Library Research Strategies

HS 434: A History of Northern Ireland, 1912 to Present

Prof. Robert Savage

Michelle Baildon Kathy WilliamsHistory & Political Science Irish Studiesbaildon@bc.eduwilliakj@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

Let’s Get to Know the BC Libraries’ Web Site

Remember: Michelle’s Home Page (okay, not technically part of the BC

Libraries site) <http://www2.bc.edu/~baildon/>

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

– Quick Searches– Research Help

• Subject specialists• Research Guides• How do I . . . ?• Tutorials [CHECK OUT THE QUEST TUTORIAL]

– Resources• Online Databases• Electronic Journals• WorldCat

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”

Using Quest

• (Again, check out the Quest tutorial: http://www.bc.edu/libraries/research/tutorials/s-quest1/)

• Basic search: Good for title, author, keyword• Use keywords to get LC subject heading• “Boolean logic” (a.k.a. “and” & “or”)• Advanced search:

– Combine searches– Limit by language, format, library

Remember . . . Use these strategies with other catalogs and databases!

Using Quest (cont.)

• Requesting checked-out books or in-process books

• Create lists, save records• Other catalogs: Journal Titles;

Course Reserves• Check Quest Help!

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

Shortcut #1:Use full-text journal databases • Some key full-text databases:

– JSTOR– Project Muse

Some Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

Shortcut #2: 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 #3: If you know exactly what you’re looking

for, use Citation Linker on the E-Journals Page

http://www.bc.edu/libraries/resources/ejournals/s-cilinker/

Some Shortcuts to Make Life Easier

Finding Primary SourcesSee the guide to

Finding Primary Sources• 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

What if BC Doesn’t Have It?

• Try Interlibrary loan (ILL)• Use your Boston Library

Consortium (BLC) card• WorldCat can be helpful here

Some General Tips

• Get leads from footnotes and bibliographies in books and articles

• Use call numbers to browse the stacks for similar books

Don’t Forget the Research Guides

• Irish History Research Guide– http://www.bc.edu/libraries/research/

guides/s-irishhistory/

• Irish News and Newspapers– http://www.bc.edu/libraries/research/

guides/s-irishnews/

• Irish Serials in the BC Libraries– http://roger.bc.edu:8081/irish_serials/

default.htm

Want help from a real person?

• Contact Michelle Baildon, Kathy Williams, or other subject specialists

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

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