2. Introductions
Name
Major (if you have one)
Describe one problem you have had while
doing academic research and/or one question
you have about doing academic research
3. Finding Books and
Journal Articles
Where to Start:
The Library link from the QC page
http://www.qc.cuny.edu
OR
Directly to the QC Libraries
http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/Library
4. Concepts for Library Research
What is the difference between:
• Library database?
• Library catalog
• Keyword search
• Subject descriptor search?
5. Catalog vs. Database
A library database tells what has been
published:
– It provides specific info about material (what is inside journals or
books)
A library catalog tells what the library owns:
– Books, journals, music, newspapers, videos, magazines, dvds
– It gives general information about the material: author, title, location,
subject (usually not a detailed description of the contents)
6. Catalog vs. Database
• In general, you use a database to find what has
been published on a topic, parts of publications
(articles, essays, chapters, conference papers,
e.g.), and material that is difficult to
obtain/unpublished (doctoral theses, e.g.
• In general, you use a catalog to find books, films,
or other whole publications on a topic that the
library owns. The catalog can also tell you if we
own a journal/magazine but does not tell you
what articles have been published inside.
7. Keyword vs. Subject/Descriptor
• A keyword search usually contains
informal/common words that come from the
research question you are trying to answer
• A subject/descriptor search usually contains
standardized terms/formal language specific
to the field of study
8. Popular Periodicals vs.
Scholarly Journals
• What is the difference?
– Intended audience
– Peer review process
• How can you tell the difference?
– Frequency of publication
– Title/Source of publication (not a guarantee)
– Filtered search
9. Database Search
Databases to know about:
Academic Search Premier
Art Abstracts
Art Full Text
Art Retrospective
ARTbibliographies Modern
ARTstor
Bibliography of the History of Art
Cinema Image Gallery
Dictionary of Art
Fine Arts and Music Collection
10. Database Search
Other databases to know about:
• Lexis-Nexis
• Dissertation Abstracts International
• JSTOR (full-text; may ask for $, not current)
11. Database Search
• Go to a database and use search terms; “Don
Giovanni”– what do you find? How many
references?
• How do you select sources?
• How do you know if the sources are available
to you?
12. How to Obtain Articles
Option 1: Click on a Full-Text link or PDF link
Option 2: Click on the FindIt linking tool, then
click on a Full-Text link or PDF link
Option 3: Click on the FindItlinking tool, then
click on the CUNY+ Catalog to search for a printed
paper version of the periodical, then match the
year of the article to what years are available at
QC or another CUNY library; look it up at QC or
request it via Interlibrary Loan
13. Catalog Search: CUNY +
Go to qc.cuny.edu/Library and open CUNY+
Click on “HELP” and read section on truncation
(psycholog*, ?economic) + boolean search terms
(AND, OR, NOT)
Click on Queens College to limit your search.
Use search terms; “South Pacific”
How many references?
What’s the difference between full/brief view?
How do you send info about the reference to
yourself? Pick one reference and test this out.
15. SOURCES
Most of the information in this presentation
originally appeared in materials developed by
Professor Jim Mellone, Social Science Librarian
at Queens College:
• qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/~jmellone/lib_res_socsci
.ppt
