The Library Prize for Undergraduate Research recognizes excellence in undergraduate research projects that show evidence of significant inquiry using the library, its resources, and collections and learning about the research and information-gathering process itself.
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Off-campus access to e-resources
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.
The California Loyalty Oath Digital Collection is comprised of digitized primary source material drawn from several locations in the UC system:
Unversity Archives (Bancroft Library at UCB)
University Archives (Young Research Library at UCLA)
Scripps Institution of Oceanography Archives (UCSD)
Office of the Secretary of the Regents (Oakland)
The digital collection had its genesis in a symposium that took place on campus to commemorate the controversy's 50th anniversary. The idea was hatched to digitize a selection of the archives' documents and make them more broadly available. The California Loyalty Oath Digital Collection was the result. This collection consists primarily of several thousand pages of digitized text (a few images and audio clips). It documents the controversy that embroiled the university from 1949-1951, during the McCarthy Era.
Access to the digital collection is through the Bancroft Library website (collections link). For ease, specific parts of the collection may be directly accessed below:
for a detailed timeline, follow the link presented to the UC Digital History Archive and link to their expanded timeline
note: the UC Digital History Archive is not part of the California Loyalty Oath Digital Collection. While the site contains other materials on topic, which can provide context, it is not a part of the identified source base.
browse the California Loyalty Oath Digital Collection (recommended)
by author, subject, genre (type of resource), and geographical location
read expanded timeline (as noted above) to isolate key events and people
browse collection to identify a subject or person of interest
review documents that match your interest
search collection to see if there are other materials on your topic
determine if you need more background on the time period
if so, see Background tab for details
trouble using the digital collections? questions about it? You may want to ask the librarian responsible for the university archives (see Help tab for details)
talk with your GSI about how to interpret the documents you are finding
Loyalty Oath website (not your collection)
The California Loyalty Oath Digital Collection was first envisaged by individuals involved in a symposium held on the Berekeley campus in 1999 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the controversy. A website was created around that symposium (separate from and pre-dating the creation of the digital collection you are using). This website is still active. It is part of the University of Califoronia History Digital Archives (similar name to your source, so don't get confused) and contains additional content on the controvery that may be helpful in obtaining historical context.
California Loyalty Oath Digital Collection (your source base) is all primary sources. Built to expand digitized access to select content held in the UC archives regarding the controversy.
Loyalty Oath website was built in conjunction with the mentioned symposium. Has digitized content from symposium and select historical documents (student newspaper articles, etc.).
its content (primary or secondary) is separate from your source
it is linked to from your source, as a related resource
under Resources link > related links > The loyalty Oath Controvery...
Doe Reference Collection | encyclopedias
Doe Library has the campus' major reference collection for the arts, humanities & social sciences. The Doe Reference Service is located on the second floor of the library and has a staffed desk to help navigate the collection (hours, info.).
If you need general information about the time period in which the loyalty oath occured, encyclopedias might be a good place to get that context.
provide basic background information -- identify people, events, issues, etc.
knowing this information can help you narrow your search
background can help you use historical sources, providing context to its content
Citing sources
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 on citing sources. The guide gives an overview of this topic and links to formatting rules for the major citation styles.
- UCB provides access to the online version of theChicago Manual of Style (licensed resource, see information on Proxy Server setup in For starters tab)
- SHORTCUT: Some databases allow you to export citations in a given citation style (MLA, APA, etc.) . When provided, this functionality is often in a database's email options.
Citation Management Tools
Citation management tools help you manage your research, collect and cite sources, and create bibliographies in a variety of citation styles. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses, but any are easier than doing it by hand!
Zotero: A free plug-in that works exclusively with the Firefox browser: keeps copies of what you find on the web, permits tagging, notation, full text searching of your library of resources, works with Word, and has a free web backup service.
RefWorks - free for UC Berkeley users. It allows you to create your own database by importing references and using them for footnotes and bibliographies. Use the RefWorks New User Form to sign up.
It's always good to double check the formatting -- sometimes the software doesn't get it quite right.
Library subject specialists
UCB has librarians specializing in certain disciplinary subjects and certain kinds of materials (for example government documents, film, etc.). You may want to speak with one of these specialists.
Since the UCB libraries are structured by subject, you may wish to seek help from the library specializing in your disciplinary focus.
Doe & Moffitt libraries focus on the arts, humanities and social sciences. Since their subject base is so broad, their reference desks provide generalized research help for the library system.
The Library Prize for Undergraduate Research recognizes excellence in undergraduate research projects that show evidence of significant inquiry using the library, its resources, and collections and learning about the research and information-gathering process itself.
