Thomas Mann, "The Oxford Guide to Library Research (3rd Edition)"

With all of the new developments in information storage and retrieval, researchers today need a clear and comprehensive overview of the full range of their options, both online and offline, for finding the best information quickly. In this third edition of The Oxford Guide to Library Research, Thomas Mann maps out an array not just of important databases and print sources, but of several specific search techniques that can be applied profitably in any area of research.

From academic resources to government documents to manuscripts in archives to business Web sites, Mann shows readers how best to exploit controlled subject headings, explains why browsing library shelves is still important in an online age, demonstrates how citation searching and related record searching produce results far beyond keyword inquiries, and offers practical tips on making personal contacts with knowledgeable people.

Against the trendy but mistaken assumption that "everything" can be found on the Internet, Mann shows the lasting value of physical libraries and the unexpected power of traditional search mechanisms, while also providing the best overview of the new capabilities of computer indexing.

Throughout the book Mann enlivens his advice with real-world examples derived from his experience of having helped thousands of researchers, with interests in all subjects areas, over a quarter century. Along the way he provides striking demonstrations and powerful arguments against those theorists who have mistakenly announced the demise of print.

Essential reading for students, scholars, professional researchers, and laypersons, The Oxford Guide to Library Research offers a rich, inclusive overview of the information field, one that can save researchers countless hours of frustration in the search for the best sources on their topics.

Contents

Preface
1 Initial Overviews: Encyclopedias
2 Subject Headings and the Library Catalog
 Uniform Heading
 Scope-Match Specificity and Its Modifications
 Specific Entry
 Four Ways to Find the Right Subject Headings
 Precoordination and Postcoordination
 Miscellaneous Tips on Subject Headings
3 General Browsing, Focused Browsing, and Use of Classified Bookstacks
 The Complementary Relationship of the Library Catalog and the Classified Bookstacks
 Browsing in Other Contexts
4 Subject Headings and Indexes to Journal Articles
 Eureka Databases
 FirstSearch Databases and WilsonWeb Counterparts
 EBSCO Host Research Databases
 Dialog and DataStar Databases
 ProQuest Databases
 Miscellaneous Databases with Controlled Descriptors
 Cross-Disciplinary Searching
 Finding Where Journals Are Indexed and Which Journals are Available Electronically
 Identifying the Best Journals
 Problems with Abbreviations of Journal Titles
 The Change in Cataloging Rules for Serials
5 Keyword Searches
 Index / Abstract-Level Keyword Databases and Printed Sources
 Full-Text Databases
 ProQuest Databases
 EBSCO Host Research Databases
 InfoTrac Databases
 JSTOR
 Project Muse
 LexisNexis
 Web Sites on the Open Internet
6 Citation Searches
7 Related Record Searches
8 Higher-Level Overviews: Review Articles
9 Published Bibliographies
10 Boolean Combinations and Search Limitations
 Boolean Combinations
 Component Word Searching within Controlled Subject Strings
 Word Truncation
 Proximity Searches
 Limitations of Sets
 Limiting by Time Periods
 Limiting by Geographic Area Codes
 Limiting by Document Types
 Combining Keywords and Citation Searches
 Boolean Combinations Without Computers
 How to Identify Which Databases Exist
11 Locating Material in Other Libraries
 Determining Library Locations of Desired Items
 Determining Which Libraries Have Special Collections on Your Subject
 Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery
12 People Sources
13 Hidden Treasures
 Microform Sets and Counterpart Web Sites
 Web Collections
 Government Documents
 Archives, Manuscripts, and Public Records
14 Special Subjects and Formats
 Biography
 Book Reviews
 Business and Economics
 Copyright Status Information
 Genealogy and Local History
 Illustrations, Pictures, and Photographs
 Literary Criticism
 Maps
 Newspapers
 Out-of-Print and Secondhand Books
 Primary Sources
 Standards and Spécifications
 Statistics
 Tabular Data
 Tests (Psychological and Educational)
 Translations
15 Reference Sources: Searching by Types of Literature
Appendix: Wisdom
Index

Tags: Research, OnlineResearch

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