1. ONLINE RESEARCH AND
EVALUATING SOURCES
Arts in NYC
Fall 2011

2. Introductions
Name
Major (if you have one)
Describe one problem you have had while
doing academic research and/or one question
you have about doing academic research

3. Finding Books and
Journal Articles
Where to Start:
 The Library link from the QC page
http://www.qc.cuny.edu
OR
 Directly to the QC Libraries
http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/Library

4. Concepts for Library Research
What is the difference between:
• Library database?
• Library catalog
• Keyword search
• Subject descriptor search?

5. Catalog vs. Database
A library database tells what has been
published:
– It provides specific info about material (what is inside journals or
books)
A library catalog tells what the library owns:
– Books, journals, music, newspapers, videos, magazines, dvds
– It gives general information about the material: author, title, location,
subject (usually not a detailed description of the contents)

6. Catalog vs. Database
• In general, you use a database to find what has
been published on a topic, parts of publications
(articles, essays, chapters, conference papers,
e.g.), and material that is difficult to
obtain/unpublished (doctoral theses, e.g.
• In general, you use a catalog to find books, films,
or other whole publications on a topic that the
library owns. The catalog can also tell you if we
own a journal/magazine but does not tell you
what articles have been published inside.

7. Keyword vs. Subject/Descriptor
• A keyword search usually contains
informal/common words that come from the
research question you are trying to answer
• A subject/descriptor search usually contains
standardized terms/formal language specific
to the field of study

8. Popular Periodicals vs.
Scholarly Journals
• What is the difference?
– Intended audience
– Peer review process
• How can you tell the difference?
– Frequency of publication
– Title/Source of publication (not a guarantee)
– Filtered search

9. Database Search
Databases to know about:
 Academic Search Premier
 Art Abstracts
 Art Full Text
 Art Retrospective
 ARTbibliographies Modern
 ARTstor
 Bibliography of the History of Art
 Cinema Image Gallery
 Dictionary of Art
 Fine Arts and Music Collection

10. Database Search
Other databases to know about:
• Lexis-Nexis
• Dissertation Abstracts International
• JSTOR (full-text; may ask for $, not current)

11. Database Search
• Go to a database and use search terms; “Don
Giovanni”– what do you find? How many
references?
• How do you select sources?
• How do you know if the sources are available
to you?

12. How to Obtain Articles
Option 1: Click on a Full-Text link or PDF link
Option 2: Click on the FindIt linking tool, then
click on a Full-Text link or PDF link
Option 3: Click on the FindItlinking tool, then
click on the CUNY+ Catalog to search for a printed
paper version of the periodical, then match the
year of the article to what years are available at
QC or another CUNY library; look it up at QC or
request it via Interlibrary Loan

13. Catalog Search: CUNY +
Go to qc.cuny.edu/Library and open CUNY+
Click on “HELP” and read section on truncation
(psycholog*, ?economic) + boolean search terms
(AND, OR, NOT)
Click on Queens College to limit your search.
Use search terms; “South Pacific”
How many references?
What’s the difference between full/brief view?
How do you send info about the reference to
yourself? Pick one reference and test this out.

14. Sharing Resources
• http://macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/seminar
1fall2011feiner/

15. SOURCES
Most of the information in this presentation
originally appeared in materials developed by
Professor Jim Mellone, Social Science Librarian
at Queens College:
• qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/~jmellone/lib_res_socsci
.ppt

16. Instructional Technology Fellow
Contact Information
SoniyaMunshi
soniyamunshi@gmail.com
Office Hours:
Monday 9-1, Wed 10-12 (via email/skype)