Course Pathfinder: Mr. Steven Kenneally
Ask A Librarian
We're here to help you!! There are four different ways to contact a librarian. 1.) Phone: 330-823-3795, 2.) Chat with a librarian, 3.) In person at the Reference Desk, 4.) E-mail: referencedesk@muc.edu.
Getting Started
A library reference room can be a good place to find expert sources of quick information. Encyclopedias and dictionaries offer concise information in a variety of subjects and can also spark ideas for specific research topics. These are examples of a few of the resources found in our reference room or online; the same titles might also be found in another library
Print Resources
Encyclopedias: General
The Cambridge Encyclopedia
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Encyclopedia.
The World Book encyclopedia of people and places.
Dictionaries: General
Webster's third new international dictionary of the English language unabridged / editor in chief, P
The American Heritage college dictionary.
Finding Books
For finding resources in the Mount Union College Library and other libraries, construct keyword & subject searches. A good strategy is to do a keyword search first, using words that you think might be in the title or content notes. When you find a resource that looks worthwhile, see what subject headings are used to categorize that item and use them to do subject searches. Searches in the online catalog will display what resources MUC owns in those areas. Once you find a material's call number, you can determine what floor of the library this item is located on by clicking the 'locations' link found on the homepage.
Finding Journal & Magazine Articles
Some indexes and databases will provide the full-text of articles online; others offer only a citation and/or abstract of the article. If the database you're using doesn't provide the full-text of an article, first check 'Research by Title' (found on the Library Home Page) to see if it is available online in another database or in Mount Union College Library's in-house collection.
Useful Journals
--Use 'Research by Journal Title' to view the holdings and access options for subject & related topic journals
--Some journals are full-text within databases, others are in print holdings in the Mount Union College Library
--Journals published from 2001-present are on the 1st floor of the Old Building
--Journals published from 1976-2001 are on the second floor of the Old Building
--Journals published from 1800's-1975 are located in the basement of the Old Building
Article Databases & Indexes (General Interest)
Academic OneFile (InfoTrac) Full text expanded coverage including news magazines, popular culture, medical and legal information
Academic Search Premier
Index, abstracts, and full text for many scholarly publications covering all academic areas of study
Accunet/AP Multimedia Archive
Photos from The Associated Press, plus graphics, text and audio
American Periodicals Series Online
Digitized images of the pages of over 1,100 historic American magazines, journals, and newspapers
Article First
Index to articles from over 12,000 journals
Books in Print
Dissertation Abstracts
Index to doctoral dissertations and master's theses from North America and Europe
The Chronicle of Higher Education
EJC ' Electronic Journal Center
Full text of 6000+ research journals
Electronic Theses and Dissertations from OhioLINK member Institutions
Online theses and dissertations from Ohio graduate students
Facts On File
20 years of Facts on File, weekly news updates, biographies, maps, photos
GPO (Government Printing Office)
Catalog of U.S. government documents
Infotrac OneFile
Full text expanded coverage including news magazines, popular culture, medical and legal information
JSTOR
Full text scholarly journals in the Arts & Sciences, Business, Language and Literature
Learning Express
Online, interactive practice tests, career building tools, and writing aids
LexisNexis Academic
Full text news, business, legal, medical, and reference information
MarciveWeb Docs
Index to U.S. federal government publications
OCLC FirstSearch
includes Books in Print, EconLit, Readers Guide Abstracts, Wilson Select Plus
Opposing Viewpoints
Full text of major debate and research topics
Oxford Scholarship Online
Complete texts of important scholarly books from Oxford University Press, over 1150 titles included
PapersFirst
Index of papers presented at conferences
RefWorks
Online bibliographic management tool
Testing & Education Reference Center Basic
Free access, but each user must create an account with user name and password different from campus user name and password
TOPICsearch
Full text covering social, political and economic issues, scientific discoveries and other popular topics discussed in today's classrooms
Vocational and Career Collection
Index, abstracts, and full text for 350 trade and industry related periodicals
WorldCat
Catalog of books and other materials held by libraries worldwide
Finding Internet Resources
Search Engines
Google Scholar (search engine for scholarly literature links on the open web) http://scholar.google.com/
Infomine (selected web resources for university-level work) http://infomine.ucr.edu/
The Internet is a very useful resource, but it can be frustrating to use if you don't know where to look for scholarly information, or to learn if the information you have found is accurate and true.
If you question the information found on a website, ask your instructor or a librarian. They will be happy to help you evaluate various web sites.
Website Evaluation
**Assessing the Quality of Web Information There are lots of good information sources on the Web, and lots of bad ones. So it's up to you to critically evaluate any information from the Web. Asking yourself the 5 W questions ' Who, What, When, Where, and Why ' can help you evaluate and determine if the information is what you want to use in your assignment.
Who is the author of the web site and What are their credentials (expertise)? Does the web page offer you any indication of the author's authority or credentials as an expert in the field? If you have any questions about the qualifications of the author, you can check with a librarian to learn more about the author. You can also search the author's name in a web search engine to see what other people are saying about the author. This technique can be tricky, because if the author's opinions or work are controversial, other people will have strong opinions about the author and his/her work. Weigh all opinions carefully.
When was the information published or written? How current is the information in the page? Old or seemingly dated information can sometimes indicate that the web page may not be currently maintained. The importance of this point depends on the kind of information you need for your topic. If you are looking for research on ancient history or literary criticism of an older book, you may be able to use information that is older because the subject itself hasn't changed recently. But if you are seeking information on a quickly changing or evolving topic like cloning, you'll need the most current information possible. Look closely at the dates of any information referenced or linked within the web page.
Where was the information published? Is the web site's information drawn from reliable research sources such as journal articles or reference books? Does the web author document that information with citations, references or links? If the information is from scholarly sources such as journal articles or books, the web page should have citations to these sources in case you want to verify the information. While it may take some extra time, it's sometimes good to stop at the library and verify the credibility of any information in question.
More importantly, is the information in the web page as good as what you would find in scholarly books and journal articles? There are lots of good information sources on the Web, and lots of bad ones. While using the Web for research is convenient, it may not be the best place to find what you need. Your library spends thousands of dollars buying high quality research materials to ensure you have the best information possible for your research. If the material in the web page doesn't seem good enough for your research, you may want to use another information source, or stop by the library to find better, more reliable sources for your research.
Why was the page created? Be careful to read the information critically with regard to bias on the part of the information producer or author. Ask yourself: Who is the intended audience? What is the purpose of the web page? Are all sides of an issue discussed, or alternative viewpoints included? Consider the affiliations and credentials of the producer of the information, and if she/he has any bias or philosophical agenda.
Exercises and worksheets for Web evaluation
You may want to use some of these to sharpen your evaluation skills.
Everhart, Nancy. "Web Evaluation Worksheet." 1996. Online. Internet. [26 February 2003]. Available WWW: http://www.duke.edu/~de1/evaluate.html
Grassian, Esther, and Diane Zwemer. "Hoax? Scholarly Research? Personal Opinion? You Decide!" 6 May 1998. UCLA College Library. Online. Internet. [26 February 2003]. Available WWW: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/hoax/
Henderson, J. and M. Poulin. "ICYouSee: T is for Thinking." [26 February 2003]. Ithaca College Library. Online. Internet. [01 July 1999]. Available WWW: http://www.ithaca.edu/library/Training/hott.html
**Information obtained from Valparaiso University's Library and University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown's Owen Library.
Final Writing and Presentation
A Writers Response, Electronic Resource
Publication manual of the American Psychological Association,
808.06615 A512p5
MLA handbook for writers of research papers,
808.02 G437m6
Mount Union College Writing Center
http://www.muc.edu/academics/writing_center
Academic Honesty
"Academic honesty is expected of Mount Union College students. Academic standards and practices are influenced by culture. What is considered appropriate academic behavior in your home country might be different from what is appropriate in the United States; it is important that you understand U.S. standards and practices. Not meeting these standards can result in charges of academic dishonesty and possibly expulsion from the College.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not necessarily limited to, cheating on assignments and examinations; plagiarizing, representing as your own work any part of work done by another; or unauthorized use of library or computer materials."
**(Information obtained from 2006-07 Mount Union College Catalog)