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Why are you here?
As a direct result of this instructional session, you should notice some or all of the following side effects:
1) The development of faster, more effective search strategies leading to increased free time.
2) The ability to request the resources you need through Inter-Library Loan.
3) Alertness when you turn in this assignment because you weren't up half the night completeing your bibliography.
Topic Development
| What to Look For | How to Use this Information |
| Keywords- synonyms, antonyms, and related terms | Incorporate into search statements and use to judge relevance of sources to your project |
| Big Names- who are the major researchers in the field | Find out what they're writing (i.e. author searches) and who's writing about them (i.e. cited author searches) |
| Fundamentals- what information do you find repeatedly? What is its significance? | Repetition often indicates importance. |
| Citations- what sources are listed in the bibliography or "further reading" section? | Great way to chronicle the development of a research area. |
Refworks: Part 1
1) Free to use
2) Citation tracking for journal articles and all other sources
3) You can have as many accounts as you would like, or you can use folders
4) Off-campus access is possible using the Group Code: rwillwesu
RefWorks bread crumbs: Library homepage > Technology > RefWorks - Research Organizer > RefWorks User Login
Where to Start? Depends on your topic...
When you need to select your topic or familiarize yourself with keywords...
- Partnerships
- Business Opportunities
Google and Google Scholar
- Purdue Carbon Neutrality
- Bon Appetit Management Company
National Resources Defense Council
- Explore Issues
- Recent News
Access Science -Online science encyclopedia
- Focus on all sciences
- Search by keyword
- Includes encyclopedia articles, definitions, research updates
Access Science bread crumbs: Library homepage > Find Articles & Subject Guides > Drop down link to Environmental Studies > Dictionaries & Encyclopedias > Access Science
Environmental Studies Subject Resources
Books
- Searches across the state of Illinois
- Delivery in 3-4 days
*Practice Search using Greening the Ivory Tower
Databases
Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management
1) Covers 1967 to present
2) Focus on environmental science including ecology and microbiology
3) Search by keyword or author
Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management bread crumbs: Library homepage > Find Articles & Subject Guides > Drop down link to Environmental Studies > Find Articles > Indexes to Scientific Resources > Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management
Science Citation Index
1) Covers 1980 to present
2) Focus on all sciences
3) Search by keyword, author, or cited reference
Science Citation Index bread crumbs: Library homepage > Find Articles & Subject Guides > Drop down link to Environmental Studies > Find Articles > Indexes to Scientific Resources > Science Citation Index
1) Coverage varies
2) Focus on news and current affairs
3) Search by keyword or source
LexisNexis bread crumbs: Library homepage > Find Articles & Subject Guides > A-z Database List > LexisNexis
1) Coverage 1994 to present
2) Covers a wide range of subjects including environmental studies, political science, sociology, and history.
3) Search by keyword or author
Wilson Select Plus bread crumbs: Library homepage > Find Articles & Subject Guides > Drop down link to Environmental Studies > Find Articles > Indexes to Social and Political Resources> Wilson Select Plus
1) Coverage 1943 to present
2) Maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific & Technical Information
3) Search by keyword or author
RefWorks: Part 2
What do you mean it won't do it for me?
Yes, it's true, some databases are not RefWorks compatible. However, there are ways to get around this.
MLA compliance
Remember, RefWorks can do a lot for you, but you are responsible for making sure your citations are correctly formatted. These sites can help:
ILLiad (better known as InterLibrary Loan)
What you should know:
1) Free to use
2) Can request articles and books
3) Articles arrive within 4 business days on average
You can get to ILLiad any time from the library home page quick links.