An Introduction to Searching the UofA Library Sources of Information
Educational Psychology Library Lab Manual by Denis Lacroix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
1
Welcome to the Library lab manual for Educational Psychology. The manual’s purpose is to give you the foundational knowledge necessary to start searching for information in Educational Psychology using the University of Alberta Library’s catalog and databases. The manual contains step by step instructions, videos, and examples. The successful completion of the objectives below will depend on answering the exercise questions and reviewing the examples whenever necessary.
Learning Objectives
After completing this tutorial, you will be able to:
I
Learning Outcomes
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
The following video on Finding a research topic idea will demonstrate basic strategies for developing a research topic.
A video element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can watch it online here: https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=5
For a more in depth look at research questions, please consult the SAGE Research Methods Project Planner.
Academic or scholarly works often have a bibliography or a list of references and works cited that you may consult for more information at the end of an article or chapter.
The Encyclopedia of Special Education’s entry on “Bilingual Special Education”https://doi-org.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/10.1002/9781118660584.ese0327 is an example of such writing where a list of references can be useful for more information. The symbol in the image below will highlight such a cited reference.
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=64
Finding the titles cited in a list of references is a result of what is called a known search. See the next chapter for searching for titles that you know exist.
II
Learning Outcomes
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
1
A video element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can watch it online here: https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=131
Your search for a known title will likely start with a reference to a source you wish to find. See the book title below as an example.
The title of the source can be entered in the UofA Library’s Search box, as shown below, or in quotation marks to search for the words together as a phrase, e.g. “SAGE Handbook of autism and education”.
The results presented from the UofA’s Search the Library consists of a list of records, ie. descriptions of library titles both in print and electronic formats.
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=68
See the next chapter for a presentation of library records and how to understand the information they present.
The library book record for the electronic book The SAGE Handbook of Autism and Education shown below presents useful information for accessing the ebook and its bibliographic information. Subject headings are particularly useful for finding other similar titles. Examine the different parts of a record and click on the symbol to learn about each.
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=76
The location of the print book Research-Based Practices in Special Education shown below is indicated in the Where is This? box. The information includes the name of the library that holds that book and where it is located on the shelves. This shelving system is organized by call number order. Print library items can be placed on hold and held for a user to pick up by a certain date. Examine the different parts of a record and click on the symbol to learn about each.
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=76
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=146
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=146
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=72
The following exercise asks you to locate the full-text of a journal article and a book chapter in a given citation.
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=176
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=176
Please see the next chapter for an alternate way of finding journal and book full-text.
Some databases will provide a GetIt Citation Linker which, when clicked, will provide various full-text access points in a new window. The image below shows where the GetIt linker in the Ebsco database is located (click on the symbol for more information).
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=74
The full Ebsco record of the journal article shown above and linked here demonstrates that the GetIt linker icon sometimes appears elsewhere in the record (ie. to the left of the bibliographic information).
III
Learning Outcomes
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
Your research question(s) will determine the kind of search tools you will need to use in order to answer it. The types of sources you wish or need to consult will also help choose the search tool.
A video element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can watch it online here: https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=87
A video element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can watch it online here: https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=87
Please see the next chapter to begin determining which concepts you will use to search for information.
Use the following research question to answer the two questions below.
What is the foreign language proficiency of elementary-aged children with autism in Alberta schools?
As you try to find information for your assignment, it is likely that you will alternate between known topic or author searching and topic searching.
A video element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can watch it online here: https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=80
Please see the next chapter to begin thinking about the keywords and synonyms that describe each concept.
Now that you have determined which concepts you will be using to search for information, it is time to begin listing keywords and synonyms that describe each concept. This strategy will help you improve and increase your search results. The video below will give you an overview of this technique.
A video element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can watch it online here: https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=82
The three concepts used in the preceding chapter will now serve as an example in identifying their corresponding keywords and synonyms.
The keywords and subject headings you discover when reading and searching for information in the library catalog and other databases will help build the variant terms to describe the concepts. It is important to keep track of them. In chapter 2.3, the image of a catalog record for the The SAGE Handbook of Autism and Education is given and subject headings are highlighted at the bottom of the record. Note the subject heading autistic children, which is relevant to the autism concept and could be added to the concept’s list of variant terms.
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=82
Please see the next chapter for implementing concepts and their variant terms in the context of a database search.
Chapter 3.1 recommended searching the library catalog’s advanced search, in order to find an entire book or standalone resource on a topic, e.g. autism. The following two images will show how the same search can be constructed in different ways based on the research question concepts and keywords. The symbol in the images below will provide information about the search. By clicking on the title Advanced Catalog Search 1 or 2 below, the search will be performed in the library catalog and the list of results will open in a new window.
Advanced Catalog Search 1 | Advanced Catalog Search 2 |
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: |
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: |
The next chapter will present a similar search using the same research question concepts in an article database.
The ERIC database using the EBSCO platform focuses on a wide range of educational topics and contains references to journal articles, book chapters, reports, and other information source formats. The following examples will be based on the concepts and research question given in chapter 3.3.
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=84
For a general overview of searching ERIC (EBSCO), see the following video.
Please see the next chapter to learn the basics of searching PscyInfo.
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=252
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=252
Search History: At the top of the screen, look through the list of searches performed. If the first searches are no longer visible, click on the Expand button located to the right of the list.
A video element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can watch it online here: https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=252
Results are visible below the search box, or click on Display Results in the list of combined searches.
Watch the APA PsycInfo tutorial for more in-depth information on using this database.
Please try the following chapter exercise to practice what you have learned so far.
An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=303
The next set of chapters focus on evaluating, citing, and managing information.
IV
Learning Outcomes
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
The following video tutorial on evaluating information will go through the questions to ask to determine the reliability of the sources you find.
A video element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can watch it online here: https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=89
Determining whether a journal is popular or scholarly is one possibility in limiting your search to more reliable sources. The video on popular and scholarly sources provides a good overview of the characteristics of both types of sources and suggests tools for knowing whether a journal is academic or popular, peer-reviewed/refereed or not.
A video element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can watch it online here: https://openeducationalberta.ca/librarylabmanual/?p=89
Ulrich’s database mentioned in the preceding video tutorial has descriptive information about most journal titles and will tell you whether a journal is peer-reviewed/refereed. Ulrich’s is accessible by searching the UofA Library’s list of databases.
Assessing a source’s research methodology is also a good strategy. In the sample PsycInfo record below taken from a peer-reviewed journal, one can see that the article is an empirical study using quantitative methods in a child population located in Canada. Information about the tests and measures used is also available.
Ouellette-Kuntz, Helene, Coo, Helen, Lam, Miu, Breitenbach, Marlene M, Hennessey, Paula E, Jackman, Paulette D, et al. (2014). The changing prevalence of autism in three regions of Canada. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 120-136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1856-1 |
Please see the next chapter to learn about how to cite sources in APA style.
As you search across databases, it is important to keep track of the search terms you use and where you have searched. Keeping a search diary (e.g. in a Google doc) will help you remember what you have searched where and when. Also remember to note where you have saved the relevant references that have resulted from the searches (e.g. RefWorks).
Saving the complete bibliographical information of the relevant references that result from your searches is crucial to your research. Bibliographical managers, like RefWorks, will help you manage your sources and keep them safe. It is good practice to save your references in multiple locations.
Please try the chapter exercise below to practice what you have learned so far.
1
If you have any questions about finding, evaluating, and citing information, please talk to staff by chat or email using the UofA Library’s AskUs service, linked on the right-hand side of the banner as shown above.
If you would like to contact subject librarians, please find them listed by subject area.
2
A cited passage or quotation.
A major topic included in a research question.
A collection of data (e.g. article or book titles, full-text) searchable and available electronically
Electronic book
EBSCO is a provider of research databases, e-journals, magazine subscriptions, e-books and discovery service to libraries of all kinds.
ERIC contains records and links to hundreds of thousands of full-text documents. It includes records for a variety of source types, including journal articles, books, conference papers, curriculum guides, dissertations and policy papers. Further, researchers can limit search results by education level such as Early Childhood Education as well as on the intended audience such as Counselors or Teachers.
The complete text of a book or article
A term used to describe the process of requesting that a library item be sent or returned to a library branch and held for a specific person for a short period of time.
A periodically published set of articles that may take the form of an academic periodical, magazine, or newspaper.
A term used to describe a source of information, e.g. words in a title, names of authors, subject headings, place of publication, etc.
A Wolters Kluwer provider of research databases focusing on areas like health, behavioural sciences, etc.
Information that is a result of first-hand experience or original research.
Also known as APA PsycInfo. It covers the international literature in psychology. Topics include: applied psychology, communication systems, developmental psychology, education psychology, experimental psychology, personality, physical and psychological disorders, physiological psychology, psychometrics, social psychology and sports psychology. Formats covered by this database are: journal articles, book chapters, dissertations and technical reports.
A bibliographical description of a published work in a library catalogue or database.
A cited work listed and systematically described in a list of references.
A publication that can be considered a tertiary source, e.g. dictionaries, handbooks, encyclopedias
Information that is derived from primary sources or original research, e.g. second hand information.
An online library help manual
Information that derives from primary and secondary sources, like dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.