Beginning Research - Where do I start?

How can I find a book?
How can I find an article?
How do I know what database to use?
What is a citation, an abstract, full-text?
What if I find an article that is not full-text (just an abstract or citation)?

How can I find a book?

Searching the catalog will tell you if we own specific books, periodicals, CDs and videos.

Searching the catalog will not tell you if we have articles about a subject.

You can access the online catalog from our Monet page (http://monet.mercersburg.edu) or directly at http://monet/library/catalog.html.

If the online catalog reports that we have an item and you cannot locate on the shelves, please see a librarian.

How can I find an article?

Searching periodical databases (e.g. Infotrac/Academic ASAP, Project Muse, etc.) will give you citations, abstracts, and full-text articles from various types of periodicals.

Encyclopedia Britannica and Grove Dictionary of Art are online encyclopedias that have placed their print articles online; they also offer recommended websites, images, and links to articles from reputable publications.

The databases can be found through the Monet page or directly at http://monet/library/databases.html.

How do I know what database to use?

Here is a subject breakdown of our databases:

Periodical Databases

GaleNet Literary Research Center is recommended for English and Drama classes.

Infotrac/ASAP can be used for ALL subjects and is highly recommended for ALL subjects.

Project Muse can be used for ALL subjects - articles are highly academic; suggested for AP classes as well as research projects.

Scientific American is useful for science classes of all types.

Online Encyclopedia Databases

Encyclopedia Britannica is a recommended source that you may use to begin research, access background information, and explore a subject.

Grove Dictionary of Art is an online version of the print resource where you can search for articles, browse subjects, or search for art images.

Grove Dictionary of Music is similar to the Dictionary of Art in that it is an online version of the print source - a definitive reference source of music.

What is a citation, an abstract, full-text?

Citation: merely a mention that the article exists; includes title, author, journal name and page numbers.

Abstract: a summary of the article, but just that. This does not constitute reading the article; please ask a librarian about accessing the full-text article for use in a project/paper.

Full-text: the article in its entirety; may or may not come with images (depends on the database and the periodical). If you would like to see the images, you may always check with a librarian to see if we can have it in print or on film/fiche.

What if I find an article that is not full-text (just an abstract or citation)?

1-Check the library catalog to see if we have the journal that contains the article. For example, if you are searching Infotrac and find an article about your subject, but the full text of the article is not available, search our catalog for the title of the journal. If the name of the article is "The Best Music of 1999" and the publication is Time, do a title search for Time in the catalog to see if we have that specific journal and issue (issue dates found in the notes section). Any problems, please see a librarian.

2- Check a search engine like Google (www.google.com) to see if the journal can be located in full-text online. If the article is an older one (not in the current or previous issue) search the website for an archive of older issues.

3- If you are still unable to locate the article, you may use the interlibrary loan procedure. Be aware that you may have to wait seven to ten days for the material.

** Always remember, if you cannot find what you are looking for, if you are becoming frustrated, if you realize you would rather hike Mount Everest in the dead of winter without a jacket before continuing with your research, see a librarian who can help you. We are always willing to lend a hand.