1. An Adventure in Research
Using Beaman Library
Services and Resources
Fall 2012

2. Beaman Library is your starting
point for research
Research materials at your fingertips!
Computers for your convenience!
Study Rooms available to study by
yourself or for a group to gather!
Our Library Staff is here for you!

3. Your Beaman Library Homepage
• Access the
library catalog &
our electronic
databases from
any computer
• Ask a Reference
Question???
Links you with a
librarian for all
of your
questions
• Find out
information
about the
library or read
the latest library
newsletter

4. Your MOBILE Beaman Library
Homepage
• Access our
catalog from any
mobile device!
• Carry it with you
to the stacks to
help find your
materials!

5. Research is a process…
• It is ORGANIZED
• It is METHODICAL
• It is COMPREHENSIVE

6. The Researcher’s 2 questions…
• WHAT do I want to know?
• WHERE do I find that information?

7. The Research Process
The research process requires a
knowledge of
The locations of information resources
How information resources are
organized
The tools needed for accessing
information regardless of its format
The criteria for evaluating
information retrieved

8. Information Resources in
Beaman Library - Organization
Library of Congress Classification
System (LB 2806 .R38)—Read the call number
alphabetically and numerically. Any number after the decimal point
is treated like a decimal number.
Designators (Ref, Oversize, Buffington…)—
Gives you a clue as to where these books are physically located in
library. They are special sections unto themselves.
Local Collections (Special Collections,
Restoration Collection…)

9. Information Resources in
Beaman Library – access tools
Books
Articles (print & electronic)
-Scholarly journal articles
-Popular magazine articles
-Newspaper articles
Websites

10. Books!
• Reference Books:
-use in library only
• General Collection:
-check out for 3 weeks for
undergrads, 4 weeks for grads
• eBooks:
-access and read online. Over
18,000 in our collection.

11. Articles!
• Scholarly journals
-aka “refereed”, “peer-
reviewed”, “academic”
-articles reviewed and accepted
by experts in the field
• Magazines, popular
and trade journals
-Booklist, Southern Living, GQ
• Newspapers
-The Tennessean, Wall Street
Journal

12. To find an Article…Sorting
• Citation: gives you
the information you
need to track down
the work
• Abstract: summary
of article + citation
• Full Text: complete
text of article +
citation

13. To find an Article…Locating
• Found a citation for an article?
Now, how do you find them?

14. Locating article…pt. 1
• If the source located was cited in a
database…
• Check to see if full-text is available

15. Locating article…pt. 2
• If the source located was cited in
another book or article or full-text was
not available in a database…
• Check the journal title in the Catalog to see
if Beaman has the journal in print. Use the
“Journal Finder”.

16. Locating articles…pt. 3
• If the source is not available in print in
Beaman Library or full-text via
database…
• Check other local libraries (in WorldCat or
Athena) to see if they have the journal in
print
• Request the article through Interlibrary
Loan (Allow 2 weeks)

17. Periodicals - Location
Current (2012) magazines and journals are
arranged alphabetically on open shelves for
easy browsing.

18. Periodicals - Location
Bound periodicals are arranged
alphabetically and
chronologically.

19. Periodicals - Location
Some periodicals are kept on
microfilm or microfiche.

20. Electronic/ Online Resources:
Types
• General
• Subject specific
• Government
• Military
• Commercial
• Education

21. Databases
Found in our ENCORE catalog!
• Academic OneFile
• Expanded Academic
• Science Database
• LexisNexis
• Many, many more

22. Search engines
http://scholar.google.com/
search specifically for scholarly literature:
peer-reviewed papers
theses books preprints
abstracts technical reports
arranges search results by relevancy

23. Search engines
http://infomine.ucr.edu/
… a virtual library of Internet resources relevant to faculty, students,
and research staff at the university level.
electronic journals electronic books
bulletin boards databases
articles

24. Evaluating Information
 from monographs [books]
 from periodicals
 from websites

25. Evaluating books
• A recognized author
• Timely content
• Documentation
• Physical appearance

26. Evaluating Journal Articles
Scholarly Journal
Characteristics
Written for scholars or
researchers in a specialized
field (medicine, psychology,
education)

27. Evaluating Journal Articles
• found in specialized (subject) indexes
[Social Sciences Index]
usually published quarterly or monthly
• mostly print
• graphs and/or tables
• few or no ads

28. Evaluating Journal Articles
Scholarly Journal Characteristics
• cites research
• includes notes and/or bibliography
• passes review by panel of experts
• peer reviewed
• refereed

29. Websites
• Academic .edu
• Government .gov
• Specialized/commercial .com/.org/.net

30. Web Site Evaluation—the
WWW’s
Who says it?
 Author or sponsor
 Credentials of responsible party

31. Web Site Evaluation—the
WWW’s
What does it claim, assert, etc.?
 Purpose of web site
 Biased, objective, fair
 Factual…in depth
 Correct grammar, spelling, etc.

32. Web Site Evaluation—the
WWW’s
When was it said?
• Publication date
• Revisions
• Links up-to-date

33. Interlibrary Loan
• Question:
What do I do if a resource I need is not
available in the Beaman Library?
• Answer:
Use the Interlibrary loan service
provided by Beaman Library

34. Review: The Power of Five
What does scholarly research require?
A knowledge of
1. The locations of information resources
2. Organization of information resources
3. The access tools needed for obtaining
information regardless of its format
4. The criteria for evaluating information
located
5. The rules of scholarly research
(proper citing/respect for copyright)

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