WSULS Libraries

for LIS Students:

Part II – Articles &
Databases
Michael C. Sensiba
LIS Program Library Liaison
“Next Generation Librarian”
Wayne State University
 Overview
►A few words about Articles and
Databases
► Resources for the LIS profession
► Resources for mediated searching
► Search strategies
► Working with databases as an
information professional
 Articles and Databases
► The importance of journal articles
► Types of articles: peer-reviewed, scholarly
► 3+ kinds of databases
 Citation only
 Citation and Abstract
 Full-text
 Hybrids of the above
► Importance of link resolvers
► Databases vs. Online Journals
Articles and Databases at
University Libraries
 Resources for the LIS
Profession
► WorldCat FirstSearch
► Books in Print Proprietary
► Ulrich’s International Periodicals
Directory Proprietary
► Library Literature HW Wilson
► Library and Information Science
Abstracts (LISA) CSA
► Library, Information Science, &
Technology Abstracts (LISTA) EBSCO
LIS Best Bets
LIS Subject Guide
Database Catalog Record
Journal Catalog Record
 Articles & Databases
vs. Online Journals
Articles & Databases Online Journals
► Searching by Topic ► Accessing individual
► Searching multiple journals
journals ► Searching a known
citation
EZ Proxy
Article Reach
Meta Search
Example: Library Lit
Example: LISA
Example: LISTA
LISTA – Visual Search
Google Scholar
 Resources for Mediated
Searching
► Interdisciplinary Databases
 Proquest Research Library Proquest
 InfoTrac OneFile InfoTrac
 Wilson Select Plus FirstSearch
 LexisNexis Academic Universe LexisNexis
► Topical Introductions
 Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center Proprietary
 SIRS Researcher Proprietary
 CQ Researcher Proprietary
 Facts.com Proprietary
► Reference Titles
 Gale Ready-Reference Shelf Proprietary
 Oxford Reference Online Proprietary
 Biography Resource Center Proprietary
 Literature Resource Center Proprietary
 Resources for Mediated
Searching (cont.)
► Discipline-specific databases (note overlap potential!)
 ERIC (Education) FirstSearch and CSA
 BioOne (Biology) CSA
 Sociological Abstracts (Social Sciences) CSA
 ACM Digital Library (Computer Science) Proprietary
 ABI/INFORM (Business) Proquest
 America: History and Life (History) ABC-Clio
 ScienceDirect (Science) ScienceDirect
 MLA Bibliography (Literature, Languages) FirstSearch
 Engineering Village (Engineering) Proprietary
 MathSciNet (Mathematics) Proprietary
 Arts and Humanities Search (Arts, Humanities) FirstSearch
 MEDLINE (Medicine, Psychology) Proprietary
 PAIS International (Political Science) CSA
 And many more…
► Citation Indexes
 Web of Science ISI
 Strategies for Searching
► Conduct a reference interview (even of
yourself)
► Begin with the user’s terms
► Number of Terms proportional to Focus
► Number of Terms inversely proportional to
Number of Results
► Learn about the topic (web, reference
works)
► Massage your search terms
 Read abstracts for clues
 Lay out concepts and alternate/related terms
(see Search Planner, next slide)
 Use and understand controlled vocabulary
 Strategies for Searching
(cont.)
► Use Search History function, when available
► Exclude unwanted contexts
► Use truncation, wildcards and alternate spellings
► Find similar material from an example (citation
pearl growing*)
 Subjects/descriptors
 Authors, series, or publications
 Citations from/to example
 Call numbers
► Refine your search
 Test individual terms, combine tested terms, add limiters
► DOCUMENT YOUR PROCESS!
* Creighton University Health Science Library, “Citation Pearl Growing”,
http://www.hsl.creighton.edu/hsl/Searching/PearlGrowing.html, retrieved 1/9/2007
 Working with Databases
► Find appropriate databases (and
alternatives) for the task
► Note the database’s user interface
 For beginners?
 For advanced users?
 Learn the interfaces of the major vendors
► Explore the controlled vocabulary functions
► Find the help/tutorial, and use it
► Use test searches
► Know how to export the information
► Work with your link resolver (e.g.
ArticleLinker)
 Good Luck in the LIS
Program!

Michael C. Sensiba
Next Generation Librarian
Wayne State University Library
System
1210 Adamany Undergraduate
Library
(313) 577-5947
Email: ao9754@wayne.edu

Online links to ODLIS except as noted.