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Library
Research
Step
Two, Using the Databases to Find Articles
We've already looked at how
to find
books about your topic in the library and today we need to turn to how
to find articles on your topic.
Books are good sources of
background
information, but they can be very long and difficult to read.
Sometimes
they are also a bit out of date. For these reasons, you will want
to find articles about your topic also. Usually articles are
shorter
(not necessarily easier to read though!) and they have current
information
about your topic.
To get started searching
for periodical
sources, go to the library homepage
<http://library.gmu.edu> and
search in the Databases for
article citations.
Specifically, for
today's
exercise use these links and subjects:
- Click on Databases
- Click on "A"
- Scroll to Academic Search Complete and click on it
- Search for an
article
within the subject
areas of learning AND
____________(the topic you used
for
books before).
Once you have article
citations,
the work has just begun. What type of work you must do depends on
the type of text media available to you.
- If you are lucky and
the
results list
full text or PDF pages, you can simply click on the link and printout
the
article
- full text =
HTML format (webpage format), so it may printout more pages
than you expect.
- PDF = Portable
Document Format, which means you will need Adobe Acrobat
Reader
installed on the machine you are using to read the file (most
public-use
computers on campus, in the labs and in the library, have it installed).
- If no printable text
is
available, you
need to see if Mason subscribes to the periodical you want (to find the
article in it according to the date of original publication and
pagination).
- Click on the Mason
Link + link
- When the new "mini" window opens, click on the GO button after the words Search
e-Journal Finder
- You will be taken to another page that lists possible sources of on-line journals that will have the articlce in full-text --> check the date range carefully and if the dates match what you need, click the link for that e-journal
- you may need to enter your keyowrd search terms again
- click through the links until you get the article you want.
- If no full-text version is available, you might still be able to get it in Fenwick
- Check to see if Mason subscribes to a paper or film version of the periodical
- Click on the GO button afer the words Holdings in George Mason VOYAGER Catalog
- If Mason has the periodical, you will receive information about it that looks like the information you received when you serached for a book; clikc on the title of the periodical and scroll down to check for the following information:
- location
- years of subscription
- media (print collection=
paper/book; microform = microfilm or microfiche).
- You must now go the Periodical
Room
in Fenwick (A wing) and begin your hunt!
The first thing you
should
do is to buy a copy card or add money to your card if the balance is
low.
You will need the card, and a high enough balance on it, for
photocopies
of your article if it is text based or for printouts if it is film
based.
Next, you need to
decide
what part of
the periodical room you need to you. The following chart should help
with
this decision. Remember that regardless of the media you are looking
for,
material in the Periodicals Room is arranged alphabetically by title;
there
are no call numbers in this room!
Media
|
Location in
Fenwick Periodical
Room
|
Reshelving
|
Print -- current |
Shelves on west side
of the first
floor. |
South eastern wall
of first floor
on alphabetical shelves |
Print -- bound |
Shelves in the west
and north parts
of the first floor; shelves on the second floor. |
South eastern wall
of first floor
on alphabetical shelves. |
Microfilm |
Tall drawers in
center of first
floor |
On top of microfiche
drawers in
center of first floor |
Microfiche |
Shorter drawers in
center of first
floor (to the west of the microfilm drawers). |
On top of microfiche
drawers in
center of room in alphabetical order in small box |
Periodicals are organized alphabetically by title ("The" and "A" are placed at the end of the a tile, e.g. "Journal of American Psychological Society, The").
Photocopy machines are
located on
the south east wall on the first floor of the periodical room.
Your ticket out of class
today :
- printout of
a full-text periodical
article &
- a photocopy of a print
or film periodical article
I will be waiting for you at
the end
of class just to right of the main Fenwick exit (just to the right if
you
are inside looking out of the exit doors). Show me your
photocopy/printout then you will be free to go! |