to retrieve variants of the word
Example: +t:christmas +stor* OR t:christmas stor*
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Librarians’ Index to the Internet---http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/InternetIndex/
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Subject guide to Internet resources constructed by librarians.
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Employs Boolean searching (not, or), and the default strategy is "and".
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Searches can be limited to the title, the description, or the assigned subject headings.
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Allows truncation, and results are listed in alphabetic order by the resource titles.
Example: censorship not filtering lib*
Search Engines
The database of a search engine is substantially larger and more current than that of a subject directory. Works well for locating information on specific topics and finding new sites.
AltaVista----http://www.altavista.com/
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Searches the Web as well as Usenet Newsgroups.
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Allows Boolean searching (+, -, and, not), and the default strategy is "or".
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Supports phrase searching and truncation, and it’s case sensitive.
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Supports field searching (title, domain, host, link, etc.).
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Can limit search by language, and translates text into a number of languages.
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Offers special features such as searching in the database of images, audio, or video.
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Advanced search option allows more complicated searches.
Example: +title:elephant* +two +species
Infoseek-----http://www.infoseek.com/
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Indexes Web pages, Usenet Newsgroups, email addresses, maps and yellow pages.
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Allows + and - search, OR is the default operator.
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Can search by phrase, ad it’s case sensitive.
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Search can be limited to specific fields (title, URL, link).
Example: +apple —computer OR fruit|apple OR +apple not computer
Excite-----http://www.excite.com
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Searches Web pages, Usenet, and Excite’s own database of reviewed sites.
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The default setting is "or", and the operators must be typed in upper case letters.
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Supports phrase searching.
Example: sting +police or sting AND police
HotBot-----http://www.hotbot.com/
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Indexes Web pages, Usenet, white and yellow pages, etc.
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"and" is the default operator, and uses Boolean searching (+,-, not, or)
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Supports phrase searching
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Can search in different fields such as title, URL.
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Allows truncation and it is case sensitive.
Example: python —monty OR python not monty
Snap-----http://www.snap.com/
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Default operator is "and".
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Allows Boolean searching (+, -, or, not).
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Supports phrase searching
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Can search in a particular field such as title.
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Case sensitive.
Example: "United States" +"trade statistics" OR United States and "trade statistics"
Meta-Search Engines
A meta-search engine lets you to search several search engines at once. But it doesn’t allow advanced searching because various engines have different search capabilities, and it often retrieves only 10% of the results in any of the databases.
MetaCrawler-----http://www.metacrawler.com/
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Submits your request to 11 search engines and subject categories.
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Supports phrase searching (either click on the phrase radio button or use "").
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Allows you to use +/- to require or exclude a word.
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Power search allows you to search in preferred search engines and directories.
Example: "PC operating systems" —windows
Dogpile-----http://www.dogpile.com/
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Searches 14 search engines and subject directories as well as newsgroups, and business news.
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Default operator is "and". You can also use +, -, "not", and "or".
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Allows phrase searching.
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Can configure it to your favorite tools by clicking on Custom Search.
Example: +football —Americano OR +football not Americano
Why Evaluate Web Pages?
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Anyone can publish on the web
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There is no fully developed standards to ensure quality
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Web pages can disappear without any notice
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Search engines can retrieve pages out of context
How to Evaluate Web Pages?
| Criteria | Questions to Ask |
|---|---|
| Authority |
|
| Accuracy |
|
Objectivity |
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| Currency
|
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| Coverage |
|
For full information on how to evaluate different types of web pages including advocacy (.org), business (.com), informational (.edu/.gov), news (.com), and personal pages, please go to the web site of Wolfgram Memorial Library of Widener University at
Widener University | Wolfgram Memorial Library | Evaluate Web Pages
How To Find Articles
A periodical is a publication that appears regularly at fixed intervals. Since periodicals are published more frequently than books, they are better sources for finding current information.
There are several types of periodicals: newspapers such as New York Times and Wall Street Journal, popular magazines, and scholarly journals. Listed below are some criteria you can use to distinguish a scholarly journal from a popular magazine:
| Scholarly Journals | Popular Magazines |
|---|---|
Articles are usually long (5-50 pages) |
Articles are usually short (1-5 pages) |
Include bibliographies or works-cited |
No bibliographies |
Authors are experts in the field, and articles are signed by the contributing authors |
Articles are written by staff, and are sometimes unsigned |
Readers are researchers and professionals |
Readers are general population |
Little or no advertising in the periodicals |
A lot of advertisements |
Example: Crime & Delinquency Journal of Applied Psychology |
Example: Business Week Ladies Home Journal |
Note: the word "journal" in the title does not necessarily mean the periodical is a scholarly journal. If you are uncertain whether a periodical is a journal or magazine, ask a librarian or consult Ulrich’s International Periodicals Directory (REF Z6941 .U5).
What Is a Periodical Index / Database?
A periodical index / database is a listing of articles from scholarly journals, popular magazines, and newspapers. Periodical indexes are available in both printed and electronic format. Printed indexes such as Reader’s Guide are arranged alphabetically on the index tables located on the first floor of the library. To see the available electronic indexes / databases (online and CD-ROM) along with their descriptions.
Different indexes cover different subject areas. In order to find articles related to your topic, you need to choose an appropriate index. Sometimes the name of the index will indicate what subject area it covers, for example, Criminal Justice Periodical Index, and Health Reference Center-Academic. Indexes also differ in the materials (books or articles) they include and what kind of information they provide (citation, abstract, or full-text). Listed are some of the indexes we have in the library:
Most of the printed indexes are subject indexes. Materials are listed alphabetically under the topic they cover. In online and CD-ROM databases, you can search by subject as well by keyword, title, author, or periodical name.
| Reader's Guide | SearchBank Expanded Academic | CINAHL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Printed index | Online Database | Printed Index |
| Subject Coverage | General topics | Humanities,current events, general sciences, etc. | Nursing and allied health |
| Types of materials included | Articles | Articles | Articles, books, proceedings, etc. |
| Information available | Citation | Citation, abstract, and / or full-text of the article |
Citation and abstract |
| Health Reference Center-Academic | Criminal Justice Periodical Index | CJPI Online | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Online Database | Printed Index | Online Database |
| Subject Coverage | Health and medical related fields | Criminology criminal justice | Criminology criminal justice |
| Types of materials included | Articles, reference books, pamphlet files. | Articles | Articles |
| Information available | Citation, abstract, and / or full-text of the article | Citation | Citation, abstract, and/or full-text of the article |
How to Interpret Article Citations
Citations of articles give you basic information such as the author, article title, periodical name, volume, date and page numbers, which you need in order to find the article unless it’s available in a full-text database.
A sample citation from Criminal Justice Periodical Index:
Whitehead, John T., author. "Good Ol’ Boys" and the chair: death penalty attitudes of policy makers in Tennessee. Crime & Delinquency. 44:2. (4/98). p245-256. Charts.
Using the citation above, answer the following questions:
- What is the title of the article?
- Who is the author?
- In what periodical was the article published?
- What is the volume number?
- What is the issue number?
- When was the article published?
- What are the starting page and ending page?
A sample citation from Health Reference Center-Academic:
Photodynamic therapy for lung cancer is safely performed by flexible bronchoscopy. Armin Ernst, R Garland, S Ost D Mehrishi
Chest Oct 1999 v116 i4 p354
View text and retrieval choices
Using the citation above, answer the following questions:
- What is the title of the article?
- Who are the authors?
- In what periodical was the article published?
- What is the volume number?
- What is the issue number?
- When was the article published?
- What is the starting page?
- Is the full-text of the article available in the database?
After you find the citation of an article from a printed index (see the sample record from CJPI), check the Periodical Holdings List to see if the library has the periodical in which the article was published. The Periodical Holding List will not only tell you if the library has the periodical you want, it will also show you where the periodical is located if it’s available. For example, if you look for Crime & Delinquency in the Periodical Holding List, you will find out that we do have this journal, and the 1998 volume is located in the Bound periodical area.
Some databases are full-text, which means you can retrieve the article at the computer screen and you can print it out or email it. The sample article from Health Reference Center-Academic is one example. For the articles which do not have full-text available in the databases, locate them by checking the Periodical Holdings List first. If we don’t own the periodicals, you can request the articles through Interlibrary-Loan, and forms are available at the reference desk.
The library's catalog indicates what books and other materials (such as audiocassettes, videotapes, and pamphlet files) the library has. The web-based catalog is accessible via any computers with Internet access (http://seneca.sunyconnect.suny.edu:4730/F).
HOW TO SEARCH THE WEB-BASED CATALOG
Search for a Keyword
Choose a field to search, enter keyword(s) and click the "go"
button
The keyword search allows the user to search the database for keywords,
such as words in the title or subject.
Choose the field you would like to search (i.e., Author, Subject, or Title,
etc.) from the drop down list. Type in the keywords you are looking for.
AND between words is implied, although, you can use the Boolean operators
AND, OR, and NOT in your search string. Lowercase letters will also find
matches of capitalized words. If you would like to search for records with
the query terms adjacent to one another, select 'Yes' for "Words Adjacent".
Use Help link, at the top of every screen, for more detailed
searching tips.
Browse a list of headings
Choose a field to browse, enter a word or phrase and click the "go" button
The browse search allows the user to browse an alphabetical list of headings,
such as titles, authors and subjects in order to find relevant records.
Select the field you would like to browse from the drop-down list. Enter
the phrase or word you are searching for in the box. If, for example, you
are searching by author, highlight "Author" and enter the name (last name,
first name), or just the first few letters of the last name you are looking
for. Click Go and a Browse list will display.
The system will display a Browse list consisting of an alphabetical list
of headings for you to browse through. From there, you can click on any item on the list.
How to Interpret the Bibliographic Record
A sample book entry from the web-based catalog:
Author: Morrison, Toni.
Title: Paradise / Toni Morrison.
Edition: 1 st ed.
Publisher: New York: A.A. Knopf, [1998]
Subject Communal living--Oklahoma--Fiction.
Heading(s): Afro-Americans--Oklahoma--Fiction.
Women--Fiction.
Description: 318 p., 25 cm.
ISBN: · 0679433740
DBCN: 20-0078600
Holdings
| Location | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Herkimer CCC -Circulating Collection - 2nd Floor |
PS3563 .O879 P37 1998b |
Available |
How to Locate the Book in the Library
Books are arranged by their assigned call numbers. Each book has a unique call number. The call number is a combination of a letter or letters and numbers. Using the sample record listed above, the call number for the book Paradise is PS3563 . O879 P37 1998b. As indicated in the record, the book is available in the library, and can be found on the 2nd floor.