- Retrieving Books and Other Documents
- Consult UNB Libraries’ Guide to Catalogue Locations and Call Numbers. Use the location code (e.g., HIL-STACKS: Main Collection) and the call number (e.g., HM836 .A67 2010) to find the publication on a library shelf. You can then check it out, according to the library borrowing policy. The full contents of e-books can be viewed online, while portions can be printed. Some e-books can be downloaded to a personal device for viewing offline. If you are looking for a publication that is not available electronically or in the library in print, you can request it via Document Delivery. Library staff will attempt to locate a copy of the book at another university library. After a short while, the book will be available for you at the library’s front desk.
READ IT!
Take the time to carefully read the key information sources you find, not just skim or scan them. You may need to “unplug” and find a quiet corner of the library. Many students prefer paper for in-depth reading, as opposed to reading on screen. Whatever format you use, think carefully about the arguments and issues presented by the author. Keep in mind that any subject expert who reads your research assignment (such as your professor) will likely be able to tell whether or not you have fully and critically comprehended the sources you reference.
- Retrieving Articles
- Within an article database, you may find a link to the fulltext of the article. You may be able to print, e-mail, or save a copy of it, depending upon the specific journal or database. When starting with a full reference obtained elsewhere, you can look up the journal title in the library’s online Journals & Newspapers listing or in UNB WorldCat. If the volume and issue of the journal is not online nor at the library in print, you can submit a request through our Document Delivery department. Library staff will attempt to locate the article at another university library and email it to you as soon as possible, often within a few days.
- Browsing for Books
- Books in libraries are generally shelved by subject, often using the Library of Congress classification system. If you find a good book on your topic, chances are there are more nearby. But keep in mind that the most appropriate books may be shelved with another subject in an entirely different area of the library. Consult the “Library of Congress Classification” bookmark available at the library, or ask a staff member for directions.
KEEP NOTES!
Your research will probably be an evolving process. It may be necessary to revisit and revise your search strategy as you find out more about your topic. Keep a record of your search (with words or phrases exactly as entered), the names of the databases you used, and the date of your search, or save your searches online, if that is an option in the databases you use. Don’t waste time figuring out the same thing twice!
- Browsing for Articles
- While an article database is normally the best place to do a search by topic, if you only need one or two articles you can go to an individual e-journal or group of e-journals and browse the contents, or search within a specific title. Similarly, if you know the titles of a few print periodicals in your subject area, you can head straight for the library shelves, and browse tables of contents. Note that the newest periodicals are usually kept separate from the older bound periodicals.
- Another form of browsing is bibliography surfing, in which you look up or link to referenced sources at the end of publications. You can focus on a specific list of key or recommended sources, or surf through the web of interconnected citations in the literature.