WISER Social Sciences: Electronic Resources for Research

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WISER Social Sciences Electronic Resources for
Research

• An introduction to the networked databases
  available through the Oxford Libraries
  Information Platform (OXLIP) with a particular
  focus on those relevant to research in the social
  sciences such as Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
  and the International Bibliography of the Social
  Sciences. 
• Judy Reading Emma Sullivan

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What is OXLIP?

• OXLIP (Oxford Libraries Information Platform)
  is a gateway to hundreds of electronic resources
• http//www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/oxlip/

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Select the Most Appropriate Database

• Consider
• ? Type of information - catalogues
  - abstracting indexing services- reference
  works - full-text resources- statistical
  resource - official publications- electronic
  journals - quality web resources
• - current awareness services
• ? Subject coverage
• ? Dates covered and last updated
• ? Language and geographical scope

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Access to OXLIP
? OxLIP on the Web http//www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/oxli
p/index.html? OxLIP on your PC
http//www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/oxlip.html? Athens
password http//www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/athens/?
MyAthens http//www.athensams.net/myathens/ ?
OxLIP from outside Oxford http//www.oucs.ox.ac.u
k/network/remote/? Frequently asked questions,
including further information on database and
electronic journal access, are available _at_
http//www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/erc/docs/faq.pdf
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Search strategies

• ? Ask a clear search question
• ? Break the question into search concepts
• ? Identify a range of search terms
• ? Consider the relationships between your search
  terms
• ? Try those terms in appropriate
  databases/resources
• ? Find more search terms from retrieved records
  while searching

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Keyword subject searching

• ? Keyword searching
• - Searches for terms anywhere in the field or
  record
• - Useful as a starting place but results can be
  less relevant
• ? Subject indexes
• - Where possible tap into the subject headings or
  thesauri provided by the databases

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Boolean logic OR, AND, NOT
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How to approach an unfamiliar database

• ? Check the coverage of a database to see if it
  includes what you want
• ? You can use cross-searching for some
  collections of databases to identify
  concentrations of useful references
• ? Databases usually offer similar functions but
  you may have to delve a bit to see how they do it
  compared with one you are familiar with
• ? Use the help screens provided check the
  specific conventions (eg do they use , , or
  and)
• ? Use any subject indexes provided

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Search hints

• ? Authors names entered in a particular format
  (check the online help). If possible use the
  database index to find different forms of
  authors name, otherwise truncate first initial.
• ? Consider subject synonyms British and US
  spellings.
• ? Apply truncation, usually to find
  plurals/alternative word endings and ? to replace
  a single character.
• ? Expand search by following hypertext links,
  e.g. for alternative subject headings.
• ? Use tagging facilities within database to mark
  articles for printing, emailing, downloading or
  exporting.

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Examples of databases

• Abstract and Indexing Services
• ? CSA (ASSIA, ERIC, LISA, Social Services Abs,
  Sociological Abs, Worldwide Political Science
  Abs)
• ? IBSS (International Bibliography of the Social
  Sciences)
• ? WebSPIRS (EconLit, PAIS, PsycInfo)
• Citation index
• ? Web of Knowledge/Social Science Citation Index
• Other
• ? TDNet (Electronic journals)
• ? Catalogues
• ? Theses and Dissertations
• ? Other OXLIP resources
• ? Web resources

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Abstracting and Indexing Services

• ? Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
• eg Worldwide Political Science AbstractsA
  new and developing service. Part of Cambridge
  Scientific Abstracts, covering international
  serials literature for political science and
  international relations from 1975
• ? BIDS International Bibliography of the Social
  SciencesComprehensive, international coverage
  from 1951 onwards. Articles from 2,700 social
  science journals and chapters from 7,000 books
  indexed each year. Source list _at_
  http//www.lse.ac.uk/collections/IBSS/about/covera
  ge.htm

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Constructing a subject search
The influence of the media during political
campaigns
and
or
or
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Has your search strategy been successful?

• ? broaden your search by pursuing references to
  articles, authors and subject headings in
  different databases and across subject
  boundaries. Expand your search within a database
  by following hypertext links, especially for
  alternative subject headings
• ? narrow your search by redefining your search
  terms, applying limits to the search and by
  searching in specific fields. Where available,
  use the database thesaurus to pick up
  terminology. Use the tagging facilities within
  the database to mark articles of interest for
  printing, emailing, downloading or exporting

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Citation searching using the Social Sciences
Citation Index

• Purpose track the impact of research through
  time and across subject boundariesContent
  indexes articles and their bibliographies from
  over 1,700 social science journals as well as
  relevant items from 3,300 science and technology
  journals. Data begins in 1981 and is updated
  weekly. Some 60 of records contain abstracts.
  A journal source list is available at
  http//www.isinet.com/isi/journals/

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TDNet for Electronic Journals

• ? Access at http//tdnet.bodley.ox.ac.uk/
• ? Conduct a Quick Search by journal title
• ? Extent of coverage depends on licensing
  arrangements and any one ejournal may have
  several entries
• ? TDNet offers searching by subject. You can
  also search by journal information (i.e. title,
  publisher, vendor and ISSN).
• ? You can create a profile on MyTDNet for weekly
  email current contents alerts and to search or
  browse a subset of journals
• ? The British Library ZETOC service also offers
  a current awareness service

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Catalogues

• ? OLIS Union catalogue of over 5 million titles
  from 100 Oxford Libraries
• ? British Library OPAC Materials available in
  reading rooms and items available for
  interlibrary loan
• ? COPAC Union catalogue of 24 of the largest UK
  academic and research libraries formed by merging
  the library catalogues of CURL (Consortium of
  University Research Libraries)
• ? RLGs Eureka Global union catalogue for
  academic and research libraries over 40 million
  titles from the Research Libraries Group
• ? WorldCat OCLC catalog of books, web
  resources, and other material worldwide. Over 40
  million records.

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Theses and Dissertations

• ? Index to Theses (Great Britain and Ireland)
• ? Dissertation Abstracts (North America)
• ? University Library Catalogues

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Other OxLIP resources include

• ? Oxford Analytica Research and Teaching Archive
  18 year archive of over 20,000 analytical
  articles covering global and regional politics
  and economics. An embargo of 90 days applies
• ? Lexis Nexis Global coverage of newspapers,
  updated daily, source list available _at_
  http//web.nexis.com/sources/
• ? International Encyclopaedia of the Social
  Behavioural Sciences In-depth articles are
  supported by abstracts and hyperlinks facilitate
  cross-referencing
• ? BOPCAS British Official Publications Search
  and browse 28,000 references to key official
  publications from July 1995 onwards. Includes
  some links to full-text
• ? Reference works
• Ulrichs, Know UK

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Finding information on the Web

• ? Subject gateways http//www.sosig.ac.uk
• ? Online tutorials http//www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/
• ? Search engines http//scholar.google.com/
• ? Mailing lists http//www.jiscmail.ac.uk/
• ? Always consider- Authority and accuracy who
  wrote it and are they qualified to do so, what
  institution published it? - Objectivity does
  the document express opinions and how are they
  supported? What is its purpose? - Currency
  when was it published, last updated?

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ESRC Society Today

• ? ESRC information now available at
  http//www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk
• ? Brings together information about research
  funded by the Economic and Social Research
  Council
• ? The website includes details of available
  funding and training and contact details of the
  researchers on funded projects
• ? Possible to join various discussion forums

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User guides workbooks

• ? International Bibliography of the Social
  Sciences http//www.lse.ac.uk/collections/IBSS/sup
  port/userGuides.h m
• ? Web of Science Social Science Citation Index
  http//wok.mimas.ac.uk/support/documentation
• ? Social Science Information Gatewayhttp//www.so
  sig.ac.uk/about_us/user_support.html
• ? INFORMS (information skills tutorials)
  http//inhale.hud.ac.uk/perl/portfolio.pl?folio16
  
• ? Electronic Resources FAQs (OULS)
• http//www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/oxlip/index.html
  choose FAQ from tab at top

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We are here to help!

• ? Remember we are here to help you!
• ? Make an appointment for individual assistance
  with your subject librarian
• ? If in doubt contact Judy Reading
  (judy.reading_at_ouls.ox.ac.uk) or Emma Sullivan
  (emma.sullivan_at_ssl.ox.ac.uk)
• ? Other training is available from OULS, see
  www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/information_skills