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.
some contain scholarly articles, some magazine articles, some news, some contain it all
article databases often include more than articles (chapters in books, etc.)
a few more points...
results do notequal what UCB owns !
results do identify where articles were published (name of publication and associated volume/issue/date information)
results sometimes link to articles online
use UC-eLinks when full text is not available
Where is the article?
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...
This free encyclopedia is publicly editable and not a scholarly resource. Because anyone can write or add to an entry, the information may be innacurate or untrue. Through the very structure of its creation, it has dependability issues. Yet, it can still be a useful tool, if used wisely.
Like other encyclopedias, it can be helpful in obtaining topical background, and entries often list sources for further reading (which you can then see if UCB has). Use Wikipedia as a starting point for information you will verify in the course of your research via scholarlysources.
Evaluating sources
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.
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
many General article databases contain news and magazine content in addition to scholarly materials
(see Choosing a resource tab for details on General article databases)
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 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. *
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Doe & Moffitt Reference Desks
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.
help developing search strategies (for humanities and social sciences topics)
Schedule (view/edit) an appointment online [CalNetID required]
This tab
The notes in this tab contain suggestions about how to proceed with research based on your assignment. These suggestions build upon, and presume familiarity with, the concepts addressed in the Choosing a resource tab of this guide.
Suggested resources
OskiCat
find books on your topic
find periodicals already identified as having articles on your topic
Article databases
find articles and essays on a topic
find research focused on an aspect of a topic
find current research
Subject databases (for publications from a specific discipline)
determine disciplines relevant to your topic
view databases by subject
review descriptions, paying special attention to Recommended databases
examples...
MLA is a recommended database for literature
can limit by type of publication
can limit by language
use UC-eLinks to locate result text
General databases (for publications from many disciplines)
examples...
Academic Search Complete
popular and scholarly content (good for popular culture topics, magazine/news content in addition to academic journals)
some results available online
has UC-eLinks
Google Scholar
strength is scholarly journal literature
use UC-eLinks to get full text, [ but you must first enable it - via Settings gear > Library links]
JSTOR
scholarly journals
full text resource
use advanced search (to narrow to specific discipline, and set limits)
Project Muse
humanities and social science content
full text resource
searchcontents or browseby defined areas of research focus
Other resources: subject encyclopedias
to get background on a topic
for literature, try Literature Resource Center
use Author Search (see biographies tab in the results' display)
Finding literary analysis
Using an appropriate article database is a must for identifying 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 worth trying for a direct bullseye, but you may 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 relevant to your topic that can be 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.
If the overall goal is to find analysis of an author's ideas and influence, and he/she is a philosopher, theologian, psychologist, visual artist, etc. -- you may also wish to explore recommended databases for associated subject areas.
In addition to looking for articles, if books have been written about your author or work, examining their table of contents and indexes can 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 database results focus upon your author's influence on later works of literature. When this is the case, and, if it is not what you want, books might provide a way to find literary analysis focused more directly on your author & their work.
When using the library catalog, try adding the term criticism to searches for materials aboutan author, literary movement, or time period(see OskiCat search tips, in this tab, for examples).
