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Maths Postgraduates
Effective Searching For Information: Library Information CourseMichael WhittonOctober 2012
University Library
2
Today’s session will cover
Finding key research material
Identify relevant Electronic Resources
Search effectively and record the records
Keeping up to date
Track down the full text
3
(Other) Library Training On Gradbook
Bibliometrics
eTheses– Including copyright issues
Endnote / Reference Manager
Keeping up to date
Copyright
The Library Home Page
(1)
Link to Opening Hours informationA guide for new students
Or direct URL: www.soton.ac.uk/library
Lists of useful e-journals, databases & websites, guidance on finding information for Maths
Also contact details of your Librarian
7
1st Break
Look at the library website and answer the resources quiz on the handout
Resources(2)
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Internet Searching
Google, etc.– Useful for finding free content– No quality controls, need to evaluate– Scientific versions (Google Scholar)
more focused on research material– Search MathSciNet, etc, as well to
avoid missing out on important articles
Gateways
Web Gateways– Specialist search engines– Real people choose websites and
write summaries– E.g. Mathematics WWW Virtual
Library– See subject pages (under Websites)
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Databases & Indexes e.g. MathSciNet & Web of Science
Mostly articles from quality journals (some books, conferences)– Well indexed enabling you to search in
detail– Abstracts (summary of the article)– References (Many try to link to the full
text)
We won’t have every journal they index– Our Inter-Library-Loans service can
probably get a copy
13
Other sources for journal articles
Publishers Collections (Sciencedirect, American Mathematical Society, etc.)– Same quality of material– Limited to 1 publisher– Search facilities can be limited
Eprints (eprints-soton, ArXiv, OAIster)– Articles, etc. made freely available – also to
increase impact / visibility– Varying quality: ‘pre-prints’, departmental
publications
14
Also remember other sources
Books – including research monographs– Search Webcat for our holdings– Also other catalogues e.g. COPAC
Theses– Search Webcat for our PhD theses– Index to Theses for UK/Ireland
Data (Statistical, Financial etc.)
Basic Demo
16
Mark, Export, Record
Many databases have a ‘marked record’ facility or similar
Useful articles get added to a marked/selected records area– Then you can print out or e-mail to
yourself a list of these articles– Or you can export to Reference
Managing software like Endnote
Finding the full text
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefirebottle/122895549/
(3)
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Routes to full text
Database full text links
Sometimes links to journals we don’t buy
TDNet links (from database or library web pages)– doesn’t have all print journals
If the above do not exist or don’t work always …
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Routes to full text (cont.)
Search WebCat– Journal articles by the journal title
(use full title not abbreviations)– Conference papers by the conference
title– Reports: try author and title (may
need to search by organisation name)
There may be an automatic link
TDNet link
Following full text link through TDNet
If there is no (online) full text follow the Catalog link if present (only appears for print
titles on TDNet)
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Exceptions
Items not on Webcat & TDNet– Organisations eprint servers
Items not in UoS Libraries– Inter Library Loan (ILL)
2nd Break
Start searching MathSciNet using the search planner. Use the example given or one of your own
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Access to Resources(4)
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Access - on campus
Generally no passwords are needed– A few need your Institutional (email)
username & password– A handful have special
usernames/passwords
If you have problems– For journals check our access on
TDNet– For other resources use links on the
library website
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Access – off campus
For many resources Institutional Login is an option
VPN will give you the same access as on campus
Some TDNet functions do not work off campus without VPN
Look for ‘Institutional Login’, ‘UK Federation’ or ‘Shibboleth’ links
You often need to select the UK (or UK Federation)
Then find ‘University of Southampton’
(If you can’t find us look for
Southampton University)
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VPN
Virtual Private Network
Link to University network
When connected your computer appears to be ‘on campus’
Managed by iSolutions. Instructions on iSolutions web pages at: www.soton.ac.uk/isolutions/services/vpn_service/index.php
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Setup instructions
Search Strategy
(5)
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Searching – the basics
Start simple – with a few keywords– Look at the results – do you need:– More relevance (more specific
search)– More results (broaden search)
More manageable numbers – restrict in some other way (e.g. by date)– Aim for about 50-150 results
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Boolean Logic
Finds articles with both terms anywhere in the title, abstract, etc.
E.g. Traffic And congestion
Often the default except MathSciNet
a
b
a And b
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Boolean Logic
Finds articles with either term anywhere.
Use to allow for alternatives
E.g. airplane Or aeroplane
a
b
a Or b
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Boolean Logic
Finds articles with the first term that do not contain the second term.
Use with caution to eliminate non-relevant material
E.g. radiation Not solar
a
b
a Not b
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Example searches – using and/or
gravitational waves caused by small black holes– 0 results
gravitational and wave and small and black hole– 72 results
gravitational and black hole and (wave or radiation) and (small or micro)– 110 results
[done in MathSciNet 1940-2012]
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Truncation
Replaces any number of characters.– Sometimes works in the middle of a
word.– Normally * symbol, $ in webcat
Aero* will find:– Aeroplane– Aeroplanes– Aerospace
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Wildcards
Replace a single character.– Often can also represent zero
characters.– Normally ? Symbol, $ in Web of
Knowledge
Engine? will find both Engine and Engines but not engineering
Colo?r will find both Colour and Color
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Example searches – Truncation/wildcards
gravitational and black hole and (wave or radiation) and (small or micro)– 110 results
gravitat* and black hole* and (wave* or radiat*) and (small or micro*)– 206 results
[done in MathSciNet 1940-2012]
Example searches – WebCat
ocean wave model– 38 results
ocean$ wave? model$– 225 results
(Remember - truncation is $ not *)
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Phrase Searching If you need an exact phrase use quotation
marks (“ ”)– e.g. “Solar Cells”– This makes the search more specific (finds
less articles)– Truncation and stemming don’t always
work in quotes
In WebCat – use single quotes (’ ‘) This is the default in MathSciNet
3rd Break
Try using Boolean and truncation in your searchTry links to full text if haven’t done so already
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Advanced features(6)
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WOK: Citation search
Citation links are useful– to track further related research– also for articles found in MathSciNet
etc.
Citation searching is also possible– Find out what an Author has written
and who has cited each paper
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Click here to see all citing
articles
Web of Science has a useful citation linking
feature
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These articles both cite the ‘parent’
article
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MSC – Mathematics Subject Classification
Each article has one or more MSC classifications to indicate its subject
These are useful:– Making search results more relevant
and specific– Suggest alternative terms to search– To see what major areas of research
exist
49
Classification numbers are
marked (83C57, etc.)
By clicking on the terms you can see what they
mean …
50
The Primary MSC is the main
subject of the article
Click on this icon to run a search on
that term …
51
… Does a search on that code
Often too broad to be
helpful.
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The MSC can also be
accessed via ‘free tools’
53
Search for a key word or phrase
…
54
Codes have changed over time – the code
for black holes (82C57) was added
in 1991
MathSciNet will show you
relevant term(s)
So if we use it we won’t find any pre 1991 articles about
black holes
55
You can also use the code in your
search
83C57 searches for black holes very
well
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We now have less results – but hopefully more relevant
ones
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Saved Searches (Web of Knowledge, etc.)
Search history
Saving searches
Alerts
NB You will need to register for these services
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Search history, to save / set up alerts
click
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WOK and other databases allow you to set up a
profile
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You can save your history or set up an email alert …
Help(7)
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If you need help…….
Subject Enquiry Desk, Level 3 – Open Mon-Fri 9 am-5 pm
Contact Me– [email protected]– 023 8059 2709
Credits (1) Britton, Ian (2004). Spiders Web.
http://www.freefoto.com/preview/01-17-9/Spiders-Web
(7) Leonard, Nick. (2006) Library. www.flickr.com/photos/jungle_boy/223447312/
(2) Sky, David (2006). Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. www.seemsartless.com/index.php?pic=859
(6) Britton, Ian (2004). Advanced Passenger Train. www.freefoto.com/preview/23-01-3/APT-Advanced-Passenger-Train-
(3) the Firebottle (2006). Journals. http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefirebottle/122895549/
(4) Gold key. www.public-domain-image.com/objects-public-domain- images-pictures/gold-key.jpg.html
(5) Vincente, Danard (2007). Search-Engine-Marketing www.flickr.com/photos/danardvincente/251214877