Library Services

Finding information for your courselibguides.rhul.ac.uk/Drama

5th November 2014Kim Coles @RHUL_Library

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Key Library Resources

Use LibrarySearch for items on your reading list: http://librarysearch.rhul.ac.uk

Use your Subject Guides for databases, including reference material: http://libguides.rhul.ac.uk/Drama

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Types of Information

Books Newspapers

Academic journals

Websites

Databases

Encyclopaedia

Dictionary

…

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Types of Information – and where to find them

Books- Library – use LibrarySearch ‘Books, Music and Films’

search to check- Databases such as Drama Online, Literature

Online, etc.e.g. Wiles, David. A Short History of Western Performance Space. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print.

Databases- Library – use the Drama subject guide to find a full

list

Academic journals- Library – use LibrarySearch ‘All’ or ‘Journals by Title’

search to check- Databases such as JSTOR, ProjectMUSE, MLA

International Bibliography, etce.g. Nicholson, Helen. ‘The Performance of Memory’. Drama Australia 27.2 (2003): 79-92. Print.

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Types of information

Dictionaries, encyclopaedias, other reference material- Use the Drama Subject guide to find a full list under ‘Reference e-resources’

Newspapers- Library – use LibrarySearch or the Nexis database

to find specific articles- General web – search for newspaper titles (limited

access!)e.g. Billington, Michael. Rev. of Pericles, dir. Kathryn Hunter. Guardian 6 June 2005: 24. Print.Websites- Think about how you evaluate free web resources, and ask your lecturers and the Library if you’ve questions: http://prezi.com/q5jglgamre6c e.g. Waller, Gary. ‘Teaching the late plays as family romance’. Shaksper: The Global Electronic Shakespeare Conference. Ed. Hardy M. Cook. N.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2009.

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Types of information

Performance- Use Box of Broadcasts, or DigitalTheatrePlus to view recordings of performances- Go to the theatre!e.g. Here’s What I Did With My Body One Day. By Dan Rebellato. Dir. Andy Lavender. Perf. David Annen, Colin Hurley, Paul Murray, Danny Scheinmann. Pleasance Theatre, London. 7-31 Oct. 2004. Performance.Broadcast – film and TV- Use Box of Broadcasts to view recordings online- Use LibrarySearch ‘Books, Music and Films’ tab to find DVDs in the Librarye.g. Macbeth. Dir. Roman Polanski. Perf. Jon Finch, Francesca Annis. 1971. Cinema Club, 1998. Videocassette.e.g. Emily Rising. By Dan Rebellato. Dir. Polly Thomas. The Afternoon Play. BBC Radio 4. 24 Aug. 2001. Radio.

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Using LibrarySearch

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Using LibrarySearch

Search Options

• Use ALL to search for journal articles, newspaper articles,

books, DVDs, book reviews etc….

• Use BOOKS, MUSIC AND FILMS to search for a book, a

DVD, or a CD (including e-books)

• Use JOURNALS BY TITLE to search for access to a

particular journal e.g. Asian Theatre Journal

• Use ADVANCED SEARCH to run a really specific search –

great if you know the author, title, year information.

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Using LibrarySearch

Show Only

• Limit to scholarly journals

• Limit to online only (e-books, e-journals)

• Limit to books available in the Library

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Using LibrarySearch

Date Range

• Limit to a particular range of dates

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Using LibrarySearch

Type of material

Look out for

• Articles

• Books

• Newspapers

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Using LibrarySearch

Anything else?

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How to find good information

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1. What exactly is the topic you are searching for?

2. What are the main concepts or keywords for your topic?

3. Are there are alternative terms for these concept?

4. How might you combine these keywords to search effectively?

Lego bicycle by Do-Hyun Kim CC BY-ND. Flickr.

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Thinking about keywords

Think about the ways in which the words you are searching for might be interpreted.

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Searching for the essay question

Search engines and databases organise information using a controlled vocabulary e.g. assigning certain words to certain concepts.

ECLAIR

cakes, bakery, pastries, French pastries…

PATISSERIE

PROFITEROLE, choux pastry, choux bun

GATEUX, cake

L-R clockwise: Ein Eclair fur Kevin aus New York City by ingrid eulenfan CC BY-SA. Miniature French Patisserie by Stephanie Kilgast CC BY-NC-ND. Mango Mousse Gateaux by suziedepingu CC BY-NC-ND. Profiteroles by Danielle Tsi CC BY-SA. All: Flickr.

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Searching for the essay question

Searching for only one keyword limits the number of things you’ll find

Articles written on the topic you’re

studying

Articles listed

under one keyword

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How do you know if it’s any good?

Authority

• Who is the author? Are they qualified? Has the work been peer-reviewed or edited?

Accuracy

• Is there a reference list? Are links to other information sources provided?

Objectivity

• Is the information biased? What is its purpose? Who is it aimed at?

Date

• When was the information created/updated? Is it well-maintained?

Coverage

• Is the information too basic? Too advanced? Relevant and appropriate?

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Final Tips

Read your reading lists carefully

Use the limits on the left-hand side of the page to make results more manageable

Write down a keyword list and add to it as you search

Use reference lists to find out links in research

Try different keywords

Try different databases

Be critical of your results – are they what you need?

Glasses by Thomas Hawk CC BY-NC. Flickr.

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Questions?

Kim Coles

Information Consultant

2-07 Bedford LibraryRoyal Holloway University of London

k.coles@rhul.ac.uk

01784 404107

libguides.rhul.ac.uk/English

19 Leo Reynolds. Flickr. CC-BY-NA

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