COM LIT R1B: Family Drama

Campus libraries

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:54:41 -0700

Click on the image below to view an interactive version of the campus library map.

Printable PDF version
Floorplans (Main Stacks | Moffitt | Doe)

Off-campus access

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:05:17 -0700

Unless home is a campus dorm, in order to access many Library resources you must first configure your computer to use one of two simple access methods:

Proxy Server (easiest method)
After you make a one-time change in your web browser's settings, allows you to use your CalNet ID to access a licensed resource.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)
You install and run the VPN software on your computer. It allows you to log in with a CalNet ID and accesss a licensed resource.

Where's the copier ?

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:58:11 -0700

The Library offers improved printing and scanning (copying) options. You'll need your Cal 1 card, and a flash drive (to save scans to a file). Know the details, and you'll be prepared.

Library hours

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:15:14 -0800

Hours on:
Enter as mm/dd/yy

For:

This guide has been archived

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:29:27 -0700

Please note: this course guide was created during a previous semester, and is no longer being actively maintained. For a list of current course guides, please see http://lib.berkeley.edu/alacarte/course-guides.

Background information

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:45:48 -0700

Encyclopedias are often a good place to begin when you don't know much about a topic. They provide basic background information -- identify people, events, issues, etc., associated with a topic. Knowing this information will help you search for materials on that topic. Entries often have an associated bibliography that identifies related materials.

For online encyclopedias...
- navigate to library electronic resources (reviewed in article databases & other electronic resources section of this tab)
- then link to your chosen Subject and use the sidebar menu to access encyclopedias for that subject (many disciplines have linkable subject specific encyclopedias)
- Alternatively, link to library electronic resources by Type > Encyclopedias and almanacs to see all of these resources

To find print encyclopedias, use OskiCat

The "right" tool for the job

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:37:23 -0700

It's hard to find what you need, if you're looking in the "wrong" place. Choose a resource that includes the kinds of materials needed.

Books & articles: You're likely to need the library catalog and an article database for your assignment. Which one, and when, depends on what you already know and the kind of materials sought.
- if you already have a citation for an item, or you want to find books on your topic, you can start with the catalog
- if you want to isolate articles or essays on a topic, you'll need to use an "article" database
- the details
Encyclopedias provide brief background information

Article databases & other electronic resources

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:45:32 -0700

access is via FIND INFORMATION tab on UCB Library website

electronic resources are viewable by subject or by the general (interdisciplinary) category
- Recommended sun = central, typically helpful resources
- the sidebar menu (links to other types of resources for the selected subject)
electronic resources can also be viewed by type (news databases, encyclopedias, etc.)
the database description =
- subject(s)
- type of materials
- dates of publication
- if results' full text is available

Library catalogs

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:32:42 -0700

List what a library owns, its location and availability...

OskiCat is the UCB libraries' catalog
- books, journals, films, etc.
access via CATALOGS tab on UCB Library website

Where is the article?

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:37:49 -0700

Many library databases incorporate the UC-eLinks feature. You use it when a result's text is not provided by the database searched. It checks the UC-wide collections to see if the source is available elsewhere...

online (through a different database)
in print (at a library)
example database results with UC-eLinks

Citing sources

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:22:58 -0800

Properly citing sources is an important part of your research. It allows you to avoid plagiarism and highlights your engagement with related scholarship.

In a nutshell: "Whenever you quote or base your ideas on another person's work, you must document the source you used. Even when you do not quote directly from another work...."

The above extract is taken from the Library's guide to citing sources. The guide gives an overview of this topic and links to formatting rules for the major citation styles.

* Shortcut: many databases allow you to export citations in a given citation style (MLA, APA, etc.) . This functionality is often found under the email options provided by the database. *

Evaluating sources

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:24:37 -0800

Research is as credible as the work that goes into it! It's important to analyze the information you find, including where it comes from.

critical analysis of sources (via Cornell University Library)

While a library database lists results from sources known to be reputable/scholarly, finding material via Google requires additional evaluation.

evaluating web sites

Scholarly or popular ?

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:40:24 -0700

Some research databases contain popular as well as scholarly content. Depending on your needs, you may want to limit results to just scholarly content. You can...

choose a resource that only contains it
if using a resource with mixed content, limit to the scholarly material
- here's how

Subject Specialists

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:48:22 -0800

UCB has librarians specializing in certain disciplinary subjects and certain kinds of materials (government documents, film, etc.).

Contact list of library liaisons

Chat with a librarian

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:14:49 -0800

Research Advisory Service

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:28:28 -0800

Research Advisory Service for Cal Undergraduates

Book a 30-minute appointment with a librarian

help focusing your research inquiry
help identifying online and print sources
help developing search strategies (for humanities and social sciences topics)

Schedule (view/edit) an appointment online [CalNetID required]

Extra tips for finding historical background

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:42:51 -0700

Not already knowldegeable about the time period, social or cultural background? Consider starting with an encyclopedia entry.

Articles tend to focus on specific aspects of a specific topic. If you are looking for a broad overview of a historical time or social situation, books might be the ticket:
- their table of contents and indexes will help you isolate the parts of interest to you
- OskiCat will help you locate what's at UCB
- Review the catalog search tips (particularly the information about discovering assigned subjects terms)
Some article databases contain results for chapters in books and/or books, in addition to articles (America:History & Life and Historical Abstracts are two such examples). Use the UC-eLinks feature to see if the Library has a copy of the result sought.

How to use this tab

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:05:47 -0700

This course guide is created as a teaching tool and designed to be read as a unit. Doing so will provide the context for selecting the "right" resource and the techniques for manipulating it -- knowledge and skills that will support immediate and future research needs.

The notes in the putting it all together tab contain suggestions about how to proceed with research, based on your assignment. These suggestions build upon, and presume familiarity with, the general concepts addressed in the other tabbed sections of this course guide.

A suggested research trajectory

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:18:06 -0700

Review the information in the resources tab. Make sure you understand how the identified resources differ in the types of information and/or materials they provide.
Review tips for finding literary analysis and historical resources (if desired) in this tab.

Review suggested resources section of this tab.
Select a resource whose content matches the kind of materials you are seeking to find and whose disciplinary focus maps to your topic (i.e. publications in that field are likely to be writing about it).

Or... choose a General (interdisciplinary) database.

Search it to see what's been written about your topic -- or what issues others are writing about in regards to a topic/author/work that might help you refine your focus.
- see search tips section of this tab for help (as needed)

Examine promising results.
- remember to note the information you'll need if you end up citing 'em

Suggested resources

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:41:16 -0700

OskiCat

to find books on your topic
to find periodicals you've already identified as having articles on your topic
to find encyclopedias for background information

Article databases (by SUBJECT)

to identify article and essay content on your topic
to identify current research
to identify research focused on an aspect of a topic
to search for publications from a specific discipline
- literature, African American studies, history, gender and women's studies, etc.

MLA is a recommended database for finding literary analysis/criticism
- also good for finding scholarly analysis of films
- tabbed setup lets you review results by type of publication
- can limit by language
- use UC-eLinks to locate result text

America: History and life (US, Canadian history) and Historical Abstracts (rest of the world) are recomended databases for historical research
- can limit to results that focus on a specific historical time period
- can refine search to specific types of publications
- can limit by language
- use UC-eLinks to locate result text

Article databases (the GENERAL category)

interdisciplinary databases
often have popular sources (magazine & news) as well scholarly ones
- how to limit to scholarly results (if you want to)
Academic Search Complete is one recommended resource
- popular and scholarly content (good for popular culture topics, as has magazine/news content)
- some results available online
- has UC-eLinks feature
Google Scholar is one recommended resource
- strength is scholarly journal literature
- use UC-eLinks to get full text
- you must enable UC-eLinks to display in Google Scholar [set via Options gear > Scholar Preferences > Library links]
JSTOR is one recommended database
- scholarly journals
- full text resource
- use advanced search mode (to narrow to specific discipline. and/or limit your search)

Subject specific encyclopedias

to get background on a topic | biographical information on practitioner in field
Link path = Library homepage > Electronic Resources > Subjects A-Z > your subject > see left sidebar menu for links to types of resources for chosen subject

...Subjects A-Z > Literature > sidebar menu to encyclopedias >

Literature Resource Center
- good for brief biography of literary authors
- use Person Search
- see biographies tab in search results
- a literature criticism tab included for some authors (but has limited content)

Tips for searching a database

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:42:17 -0700

search tips for library databases (recommended)
- additional tip, you may wish to limit by language

catalog search tips
- finding materials about a topic...
  - search 2 or 3 terms representing key concepts of your focus
  - there isn't a search that finds everything: try different combinations of terms, synonyms, related terms
  - look at the records of relevant results -- do their subjects suggest other search terms?
    
    important: subject terms are defined by the Library of Congress, and not always what you would expect. Examine relevant results to discover how your topic, time period, location, people, etc. are defined subject-wise. Once you know this, you can use that terminology to search for other materials.
  - to find literary analysis, try adding the term criticism to your search for materials about an author or literary movement (see example, below)
  - try adding terms for specific types of materials -- encyclopedias, biographies -- to your search, to locate those types of resources (see example, below)
    
    sample keyword searches...
    
    hoarding
    obsessive-compulsive disorder
    compulsive behavior
    france and history and class
    elizabethan and society
    elizabethan* and custom*
    octavia butler and criticism
    kubrick and criticism
    eugene o'neill and biography
- author search (for a person) - finds books by, interviews with, correspondence...
  [use specified syntax last name, first name]
- limit by language - use modify search button
- limit by material type - change default search of Entire Collection
  to seach by type -- Journals/Magazines/Newspapers, Films/Videos...
- search too broad ? -- use Modify button for limits

Extra tips for finding literary analysis

tdilwort@library.berkeley.edu (Tim Dilworth) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:51:30 -0700

Using an appropriate article database is a must for locating articles or chapters on a topic:
- Very specific searches (specific focus about a specific character in a specific work) may not net the desired results. It's always worth trying for a direct bullseye, but sometimes you need to adjust your aim.
- Search for analysis about the book, play, etc., being written about. You'll see what others are focusing on. You may find they use other terms for your focus that can searched to increase your result pool.
- Search for analysis about the author of the book, play, etc., being written about. Your focus may be a thematic/technical element that shows up repeatedly in their work. Materials that focus on authorial concerns may include information about your work, or be relevant to your analysis of it.
When using the library catalog, try adding the term criticism to searches for material about an author, literary movement, or time period (see catalog search tips section of this tab for examples).

In addition to article databases, if books have been written about your author's work, examining the table of contents and indexes of promising titles may help isolate chapters of relevance.

hint: when an author is well known and been written about for a long time, you may find many article results (from article databases) focus upon their influence on later works of literature. When this is the case, and, if it is not what you want, books can provide a way to get at literary analysis focusing on your author & their work.