Monday, October 07, 2013

Is there a way to simplify library research? It seems so confusing.

So you thought you knew how the library worked...
Library Myth #7


     Well, research is exploration and that takes time.  But the usual Google search delivers too  much information, sometimes off-topic and often with the hassle of having to look for the complete article but without paying for it!  That's when Miami Universities Libraries shine because the library has a cool search tool and provides access to the full-text at no charge!

Here's where you want to start your research:  Articles & More.  This is EBSCO's discovery service that leads to Miami University Libraries' articles, books, and media all in one search and one results list.  For a refresher on using this discovery service, also called OneSearch, watch this 4 minute tutorial. 

When you want to checkout the research landscape, do a little pre-searching using Articles & More.  Yes, you will find articles from journals, newspapers, magazines, books, eBooks, DVDs, and government documents in a single results list.  Apply limiters like date, subject, scholarly, etc. and use the cite and email tools.   The best news is that most of these library materials are available in Miami University Libraries’ collection!  Just click the gold Find It! button to locate the complete article if the HTML or PDF is not already linked in that database.  

Talk with a librarian if you have more questions getting started with research.



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