Thomas Mann, "The Oxford Guide to Library Research (3rd Edition)"
Oxford University Press | 3rd Edition | 2005 | ISBN: 0195189981 | 315 pages | siPDF | 5 MB
Oxford University Press | 3rd Edition | 2005 | ISBN: 0195189981 | 315 pages | siPDF | 5 MB
With all of the new developments in information storage and retrieval, researchers today need a clear and comprehensive overview of the full range of their options, both online and offline, for finding the best information quickly. In this third edition of The Oxford Guide to Library Research, Thomas Mann maps out an array not just of important databases and print sources, but of several specific search techniques that can be applied profitably in any area of research.
From academic resources to government documents to manuscripts in archives to business Web sites, Mann shows readers how best to exploit controlled subject headings, explains why browsing library shelves is still important in an online age, demonstrates how citation searching and related record searching produce results far beyond keyword inquiries, and offers practical tips on making personal contacts with knowledgeable people.
Against the trendy but mistaken assumption that "everything" can be found on the Internet, Mann shows the lasting value of physical libraries and the unexpected power of traditional search mechanisms, while also providing the best overview of the new capabilities of computer indexing.
Throughout the book Mann enlivens his advice with real-world examples derived from his experience of having helped thousands of researchers, with interests in all subjects areas, over a quarter century. Along the way he provides striking demonstrations and powerful arguments against those theorists who have mistakenly announced the demise of print.
Essential reading for students, scholars, professional researchers, and laypersons, The Oxford Guide to Library Research offers a rich, inclusive overview of the information field, one that can save researchers countless hours of frustration in the search for the best sources on their topics.
Contents
PrefaceTags: Research, OnlineResearch
1 Initial Overviews: Encyclopedias
2 Subject Headings and the Library Catalog
Uniform Heading
Scope-Match Specificity and Its Modifications
Specific Entry
Four Ways to Find the Right Subject Headings
Precoordination and Postcoordination
Miscellaneous Tips on Subject Headings
3 General Browsing, Focused Browsing, and Use of Classified Bookstacks
The Complementary Relationship of the Library Catalog and the Classified Bookstacks
Browsing in Other Contexts
4 Subject Headings and Indexes to Journal Articles
Eureka Databases
FirstSearch Databases and WilsonWeb Counterparts
EBSCO Host Research Databases
Dialog and DataStar Databases
ProQuest Databases
Miscellaneous Databases with Controlled Descriptors
Cross-Disciplinary Searching
Finding Where Journals Are Indexed and Which Journals are Available Electronically
Identifying the Best Journals
Problems with Abbreviations of Journal Titles
The Change in Cataloging Rules for Serials
5 Keyword Searches
Index / Abstract-Level Keyword Databases and Printed Sources
Full-Text Databases
ProQuest Databases
EBSCO Host Research Databases
InfoTrac Databases
JSTOR
Project Muse
LexisNexis
Web Sites on the Open Internet
6 Citation Searches
7 Related Record Searches
8 Higher-Level Overviews: Review Articles
9 Published Bibliographies
10 Boolean Combinations and Search Limitations
Boolean Combinations
Component Word Searching within Controlled Subject Strings
Word Truncation
Proximity Searches
Limitations of Sets
Limiting by Time Periods
Limiting by Geographic Area Codes
Limiting by Document Types
Combining Keywords and Citation Searches
Boolean Combinations Without Computers
How to Identify Which Databases Exist
11 Locating Material in Other Libraries
Determining Library Locations of Desired Items
Determining Which Libraries Have Special Collections on Your Subject
Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery
12 People Sources
13 Hidden Treasures
Microform Sets and Counterpart Web Sites
Web Collections
Government Documents
Archives, Manuscripts, and Public Records
14 Special Subjects and Formats
Biography
Book Reviews
Business and Economics
Copyright Status Information
Genealogy and Local History
Illustrations, Pictures, and Photographs
Literary Criticism
Maps
Newspapers
Out-of-Print and Secondhand Books
Primary Sources
Standards and Spécifications
Statistics
Tabular Data
Tests (Psychological and Educational)
Translations
15 Reference Sources: Searching by Types of Literature
Appendix: Wisdom
Index
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