Locating Information Resources

ENG 110

Fall 2011

Pace University Library

At the end of this Session, you will be able to

Search the Library Catalog to locate books pertaining to your topic

Search one of the subscription databases to find articles on your topic

Locate a source to use for MLA citation format

Have at least one article for your assignment

Reference ToolsCan provide you with basic information.Can help you focus your research topic.Can lead you to other useful books and

articles.Can sometimes provide statistics.

Gale Virtual Reference Library (found in database listings)

Catalog SearchingUse the library catalog to find out what we have

and where to find it.To find materials on a given topic, perform a

keyword search.Use AND to combine concepts

Endangered species AND North AmericaUse OR to search for a single concept using

synonyms or related terms Endangered AND (Mammals OR Animals)

To find books about a person, perform a subject search for “last name, first name.”i.e., Hemingway, Ernest

Subject vs. Keyword SearchingKeyword searches target entire records in

the library catalog.“Threatened Species”

Subject searches target only the Library of Congress subject headings that have been assigned to materials. Search terms must match subject headings exactly.Endangered Species – North AmericaNature Conservation

Finding Articles Using Pace Library DatabasesDatabases provide access to articles

(citations, abstracts and/or full text) published in periodicals.

Use Keyword searchingUse AND to combine search termsUse a database that is appropriate to the

subject area you are researching.Databases are subscription products

available on or off campus with your MyPace Portal username and password.

Databases to tryResearch LibraryAcademic Search Premier

Many full-text articlesMay need to use to locate articles

not immediately available

Gale Virtual Reference Library (Online reference books including the Environmental Encyclopedia)

Some Web sourceseol.org Encyclopedia of Lifewww.fws.gov U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicewww.nmfs.noaa.gov NOAA's National Marine

Fisheries Servicewww.damsl.org Digital Atlas of Marine

Species and Locationswww.worldwildlife.org World Wildlife Fundwww.iucnredlist.org International Union for

Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

MLA Citation StyleMLA (Modern Language Association) style is

generally used in the humanities. MLA website: www.mla.org

See the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (at the Mortola Library Reference Desk) for more information, or visit the How Do I…? Cite Resources on the Library web pages.

Components of an MLA Citation (Article from a Library Database)Author, “Article Title.” Publication Title

Volume#.Issue# (Date): page#-page#. Database Name. Web. Access Date <Database URL>.

Lessig, Lawrence. “Privacy as Property.” Social Research 69 (2002): 247-269. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Jan 2006 <http://search.epnet.com>.

Questions?

Mortola Library Reference Desk:(914) 773-3505

Library Home Page:http://library.pace.edu