workshops in information skills and electronic resources oxford university library services wiser...

Workshops in Information Skills and Electronic ResourcesOxford University Library Services

WISER Social Sciences:

Finding Journal Articles

Angela Carritt: Bodleian Law Library

Sue Pemberton: Social Science Library


Workshop aims

• To explain how to find journal articles on your topic by using indexing/abstracting databases

• To explain how to find electronic or print copies of articles that you have identified


Workshop Programme

• Introduction to finding journal articles on your subject

• Demonstration of PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) on ERL

• Demonstration of CSA (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts) for the Social Sciences

• How to locate both electronic and print journal articles


What are indexing /abstracting databases?

• Subject index to journal articles • May be interdisciplinary or subject specific• References will always include enough

information to find the article• May also include abstract (summary) and link to

full text• May include citation information• Databases may include material other than

journal articles, eg conference papers, research papers etc.


How to find relevant databases

• Use OxLIP Subject screen to browse your subject area http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/oxlip/

• Clicking on a link will give you more information and connection details

• To return to a database that you know, using the Title list may be quicker

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/oxlip/


Tips for successful searching• When selecting a database to search,

check:– Subject coverage– Date coverage– Geographical coverage– Update frequency

• This information may be given on OxLIP, otherwise look for links labelled ‘Help’, ‘About’, ‘Information’ etc once connected


Tips for successful searching• Break your query down into keywords/phrases• Consider synonyms and alternative spellings,

eg. American/British• Use truncation (often *) to find plurals and

alternative endings eg. Methodolog* to find methodology, methodologies, methodological etc

• Use wildcard (often ?) to replace a single character, eg wom?n to find woman and women


Tips for successful searchingCombine search terms using and, or, not, nearetc (Boolean logic)

ANDSearch for records containing all the terms entered – narrows search

ORSearch for records containing any of the terms entered – broadens search

NOTExcludes specified term – narrows search


Tips for successful searching

• Choose ‘Advanced search’ or similar for more options rather than basic keyword search. You may be able to:– Search different fields– Limit your search to articles published

between chosen dates– Limit your search by language– Limit your search by type of document, eg

journal article.


Indexes/abstracts for Social Sciences

General• Cambridge Scientific

Abstracts – CSA • International

Bibliography of the Social Sciences – IBSS

• PAIS International• Social Science

Citation Index

Subject specific• Follow subject links on

OxLIP under Social Sciences, eg.s– British Education Index– EconLit– PsycInfo– Business Source

Premier– Westlaw


Electronic Reference Library

• Interface for searching a range of indexing (and abstracting) services

• Databases can be searched individually or simultaneously

• Added features including:– TOUR – to link to full text copies in Oxford– SDI Alerts – will send you an e-mail when new

items are added to the service which meet your search criteria


Social Sciences on ERL

• EconLit– American Economic Association– Indexing service 1969, with abstracts 1987-

• Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals– Index to materials covering non Anglo American Law– 1985-

• Pais International – Public Affairs Information Service– Indexing and abstracting of materials in public policy,

social policy and social sciences generally– 1972-


Social Sciences on ERL

• Philosophers Index– Indexing and abstracting service– 1940-

• PsycInfo– American Psychological Association– Indexing and abstracting of 1300 journals – 1806-

• SIGLE– Grey literature (reports, theses, conference papers,

pre-prints, official publications, policy papers)– Covers EC countries, 1980-– Includes links to full text on the web


Available from outside via Athens


Use blue “i” for coverage


•Choose one or more databases and click “start searching” •Use plus signs to narrow down your selection


Use hints and search examples

Search options

Chosen databases


The Basic Search•Use the drop down menu to choose whether to search “Anywhere” (all available information) or just the subject, title or author fields•Enter your search using boolean connectors

• AND • OR • NOT• NEAR – same sentence• NEARn – within n terms•* truncation•? wildcard

Example search:(marriage or civil partnership) AND (same sex or homosexual or gay)


Full record

Find full text online or on OLIS

Check boxes to print, save or e-mail selected results

Results are listed alphabetically by database (e.g. IFLP, PAIS, SIGLE) and then chronologically. To change the order use “change display”


Advanced Search•Allows you to search in a wide range of fields and to combine search terms in different fields•Use boolean search operators within each search box •Use radio buttons to combine search terms in different fields


Example of an advanced search:free* NEAR3 (speech or expression) in the description field and internet in the title field


Index allows you to browse the databases alphabetically


Example – Browsing the “General index” for “Freedom of speech”


e.g. browsing the “journal name index”


SDI – SDI allows you to be alerted by e-mail every time new material is added to the database which meets you search criteria


CSA


Choose database or subject here, or just click on main title and select from within CSA


Databases included in Social Sciences. Click on ‘Specific Databases’ to change selection

Click on ? For information on each database – subject areas, dates covered, list of journals indexed etc


Enter search, select fields to search (Keywords includes title, abstract and descriptors)

Click here for help on how to search

Select date range of search and optionally limit to journal articles


Source of record

Descriptors (subject headings) – useful for picking up extra search terms

Click here to view only peer-reviewed articles

Options on this line to look at full record including references, locate article in Oxford


Abstract (summary) of article

Tip: use commands to return to results rather than browser Back button to avoid losing search results


List of references cited by the article

Indicates how many other articles have cited this one. Clicking this link will take you to the entries for each of these articles

Indicates that a summary of this article is available


Click box to save records of interest, then click on Update Marked List

Click here to email search results, print them out etc


Select format. Tip: selecting full format may create email problems if you have a large file

You can create a bibliography in a variety of formats


How to find the full text

• TOUR – links to the printed copy on OLIS – online version where available– not always available

• When TOUR is not available use– OLIS for printed copies– TD Net for online copies

http://tdnet.bodley.ox.ac.uk/Oxford/Resolver/?genre=article&atitle=Internet%20e%20liberta%20di%20manifestazione%20del%20pensiero%2E&title=Diritto-dell%27Informazione-e-dell%27Informatica&issn=&volume=D19&issue=16&au=Lucente%2C-G%2EC%2E&spage=597&date=2000


The best way to use TD Net is to enter the journal title in the quick search box or to browse the alphabetical list of journals.

NOTE:•Do not use acronyms •Enter the journal title not the article title

TD NET - http://tdnet.bodley.ox.ac.uk or follow links from OxlipIncludes most journals which are available online. There are a few exceptions, so if you can’t find a journal which you suspect is available online please check with your subject librarian

http://tdnet.bodley.ox.ac.uk/


Example search “Economist”


Date coverage available online


CAUTION“Search TD NET” offers subject searching. However, this search is UNRELIABLE and returns incomplete results. It is better to use indexing and abstracting services in your subject area or general tools such as CSA or ERL for subject and literature searching. TD Net should only be used to locate online copies of journal titles.

workshops in information skills and electronic resources oxford university library services wiser...

Documents

information skills

citation information

social science library

print journal articles

advanced search

quicker slide

copies of articles

basic keyword search