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LT901 Library resources and information skills

LT901 Library resources and information skills. Emma Wisher LiFTS Librarian October 2011. Undergraduate to postgraduate. Where are you starting from? Not only searching and finding , but also identifying and assessing You may need To develop your information/research skills

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LT901 Library resources and information skills

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  1. LT901 Library resources and information skills Emma Wisher LiFTS Librarian October 2011

  2. Undergraduate to postgraduate • Where are you starting from? • Not only searching and finding, but also identifying and assessing • You may need • To develop your information/research skills • To gain awareness of your particular research area and the wider framework of literary study

  3. Literature searching • A key part of the process of doing a literature review • The sort of material you are looking for will affect both where and how you search • Takes longer than you may think! • Not necessarily a linear process

  4. Sources & the information hierarchy • As a general rule, the purpose of your search will determine what sources you use • Start with sources where the information provided: • Is aimed at an academic audience • Has been through a quality control process • Takes a critical rather than a descriptive approach • Such as: • MLA International Bibliography (LION) • Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (LION) • JSTOR/Project Muse/EBSCOHost • For very contemporary topics, you may need to look at news sources, and the internet more generally

  5. Search strategy • Before you start looking, think about the keywords which you will use to search • Synonyms, plurals, spelling variations • Ways of combining different search terms • May require you to investigate how a source works before you use it but will save time in the long run

  6. Women’s cinema and women’s identity in Latin America Women, woman, wom?n, female, feminine, femini*… Cinema, film, motion pictures, acting, actors, act*,director… Identity, personality, essence, characteristics… Latin America, South America, Brazil, Chile, Argentina… (Women or female or feminine) and (cinema or film or motion pictures) Women and film and “Latin America”

  7. Literature Online (LION) • Primary texts • Biographies and bibliographies of major writers • Indexes to secondary texts (MLA/ABELL), and access to journal articles in full text

  8. Refining a search • If you are getting too many results, think about ways to narrow down your search • Make search terms more precise • Include additional search terms • Combine terms with AND • If you are not getting enough results, think about ways to broaden your search • Make search terms less precise • Use fewer terms in your search • Combine terms with OR • Use truncation symbols

  9. Searching for different types of material and getting hold of them • Books & Journal articles • Albert Sloman Library catalogue (book suggestions) • Other library catalogues/online bookshops • Inter library loans • SCONUL Access • Theses • Library catalogue • EThOS • Index to Theses/Proquest Dissertations and Theses • ILL/SCONUL Access

  10. Searching the internet • Getting started on the internet • http://www.essex.ac.uk/myskills/skills/research/criticalUseInternet.asp (Critical use of the internet on MySkills) • http://www.vtstutorials.co.uk/tutorial/english • (Internet tutorial from Virtual Training Suite) • http://libwww.essex.ac.uk/Subject_Guides/lit.htm (Literature subject guide)

  11. What to look for • Who has produced the site? • Who is the intended audience? • How current is the information? • What evidence is there of quality control?

  12. Contact me Emma Wisher ewisher@essex.ac.uk Ext. 3181 Enquiry desk Wed AM in term or ask for me at any time (Esther Wilkinson, ewilkin@essex.ac.uk after Christmas)

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