Mathematics and Statistics Guide Ask Us

About the guide

This guide provides links to resources for Math & Stats students and is designed to make navigation quick and efficient.  Quality navigation is critical! It does save you time and effort. If you need help finding information or would like to suggest resources that need to be included in this guide, please contact one of the librarians listed on the side.

Off-campus access to library electronic resources: use UNB proxy server or UNB VPN Client

Off-campus access to Google Scholar: use the link or go to Google Scholar and follow the steps below:

• click the three lines in the top left corner
• click Settings
• click Library Links
• Search for 'University of New Brunswick', check the box next to the results, and save your settings.

Information sources

The primary sources are where original research is reported. A primary source gives you direct access to the subject of your research. Over time, this information makes its way into secondary sources, while the tertiary sources are the resources used to search for primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are more credible as evidence, however, good research practice is to use both primary and secondary sources. 

The resources below are some recommended databases for research in Mathematics and Statistics.

Key Resources

Key Full-Text Journal Sources

• American Mathematical Society
• JSTOR - Mathematics Journals
• JSTOR - Statistics Journals
• SIAM Journals

Additional Full-Text Journal Sources

• American Institute of Physics
• Elsevier (Science Direct)
• Institute of Physics
• SpringerLink
• Wiley InterScience

Journal Abbreviations

Sometimes when working with journal articles and citations you will need to know either the full title for an abbreviation or having the full title, you will need to provide a recognized authoritative abbreviation.

• CAS Source Index (CASSI) Search Tool from the American Chemical Society
• PubMed Journals from the US National Library of Medicine

Searching for books at UNB Libraries

To search for books at UNB Libraries, use UNB WorldCat. UNB WorldCat identifies books held by UNB Libraries and beyond. UNB WorldCat has also added millions of articles that are searched along with entries for books. 

To browse the shelves for books at the Science & Forestry Library (Fredericton) and the Hans W. Klohn Commons (Saint John), try the following ranges:

Searching for government documents

For those government documents which are available online, try using Google Custom Search (follow the link below).

Looking for more? Try the Government Resources by Jurisdiction link (once you are on the webpage, scroll down to see links to all resources), or contact the Government Documents staff for assistance. 

Searching for reports, departmental publications, etc. 

Try the Federal Science Library (FSL) information hub. The Federal Science Library (FSL) is a one-stop, self-serve portal where you can access library services and search the print collections and repositories of seven science-based departments and agencies from a single place. Wherever possible, departmental publications, reports, data sets, and other content are freely available for anyone to access or download.

When researching a new topic it is often helpful to get an overview, explanations of unfamiliar terms, or brief factual information. The print and electronic resources listed below include selected reference materials (dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, guides, and standards) for the field of Math & Stats. To find additional reference materials, check WorldCat (the library catalogue) or our Reference Materials database.

Key Resources

See Additional Resources Hide Additional Resources

While there is a wealth of information freely available on the internet, not all sites are created equal. Careful evaluation is a critical part of doing research on the Internet. Below are some recommended sites:

Preprints

• arXiv e-Print Archive
• IMA Preprint Series: Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications (covers 1982 to the present)
• Institute for Mathematical Sciences Preprint Server (covers 1990 to the present)

Other Sites

• AMS Digital Mathematics Registry
• MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive

Accurate, properly formatted footnotes, reading lists, and bibliographies are hallmarks of good academic research. Through citing, you acknowledge the source of any ideas you mention in your writing, document the "pedigree" of your research, and provide the information your readers need to track down your sources.

Numerous citation styles exist, and each specifies what elements are required (title, author, journal name, etc.) and how the citation should be formatted.  Consult your course syllabus or check with your instructor to be sure of using the correct citation style for your assignment.

Zotero and  Mendeley are popular citation management programs that can help you manage your references and can produce bibliographies in hundreds of styles. Watch the video on How to Use Mendeley Desktop (UNB users only) or explore the Mendeley Reference Manager guide to learn how to use the program.  

• Scientific Style and Format, available SCI-REF T11 .S386 2014, and HWK-REF
• Digital Typography using LaTeX
• More Math into LaTEX eBook
• A Primer of Mathematical Writing HIL-STACKS QA42 .K73 1997
• A Handbook of Writing for the Mathematical Sciences HWK-STACKS QA42.H54 1998
• Plagiarism: a How-NOT-To Guide

What is a thesis?

A thesis or dissertation is an original document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings. (International Standard ISO 7144: Documentation-Presentation of theses and similar documents) 

In Canada and the US, a thesis is a project that marks the end of a Master's (MSc) program, while the dissertation is produced at the end of a doctoral (Ph.D.) program. In some universities, however, a dissertation and a thesis are seen as the same thing. 

Finding a thesis and dissertation 

Canada

• UNB: ProQuest UNB theses and UNB Scholar Research Repository  or UNB Theses & Dissertations Database  
• Other Universities: Library and Archives Canada (Canada Theses Portal) 

UK

• EThOS e-theses online: this database claims to include all UK theses starting from the 1600s

France

• Sudoc catalogue (Système Universitaire de Documentation)

Russia

• Digital dissertation library (Электронная библиотека диссертаций) 

International 

Use the following sites to browse theses and dissertations from around the world: 

• ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global or try this link 
• PhDData (holds doctoral dissertations in progress around the world)
• CRL (Center for Research Libraries)

Below are a selection of videos which may be helpful to your learning.

SAGE Research Methods: 

• Chebyshev's Theorem (13:44)
• Chebyshev's Theorem Practice Problems (13:44)
• Calculating Standard Deviation (15:26)
• Coefficient of Variation (9:55)
• Empirical Rule of Standard Deviation (22:37)
• Empirical Rule Problems (12:51)
• Expected Values, Means, Variances, and Standard Deviations (23:01)
• Finding Z-values with a Normal Distribution: Part 1 (10:08)
• Goals of Statistical Testing II (10:26)
• Introduction to Statistics, 2.2 (6 chapters, 35:43)
• Measures of Central Tendency: Mean, Median & Mode - Part 1 (7:49)
• The Normal Distribution (5:18)
• Applying Central Limit Theorem to Population Means - Part 1 (23:32)
• Central Limit Theorem - Part 1 (32:10)

Films on Demand:

• Business math includes videos on topics such as return on investment, accounting fundamentals, starting your business. 
• Mathematics includes videos on topics such as applied mathematics (including business and consumer math), and math & statistics (including algebra, probability, calculus)