My reading list – the sequel

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In this follow-up to My reading list – what does it all mean? – find out how to recognise different types of reading material on your reading list and get tips on how to find these in the library.

Let’s imagine these items are on your reading list -

Nimmo, F., Hart, S. D., Korycansky, D. G. and Agnor, D.B. (2008). Implications of an impact origin for the martian hemispheric dichotomy. Nature, 453 (7199), 1220-1223.

This is a journal article,  made up of the following parts -

authors of the article

year the article was published

title of the article

title of the journal the article appears in

volume number (issue/part number) of the journal, page numbers the article appears on

Laurie, H. and Gershuny, J. (2000). Couples, work and money. In: Seven years in the lives of British families. (Berthoud, R. and Gershuny, J., eds). Policy Press.

This is a book chapter, made up of the following parts

authors of the chapter

year the book was published

title of the chapter

title of the book

editors of the book

publisher name

 

You can use all this information to find the item you need using the library catalogue.

For the book chapter, search for the book title and/or book editor/s-  not the chapter title or chapter author.  Check the edition and/or publication year in the catalogue results against the details on your reading list to make sure you’re selecting the appropriate item.

To find the book on the shelf, use the class number you find in the catalogue e.g. 301.42 BER. We use the Dewey Decimal Classification system to organise our books. Using this sytem, the number represents the subject of the book and the letters are the first three letters of the author’s/ editor’s surname.  All our books are organised numerically by the class numbers – on Level 3 of the library (apart from 3 hour loan items which are behind the service desk. Oh, and reference books, which are on Level 2).  The class number is shown on a label on the spine of each book.  To find the chapter within the book, use the contents page to locate the relevant start page.

To find journals in the catalogue, search on the title of the journal (the catalogue won’t give information on articles within journals).

To find the journal on the shelf, use the class number you find in the catalogue e.g. Periodicals 505.  Here again, the number represents the subject area.  Our journals (or periodicals) are shelved on Levels 1 and 4 of the library – with the science and technology journals on Level 4 and the Social Science journals on Level 1.  A label on the spine of each journal gives the class number for that item. Again, use the table of contents of the journal issue to locate the relevant start page for the article you’re looking for.

You’ll also find electronic books and journals in the catalogue. These don’t have a physical location in the library, so won’t have a class number. Instead, there will be a link out to the book or journal homepage from the catalogue record.  You might need passwords for some of our online resources and information on these will be given in the catalogue record of the item you want to access.

If you can’t find what you want or it all goes a bit wrong, you can use the catalogue help pages, get help in the library in person,  email libhelp@hw.ac.uk, phone ext 3582 or use the IM/Chat service.

That’s all there is to it!

Miss Dewey

My reading list – what does it all mean?

 

© MrsMaze Flickr.com

OK. You’ve arrived at University, and now you need to get started on your course work (bah!).  You’ve probably got a reading list of things you need to get hold of (and read!).  But what does all the stuff on your reading list mean, and how does it help you find what you need?

Let’s imagine these books are on your reading list -

Housecroft, C.E. and Constable, E.C. (2006). Chemistry – an introduction to organic, inorganic and physical chemistry. 3rd ed. Pearson. 

Berthoud, R. and Gershuny, J. eds (2000). Seven years in the lives of British families. Policy Press.

Stallings, W. (2007). Data and computer communications. 8th ed. Prentice Hall.

Sounds like an unusual course!  And, of course, your reading lists won’t be multicoloured like this one –  but here’s what it all means -

Who wrote the book (authors) 

Who edited the book (editors – shortened to eds)

When the book was published (publication year)
What the book is called (book title)

How many times the book has been revised and republished (edition number)

Who published the book (publisher)

These who, what and when details of a book are called the bibliographic details. You can use all this information to find the item you need by searching on author and / or word from the title in the library catalogue.  Check the edition or publication year in the catalogue against the ones on your list – and you’re on your way! 

To find the book on the shelf, use the class number you find in the catalogue e.g. 301.42 BER.  In the class number, the number represents the subject of the book and the letters are the first three letters of the author’s surname.  All our books are organised numerically by the class numbers – on Level 3 of the library (apart from 3 hour loan items which are behind the service desk). A label on the spine of each book gives the class number for that item.

If you can’t find what you want, or it all goes a bit wrong, you can use the catalogue help pages, ask in the library, email libhelp@hw.ac.uk, phone ext 3582 or get in touch using our  IM/chat service.

Miss Dewey

Lost and in need of direction? Ask Miss Dewey

Have a look at one of my favourite YouTube videos starring Stanely Unwin, the master of talking rubbish very convincingly . . . .

This clip makes me laugh but it also taps in to some deep rooted frustration.  I really don’t like it when I can’t get the information I need!

Do you ever get that?  Maybe you find navigating electronic journals a bit mind boggling? 

“Why can I see this article but not that one – they’re from the same journal? AARGH!?”

“Why am I being asked to pay for this article?” We subscribe to this – don’t we???”

“I don’t believe it! I’m getting a message saying I’ not authorised even when I’ve logged in.”

If you’re unsure, don’t ask Heriot Watt’s answer to Stanely Unwin - ask one of the library staff!  Email,  chat or call (451-3582) and make finding the information you need less confusing.

Trust me. I’m Miss Dewey.

Name: Miss Dewey
Occupation: Librarian
Age: 32
Mission:  To rid the world of Miss Information

Photo on this post by Mrs. Maze www.flickr.com
Creative Commons licence for this photo

Miss Dewey – getting to the decimal point

I’m too young to remember decimalisation in 1971, but the idea was that working in ’10s’ would make life easier.  If you’ve got an essay or piece of course work to research, here are 10 things which can make your life easier.

1.  Pinpoint the topic.  I know it seems a bit obvious, but you can waste a lot of time faffing around because you’re not clear what it is you want to find.  Think about all those hours wasted wandering round Princes Street looking for something to wear on Saturday night. Maybe something black or maybe green?  Sleeveless or short sleeves? To go with those new shoes, or  not?   Lack of clarity can lead to wasted time and few results.

2. Do a bit of background reading.  Get a feel for the topic and the terminology used. Jot down some key terms. 

3. Plan your search.  Think of it like a holiday.  You don’t just set of without a suitcase and no passport to the airport with no reservation and no place to stay.  You spend a bit of time planning. You identify possible destinations and come up with a few alternatives. You research flight routes and timetables and review a few hotels.  Do the same with your search.  Plan what concepts and keywords you’re going to use.  Think of a few alternatives terms. Get your passwords together.   Decide what databases you’re going to use and some routes in to the information.   To use the Scout motto – be prepared.

4. Think about alternative search terms.  If you go to the supermarket looking for a tin of Campbell’s chicken soup and you can’t find any – you don’t give up do you?  You might think of looking for other makes – or you might try another shop.  You might think about other varieties and move to different aisles in your search.  It’s similar with searching for information.  If at first you don’t succeed – adapt your search. Modify your search terms, broaden your search out or try a different database.

5. Have a cup of tea.  A short break will do you good!

6. Think about where you’re going to search.  Let’s go back to looking for that elusive outfit.  If you’ve focused down on what it is you’re looking for (black, smart, short sleeves and not more than £40) you can target shops that sell that kind of stuff.  Even if you have to go to two or three, its got to be quicker than trawling through every shop in Princes Street looking for something you don’t even know the colour of.  So, once you’ve pinpointed your topic, target some relevant sources. The library’s databases page might be a good place to start. Here you can select databases covering your subject. You might also find the  Library’s How to Find Out Guides useful.

7. Keep detailed notes of the useful stuff you find.  Its frustrating to use a really good book or article for your essay and then when it comes to writing up, you don’t have all the reference details.  Maybe you’ve got the author surname but not the initials.  You might have jotted down the journal name in shorthand but now you have to write it out in full. What is “Nat Proc Ind Eng”?  National Proceedings of Indian Engineers or Natural Processes in Industrial Engineering? And what pages did you get that really good quote from?  If you can’t attribute it you can’t use it.

8. Use something like EndnoteWeb.   EndnoteWeb allows you to keep all the details you need of all your references together in one searchable database on the web. You can import references from searches (with a couple of clicks from Google Scholar, Web of Knowledge and others) and add notes like “quote used on page 2 of marketing essay taken from page 111″  You’ll never be lost for the correct page numbers again.  It’s also fully compatible with the desktop version of Endnote offered by the University’s Information and Computing Service (UICS). There is training available on the desktop version for PhD students and staff and all students and staff can register to use EndnoteWeb. You might also want to have a look at other free web-based services like Connotea or Zotero

9.  Don’t pass off other people’s ideas as your own. If you use other people’s ideas or quote from the work of others – say so. Citing & referencing may sound like nothing you can be bothered with but it can save you a lot of hassle.  It allows you to show how you’ve used other people’s ideas in your work.  Of course this also means its easier for the reader (i.e. the marker) to identify your original thoughts.  If its your idea - you should get the credit!

10. Make EndnoteWeb work for you.  Endnote and EndnoteWeb can automatically create a reference list or bibliography for your course work – in a choice of different formatting styles.   Whatever style you choose, all the punctuation will be in the right place.  Hours of time saved there!  Remember you need to register to use EndnotWeb.

That’s it!  Ten things to make your life easier.  Trust me  . . . . . . I’m Miss Dewey

Photo on this post by Mrs. Maze www.flickr.com
Creative Commons licence for this photo

Google it and cut and paste – really!

 

Miss Information says, “Google your essay topic! Cut and paste some text from the results pages and you’re on you’re way to rolling off another essay from the printer. Easy!”

“Why bother doing anything more?  Really, you don’t have the time do you?  Nobody’s going to find you out.   Isn’t copying the sincerest form of flattery anyway?”

“The websites you’ll find will be so great too!  In fact, my really opinionated right wing activist third cousin twice removed has a really good site on political tolerance.  There’s so much quality stuff out there – written by balanced experts just like him - and its so easy to find! So – go on, go on , go on.

“Why waste you’re time doing anything else?  What IS the point?”   Trust me – I’m Miss Information.

Photo by Mrs. Maze www.flickr.com

Miss Dewey says,  ”If you want to be hauled up for plagiarism –  go ahead!  And what’s a few marks lost for using unreliable sources? Fair enough, Miss Information’s third cousin twice removed is published on the web – but that doesn’t make him an authorative or reliable source. 

You evaluate things all the time – like people. You weigh up whether they are telling the truth or whether you can rely on them. You ask yourself whether other people back-up what they say.  And what about food?  You weigh up whether it looks safe to eat.  You question where the ingredients might have come from – a salmonella free fridge or the sole of the chef’s shoe?  

If you’re using a website, do the same.  Ask questions.  Who wrote it? Are they reliable and authoritative?  Where did they get their information from? Are those sources reliable?  Why has it been published and who is backing the publication?  For example, should you believe findings on a new drug published on the drug company’s website from research funded by the company? Mmmh.  A vested interest there perhaps?

If you Google for your course work - always evaluate what you find.  Get some tips from the Internet Detective or the Virtual Training Suite.  Oh, and stealing ideas is not good – even if you are in a hurry. If you use other people’s work - attribute it.  Get some tips on this by watching a video or two.

Think about your academic integrity!   Where would you be without it?  Trust me – I’m Miss Dewey. 

Miss Information &
Miss Dewey