Library Research Strategies

HS 300-15: Study & Writing of History

Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition

in the Atlantic WorldProf. Edward Rugemer

Michelle Baildonbaildon@bc.eduhttp://www2.bc.edu/~baildon/

Tell Me, Please:

– How do I get the library information I need . . . . . . at O’Neill?. . . at BC?. . . in Boston?. . . in the world (online and otherwise)?

– How do I get primary and secondary sources?

–You’ll need the right tools

First Things First: Important Web Sites

• Michelle’s Home Page: • http://www2.bc.edu/~baildon/ [migrating on Jan. 30 to

http://www2.bc.edu/~lissk/]

– This presentation– Course resource guide– Basic skill guides

• Library home page: http://www.bc.edu/libraries/

– Make it your starting point for research!– Quest Quick Search

• Remember: Choose the search you need! Keyword, Title, or Author

– Research Help – Resources

The Online Databases page is key

Finding Information at BC: Use Quest

<http://www.bc.edu/quest/>

• Quest is BC Libraries’ catalogThis means it is a database of

everything the BC Libraries own or subscribe to

• Use it for both primary and secondary sources

• It does not list journal articles (we’ll get to finding those later)

Using Quest: Keywords vs. Subjects

• Keywords: – Words normal people would think of– Can appear ANYWHERE in the record (title, author, subject,

publisher, notes, blah blah blah)

• Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): – “Officially sanctioned” by the Library of Congress, you will

never guess them on your own– Only appear in the “Subject” section

• Use keywords or titles to figure out subject headings

Remember . . . Use this strategy with other catalogs and databases!

Using Quest: Basic vs. Advanced Search• Basic search: Good for title, author,

keyword• Advanced search:

– Combine searches– Choose “word” or “phrase”– Limit by language, format, library

Remember . . . Use this strategy with other catalogs and databases too!

Using Quest: Some Practicalities

• Requesting checked-out books, in-process books, on-order books

• Use the Journal Titles Catalog for magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals

• Use “Sign in to Your Account” to view loans, renew books, request Law School books, etc.

• Want more? Check out Quest Help and the Quest tutorial: http://www.bc.edu/libraries/research/tutorials/s-quest1/

Finding Information Beyond BC:

Use a Union Catalog• WorldCat

– A “union catalog” is kind of like a database of everything that’s out there

– For both primary and secondary sources

• OK, now how do I get it?– Try Interlibrary loan (ILL)– Use your Boston Library Consortium (

BLC) card

Secondary Sources Beyond Books:

Scholarly Journal Articles• What is a scholarly journal?

– Contains articles by academics– Peer-reviewed

• They’re both digital and print (and microfilm . . . )

Finding Journal Articles: Tell Me How

The Old-Fashioned Way:• Step 1: Use an index or database

to find an article title– Some key indexes:

• Historical Abstracts• America: History & Life

• Step 2: Find the journal in Quest

How do I find Historical Abstracts or America: History & Life?

First: Go to the Online Databases Page

Then: Either find the database by title, or else open the History databases page

Shortcut #1: Look for the Find It Icon • You’re in a database and have found an

article you want. How do you get it?• Easiest way? Click on Find It.• Find It will tell you:

– Does BC have the article in full text online?– . . . Or is it in print in the libraries?– . . . Or can you get it through interlibrary loan?

More on FindIt: http://www.bc.edu/libraries/research/tools/s-findit/

Some Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

Shortcut #2: If you know exactly what you’re looking

for, use Citation Linker on the E-Journals Page <http://www.bc.edu/libraries/resources/ejournals/>

Some Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

Shortcut #3:Use full-text journal databases • Some key full-text databases [find them

on the Online Databases page]:– JSTOR– Project Muse

• These don’t always have subjects! You’re searching the articles line-by-line

• They are less comprehensive than indexes

Some Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

Remember:Different Tools Find Different

Things • Catalogs: Everything a library holds• Union catalogs: Everything that many libraries

hold (see WorldCat)• Indexes: Show you where to find specific

articles– Take you down another level of specificity

• Finding aids: Manuscripts and archival records

• These and other tools all go by the alias “database”

Finding Information at BC & Beyond:

Primary SourcesSee the guide to

Finding Primary Sources <http:www2.bc.edu/~baildon/bcguides/primary.html>

• Print sources– Use Quest and WorldCat

• Digitized sources– See Research Guides, Online Databases Page, Quest – Think critically about free Internet sources

• Microfilm– Use Quest Advanced Search and limit to microfilm– Newspapers: See Newspapers Research Guide and

Newspapers Collection page• Archival sources

– Archival Resources, ArchivesUSA

There’s More to Research than Library Tools

We love library tools, but sometimes informal approaches work better:

• Get leads from footnotes and bibliographies in books and articles

• Use call numbers to browse the stacks for similar books

I Need Help

Library home page: http://www.bc.edu/libraries/

• Research Help– Subject specialists <http://www.bc.edu/libraries/research/>

List of contacts in all disciplines– Research Guides

<http://www.bc.edu/libraries/research/guides/>

Comprehensive lists of print and electronic resources in different subjects

– How do I . . . ? <http://www.bc.edu/libraries/research/howdoi>

Frequently asked questions in library research– Tutorials <http://www.bc.edu/libraries/research/tutorials/>

[CHECK OUT THE QUEST TUTORIAL]

Want help from a real person?

• Contact subject specialists [until Jan. 27, Michelle Baildon; after Jan. 27, Ken Liss, lissk@bc.edu, 2-2183]

• Visit or call (2-4472) the Reference Desk during these hours

• Email or online chat (Ask 24/7) reference help