Internships are not only a great way to gain hands on learning experience, but they are also a great opportunity to make important contacts in your career field of interest. Read on for more information about the benefits of internships and how SDSU Library can help you find one.
With the current climate of the job market, the more people you know and the greater amount of experience you can bring to the table, the better your chances are for landing a job. At SDSU library, we are proud to offer a library school student internship program for those enrolled in master’s degree programs at San Jose State University Library School, Simmons library school, and other programs. Jessica Olson was our library school reference intern for spring 2012. We thought we’d let Jessica tell you, in her own words, about the benefits she gained from her internship this semester.
"During my time as an intern at the SDSU Love Library this semester, I learned a great deal about the field of academic librarianship. One of the greatest learning experiences I had was working at the reference desk several hours each week. Not only has this given me hands on experience with real questions and issues when it comes to reference and user services at the academic level, but it has also provided me the opportunity to work with a variety of SDSU librarians who are subject and service area specialists. I work with someone new every time I’m ‘on the desk.’ This allows me to talk one-on-one with librarians who are new to the profession, like I am, and with those who have been in librarianship through all of the changes this field has seen over the last thirty years. Through our conversations, I have learned about the expertise needed to help students use specific resources for finding information. For example, many business students need to find business ratios when they come to the desk. I learned how to help them use the sources, Almanac of Business and Industrial Financial Ratios, and the source Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios.
One thing that I find incredibly helpful for students is the single citation finder. This is on the journals and articles page under ‘Find a specific article from the citation.’ Students can plug in what little pieces of information they have about a resource, like parts of a citation to a journal article, and use that information to find the resource in the library or to get access to it through interlibrary loan.
Doing an internship enhances my ability to interview well. For example, as I go on interviews I can now talk about my knowledge of specific resources and about my experience helping students use these. I can also talk about specific projects I completed during my internship. For example, I wrote a blog entry on how to more easily find a book using the library website. I also evaluated the reference services area and gave a presentation to librarians.
All of these things – gaining practical experience with students and resources, developing relationships with work contacts, and creating work products --are all beneficial things to that give me a competitive edge in any job search and interview process.”
This is just an example of one internship experience. You should think about the benefits of internship for your own professional development.
Did you know the library has job/internship searching resources? Check out a few of the resources listed below to help get you started finding information about a career or internship today.
First, the library has a research paths, finding job postings and getting your resume in shape to help you land your dream job.
Not sure what you want to do after graduation? Check out the resources listed on the Occupation Profiles tab, to get an idea of what different careers might have to offer and how you can make that dream job a reality. The library also has sources on helping students figure out what they can do with a certain major or degree. You can also use, the Career Exploration & Planning tab, to find out more about industries and careers that interest you.
Find Internship or job listing using the following:
Internships
Nonprofit internships
Job Listings
Career Writing Help
- Resume Books in Library Catalog
- Career One Step- free online web portal which brings together job skill, search and resume tips.
- Purdue’s OWL Job Search Writing- provides examples and tips for writing resumes and cover letters.
SDSU Campus Resources
Need help with any of the above resources? Stop by the Reference Desk today!
Written by: Linda Salem, Jessica Olsen and Brittany Cronin
Questions? bcronin@rohan.sdsu.edu
We are happy to announce that the Reference area, located on the first floor of the Library Addition, is going to be undergoing a serious upgrade starting at the end of May! Read on for important information about the exciting project!
The project includes decreasing the print reference collection and moving many of those great reference sources to the circulating stacks where students can check out the books for longer! Also, we are moving towards the goal of increased electronic access to materials for students. Therefore, we have purchased a great number of electronic reference sources that students can access anywhere they have access to the Internet!
We are also moving the Maps collection to provide greater space on the first floor of the Library Addition. With the greater floor space we are increasing student seating with additional individual study spaces as well as more collaborative learning spaces! The painting project for the Maps collection starts this week, so pardon our dust! Don't worry, the current seating area will not be lost during this painting project. Thanks for your patience as we work to create an even better learning environment!
We plan to move the Reference Desk to a more visible spot so students are sure to be able to locate librarians to help them with their research needs. Lastly, new carpet and paint will help enhance the Reference Area making it a space that students will enjoy!
During this renovation process the Reference Area will be closed from May 21- July 9th. We hope to make this project as easy as possible for students. Students will be able to access a reference librarian at the 24/7 Help Desk from 10AM – 2PM, Monday – Friday when the reference area is closed. Also, there will be a small number of workstations in the 24/7 area that will be changed to community workstations to accommodate our community patrons.
There will be additional posts to remind you of the changes that will occur but we couldn’t wait to share the great news with you about the fantastic changes coming to the Reference Area later this spring!
Check out the Tentative Timeline below for important dates!
- April 16-April 29th- Painting in the Maps Area begins
- May 15th- 18th –Reference desk materials will be moved up to 24/7 Area.
- May 21 – July 9th - Reference area NOT accessible.
- Limited reference services offered at 24/7 desk. One librarian scheduled at a time at the desk from 10 am – 2 pm, M– F.
- 2-4 workstations in 24/7 area will be changed to community workstations.
- July 9th – Anticipated Re opening of newly designed Reference Area.
Remember, this project will benefit you! Keep in mind some great things to look forward to:
- Increased Student Seating!
- Increased Access to Reference Materials Electronically!
- More Collaborative Learning Spaces!
- Greater Individual Study Space!
- New Carpeting!
Written By: Brittany Cronin, Questions? bcronin@rohan.sdsu.edu
Want to find a book in the library but not sure how to navigate the website or use the catalog? Read on to find out how you can locate books in the library catalog and on the library shelf!
For a quick book search, such as a title or author search, click on the BOOKS link under “Find” on the library’s homepage. In the “Search the Book Catalog” search box, type in the book title or author, last name followed by first name, and click SEARCH. Click on an entry from the results list to access its record to learn if the book is available and where it is located in the library using the call number. Need help with call numbers, check out this video tutorial!
To search for electronic books only, click on the BOOKS link under “Find” on the library’s homepage. In the “Search eBooks” search box, type in the title or author of a book and click SEARCH. Click on the entry in the results list to access the book’s record and to view the electronic book. These are available from off-campus too.
For more advanced searching capabilities, access the library’s catalog by clicking the LIBRARY CATALOG link on the library’s homepage. From here, click on ADVANCED SEARCH to conduct complex searches, such as author/title or combined subject searches.
Remember, if SDSU doesn't have the book you are looking for or it is checked out you can always borrow from Circuit or Link+. These sharing programs make you virtual students at other institutions and libraries in San Diego County (Circuit) and throughout California (Link+) and the books will be delivered free of charge to the Circulation Desk! The books usually come very quickly only 3-5 days and often times even faster, so don't forget to use these programs to get the books you want.
If you need further assistance, call the reference desk at (619) 594-6728, text us at (619) 567-9743, email us at eref@rohan.sdsu.edu, or visit us at the reference desk on the 1st floor of the Library Addition.
Written by: Reference Intern Jessica Olson, questions? bcronin@rohan.sdsu.edu
Not sure what a Research Guide is or why you should use one? Read on to learn how library Research Guides provide expert subject matter coverage and save you time and stress!
Save Time and Stress
We have over 100 databases, finding the database that has your subject matter within it is essential to finding helpful material. Not sure where to start or overwhelmed by the amount of information available to you? The articles tab on all the research guides provides you with the most important databases on your subject available through the library. The Research Guides bring together the many of the most helpful library resources on your subject together in one place!
Written by Subject Experts
Research guides are written by librarians with subject speciality in that topical area. Therefore, a subject expert is building these guides to bring together the most helpful information available on your topic. The contact information of the guides gives you a librarian with subject expertise that is willing to help you with your projects in that subject area. Don't hesitate to contact them if you have questions. As always, you can come by the reference desk for generalized questions on using resources or researching for your papers or projects.
Get Answers to Typical Research Questions in Your Subject Area Using the Tips Section
Tips are written by librarians who tend to see the same types of requests for information. These tips give step by step instructions on how to find what you are looking for! They can save you time and provide helpful information to jump start your research or find a specific type of information within a certain subject.
Find Answers by Information Resource Type
You can also use the research guides to find information by source. Need help with citation? Need to find a primary resource, newspaper or book review? Librarians have created individual Research Guides on these specific information sources and many more to help you with your research.
How Do I Know Which Research Guide to Use?
- That really depends on your project. First, decide if it is more helpful to have information by type of source or on a specific topic. If you are looking for something on a specific topic, it is helpful to look at the research guide written on the larger subject area for that topic. For example, if you are interested in the fast food industry in China, you would want to take a look at the Business guide to find resources best suited to your research question. Often times it is helpful to think about which class your project is in to give insight into which subject area you should choose. Therefore, if you are writing a paper for a history class, you may want to start with the history guide. Also, you can think more narrowly about your project’s subject to help you choose a guide. Writing a paper on the women’s rights movement for your history class, you could take a look at the Women's Studies guide to find resources on your more narrow subject!
- Still having trouble on which guide to choose? Stop by the reference desk for some direction!
What do the different tabs mean?
- The different tabs are the different types of resources that the library has in that research guide's particular subject. Each guide will have different tabs depending on the types of resources or information that one might want to find within that particular subject. Below are a list of some popular tabs and what they mean.
- Articles tab- this tab provides the recommended databases to use when trying to find scholarly and popular articles on this subject
- Book Collections- this tab provides a link into the library catalog. It also might have links to popular Library of Congress Subject Headings related to the topic of the research guide.
- Citation guides- this tab will provide links to topical guides and resources to help you learn how to cite in that subject's most popular citation style
- Tips- the Tips section provides tips, tricks and instructions for finding the most often asked questions within this particular subject. Not seeing a tip you want? Contact the subject specialty librarian whose contact information is listed on the Research Guide's main page for help and to suggest a new tip!
What is a Course Guide?
- A Course Guide is a guide created by a librarian for a particular class and is usually part of an instruction session for that class. The resources on that class guide are often aimed at a particular research question or project.
- Course Guides can be very helpful for working on a particular project in that class but remember when you are working on projects for other classes you should start with the research guides in that subject area of interest to your particular paper or project
Written by: Brittany Cronin, questions? bcronin@rohan.sdsu.edu
Need primary sources for a paper or project? Not sure what that means or how to find them? Read on for help!
Primary sources are original documents used in research, including letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, photographs, ephemera, audio recordings, videos, objects or artifacts. These sources serve as the raw material to help historians and others interpret the past. These documents are often created at or near the time of an event and can be reflections on experiencing the event, interpretations of the event or focus on recording the event.
In contrast, secondary materials provide commentary and interpret the events surrounding the primary materials or the primary materials themselves. Secondary sources are often in the form of books or article journals.
Students at San Diego State are lucky because the Special Collections and University Archives have a vast collection of primary sources that students can use when conducting research. There are a number of ways you can find primary sources at San Diego State. Check out the Special Collections and University Archives homepage: http://library.sdsu.edu/scua, for more information on what collections are available and how to use the finding aids to help navigate the wealth of primary resources available to you. Remember, the Special Collections and University Archives is open to students and librarians are available to help you with your primary source research.
Finding Primary Sources in the Library Catalog (Tip from Primary Resource Guide)
Primary source documents are frequently collected in published books. To find these collections in the library catalog, follow these steps.
1. Brainstorm some keywords and phrases about your topic. If you were researching women's suffrage in America, for example, some good keywords and phrases might be "suffrage," "women," "feminis*," "nineteenth amendment," "vote*," or "activis*".
2. At the Advanced Search, pair your keyword with some of them common words found in subject headings for primary sources. These include:
* correspondence
* diaries
* speeches
* personal narratives
* documents
* interviews
3. If you want to impose any limits on your search, such as location or language, choose them in the options box. Then click Submit.
4. Browse your results and click on titles which sound relevant or useful to your topic.
Online Digital Resources
There are many digitized collections of primary sources available freely online. Below are just a few of the free digitized primary resource collections available on the web.
- ALA: Using Primary Resources on the Web
- Primary Sources Guide - Digital Collections tab
- Library of Congress American Memory Project
- Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy
[http://avalon.law.yale.edu/default.asp] - EuroDocs: Western European Primary Historical Documents
[http://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/] - Gallica: Digital Library of the National Library of France
[http://gallica.bnf.fr/] - Making of America: 19th c. books and magazines
[http://moa.umdl.umich.edu/] - Documenting the American South: Primary sources related to Southern History http://docsouth.unc.edu/
Library Resources
- Primary Resources Research Guide
- Primary (Original) Research vs. Secondary Sources in the Sciences
- Identifying Primary Research Articles
Special Collections and University Archives Resources
I found a Primary Resource, now I need help evaluating it! (Tip from Primary Resource Guide)
You are often asked to evaluate primary resources. The following questions can be helpful for you to ask when analyzing a primary source.
• What type of document is it? Who was it produced by, or for?
• When was the document produced? What physical details reveal this?
• Why do you think it was produced? What was the purpose of the document?
• What was the author's relationship to the document? What evidence shows this?
• Are there inconsistencies or ambiguities in the document? Does the document make an argument? If so, is it supported or warranted? What makes it reliable or unreliable?
• What does the document reveal about the period in which it was produced?
• What research questions would this primary source answer?
• What else would you like to know about this document or its topic? How could you find the answers to those questions?
The following links should also help you to think about how to analyze a primary resource for your papers and assignments.
- Dr. Kurt Hackner: Evaluating Primary Resources
- Lafayette College: Primary Sources: Evaluating
- ALA: Using Primary Sources on the Web
Still Need Help?
Check out the Tips section on the Primary Resource Guide, to read more helpful tips to finding and evaluating primary resources. Remember, you can always stop by the Reference Desk or Special Collections to get help finding primary resources available through the library or Special Collections!
Written by: Brittany Cronin, questions? bcronin@rohan.sdsu.edu
Writing a paper is a multi-step process and each step takes time. By starting early and planning ahead, you can lessen time constraints and reduce stress as your paper becomes due.
Where can I find a topic to write about?
- Be thinking of a topic to write about as you read your textbooks.
- When listening to lectures in class, jot down topics that you would like to learn more about.
- Still can’t think of a topic? Subject specific reference resources (see below) are a good place to go to explore topics. These resources are also very useful in narrowing or focusing a topic that is too broad or too big to tackle in one paper.
Where can I find background information on my topic?
Both print reference books (located by the reference desk as you enter the library) and online reference resources are a good place to begin your research. Typically they might provide:
- an overview of a topic;
- a broader perspective;
- a sense of context and historical development; or
- statistical information, images, and maps related to the topic.
Where can I find additional information about this topic?
Save time immediately by beginning your research with one of the library’s subject oriented research guides. These are located under “FIND” on the library home page.
Information on these pages is organized by:
- Books
- Articles
- Encyclopedias
- Gateways to other resources, e.g. key websites for the discipline
TIP: Remember, you may not find everything you want to use in your research in Love Library. Be sure to allow yourself enough time to request books from other libraries via Circuit (SDSU, CSU San Marcos, UCSD and USD plus county public libraries) or Link+ (libraries from throughout California). Journal articles not available full text at SDSU can be ordered using our free Interlibrary Loan service. Again, this takes time so begin your research early.
Looking for more current information?
Time to turn to the article databases. The combined database search located on the research guides is a good option if you need just need a few articles on a topic. If you are performing a more comprehensive and focused search, use the individual databases suggested by subject specialists. There are general tips and tricks to searching library databases more efficiently and effectively. Take a look at: Don’t let database searching stress you out.
Are you still unsure of what makes an article scholarly or peer reviewed?
Take a look at What is a Scholarly Article?
What if I need special types of resources to write my paper?
Sometimes your instructor will require you use specific types of resources to write your paper. These can be a little more difficult and time consuming to search. In addition to research guides by subject or discipline, we also provide on our Research Guides page assistance in locating materials by format or type, including:
What about citing resources and help with writing?
Once you have gathered information and started the actual writing of your paper, you might need to refer to resources related to citing information or for tips on editing and proofreading and information on how to avoid plagiarizing the work of others. Check out Writing Resources for Papers and Projects.
Getting bogged down? Don’t wait, get help! Take advantage of the SDSU reference librarians and our subject expertise and vast knowledge of research tools and tricks. We are available to help in one format or another 24/7.
Written by: Sue Hollander
Need to find a full text article from a specific journal or find a full text article on a specific topic? Databases available thru SDSU’s library provide instant full text access to thousands of journals and articles.
You can search in the library catalog or Articles and Journals page to find a specific journal title or article or search the databases to find articles in a particular subject area or on a particular topic. You can then access the full text of your article instantly!
Check out this Library Tutorial: Finding Full Text.
There has been a recent movement in research and academic publishing away from print resources toward electronic formats and this has impacted how libraries are purchasing, storing and accessing this published content. In fact, many of our library’s journals and articles are only available in electronic format. Don’t be worried that you won’t be able to find the exact information you need, often the electronic journals or articles are in PDF format. Therefore, these journals and articles look exactly like they would if you were to go to the hard copy print version of the journal or article.
Finding a Specific Journal or Article
If you need to find a specific journal or article use the library website, Articles & Journals page. You can Find a specific journal, magazine or newspaper subscription if you are looking for a specific journal but don’t have a specific article within that journal. You can also, Find a specific article from the citation if you have a particular article within a journal, magazine or newspaper that you want to find. You will get better results if you input at least the title of the journal and year you are interested in finding.
The search results will show you if the library has electronic access to this article, and if there is electronic access, the different databases that have access to the particular journal and year you are interested in will be returned for you. You will then need to click on one of the databases listed so that you can go into that database to access the full text of that article. Sometimes, you are taken into the full text of the journal, but not to the specific article. If that is the case, you will need to use the citation information including the volume, issue and year to find the correct issue you need to get the article you want.
If the library has this article in print, it will tell you where in the library this item is located, and the call number for that journal. If the article is from 1986 & newer it will be located on the 1st Floor in the Current Periodicals and Microform Center (CPMC). If the article is from 1985 & older it will be on the 5th Floor of Love Library. There is a help desk in the CPMC if you have trouble locating your newer article. Also, be aware that some of the most recent items are kept behind the desk and must be checked out from the desk. Further, some of the articles are stored in microform or microfilm and must be used in conjunction with a reader. There are readers with printers for those resources in CPMC and those working at the CPMC desk can assist you with finding the film and using the readers.
If the library does not have full text access to your article, you can request this article using Interlibrary Loan (ILL). You will need to make an ILL account, separate from your Red ID and pin, but this service is free of charge. Find out more information on ILL here.
Finding a Full Text Article on Your Topic
If you want to find an article or journal on your topic but don’t have a specific citation in mind then it is best to take a look at the library databases in your subject area. The library has access to over a 100 databases, so the trick is to search in a database that covers your subject area or topical area. Librarians have created Research Guides and Course Guides to help point you in the right direction of databases within your topic. You can choose a Research Guide on your broad topical area, for example, art, business, education, or psychology. Then once you are in the guide for your subject area, if you click on the tab on the left hand side of the guide for Articles you will see a number of the recommended databases that cover your topical area. Each database has slightly different coverage and the short description of the database can help you choose which one to search in.
Many of the library databases give you the option to limit your searching within that database to full text only. The library also offers a service called SFX that will let you search for an article in other databases if the article looks helpful but the current database you are searching in doesn’t have full text access. To use this search function, look for the Find Full Text link located on the search results screen under the article you want. Again, if the library doesn’t have access either electronically or in print, you can request the desired article free of charge using ILL.
Remember, librarians at the reference desk are available to help you and they can suggest databases to try based on your specific topic. Also, there are subject specialty librarians who specialize in particular subject areas who can provide expertise in searching those specialized databases. Don’t hesitate to stop by the reference desk to get help or make an appointment to meet with your subject librarian!
Author: Brittany Cronin, questions: bcronin@rohan.sdsu.edu
SDSU will host the Dalai Lama on April 19th at 9:30 AM in Viejas Arena for a public talk entitled, “Upholding Universal Ethics and Compassion in Challenging Times.” Tickets go on sale this Wednesday February 22nd.Read on for more information about the event and how you can use the library to learn about the Dalai Lama before his visit!
His Holiness The XIV Dalai Lama will visit San Diego on April 18th and 19th for a Compassion without Borders Symposium hosted by SDSU, UC San Diego and USD. “The two-day symposium will provide a thought-provoking forum to inspire new discoveries and expand our understanding of humanity. His Holiness will share his views on upholding ethics, practicing forgiveness and tolerance, and coping with the challenges found in today’s society” (http://go.sdsu.edu/dalailama/).
The earlier events on April 18 include a UC San Diego, Panel Discussion: “The Global Impact of Climate Change: Balance through Universal Responsibility, Compassion and Human Consciousness” and at USD a Public Talk, “Cultivating Peace and Justice.”
Tickets for the event will go on sale February 22, 2012 beginning at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com and at the Viejas Arena Box Office. The prices for tickets are as follows:
$10 – SDSU students with valid Red ID. Limit one ticket per student.
$25 – General Admission
$60 – Arena Floor Seating
For more information on the event, read the story in SDSU NewsCenter:
http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news.aspx?s=73358
Want to find out more information before His Holiness The XIV Dalai Lama visits SDSU? Check out some of these library resources to find more information! The resources below represent just a snapshot of the information we have on this topic. There is also a listing of freely available online resources to learn more about the Dalai Lama, did you know you can follow the Dalai Lama on Twitter?
Books
- Becoming enlightened / His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Call Number: BQ7935.B774 B43 2009
- Why the Dalai Lama matters : his act of truth as the solution for China, Tibet, and the world / Robert Thurman, Call Number: BQ7935.B777 T48 2008
- The essential Dalai lama : his important teachings / edited by Rajiv Mehrotra, Call Number: BQ7935.B774 E88 2005
- Search the Catalog for even more resources available through the library using the following Subject Headings:
Media
- The sun behind the clouds [videorecording] : Tibet's struggle for freedom Call Number: DVD-6494
- Tibet [videorecording] : cry of the snow lion, Call Number: DVD-6501
- Short cut to Nirvana [videorecording], Call Number: DVD-6140
- The Tibetan book of the dead [videorecording] : a way of life ; the great liberation, Call Number: DVD-1627
More Information:
- Online Biography Sources: The databases below contain biography information in easy to search format
- Online Resources
- Dalai Lama official website: http://www.dalailama.com/
- Dalai Lama on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dalailama
- Dalai Lama Biography from NoblePrize.org: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1989/lama-bio.html
- The Guardian: Dalai Lama: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/dalailama
Author: Brittany Cronin, questions: bcronin@rohan.sdsu.edu
Are you working on a research project but not really sure where to start? Check out the Find Facts Guide to find background information that can help get you started now!
Did you know that there are specialized almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference resources on your topic that can provide background information to help you better form your research topic?Check out the Find Facts research guide to get started narrowing down your research topic or use it to find answers to your tricky research questions today!
The Find Facts research guide features tabs that highlight different types of reference resources like, almanacs, biographies, and directories. Use the resources listed on these tabs to find background information on your topic. Background information provides you with a better understanding of your research topic which allows you to narrow or refine your topic. Use this information to brainstorm better keywords and search strings for use in the library’s online research databases. There are also tabs on different types of information like, acronyms and abbreviations, statistics, quotations, and more when you need to find a specific type of information quickly and easily! Click on the tabs to find links to both electronic and print material accessible through the library. Not sure if there is a specialized source on your topic? Check out the Tips section to find hints for finding a specialized encyclopedia on your subject.
Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information out there? If you are looking for some background information on your topic you might want to try: Gale’s Virtual Reference Library. Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. Search this online database to find some basic information on your topic. The articles in specialized encyclopedias can help you better form your research topic by giving you a more complete understanding of your research topic. They also provide general information on your topic which you can use to create more effective search strings in other databases. The Find Facts guide highlights the print and online reference resources that the library has to help get you started with your research or quickly answer a factual question you have. Remember, if you have questions on this or any other research guide don’t hesitate to call or stop by the reference desk to get help!
Happy Fact Finding!
Author: Brittany Cronin, questions: bcronin@rohan.sdsu.edu
This blog post will introduce you to Google Scholar and show you how to use it more effectively to help you in your research process. Read on to learn why Google Scholar should be used to compliment not replace SDSU’s research Databases!
What is Google Scholar?
According to Google, “Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites. Google Scholar helps you find relevant work across the world of scholarly research.”
What are the drawbacks of Google Scholar?
- Google Scholar searches only a small amount of the articles available in SDSU’s research databases.
- Be aware, Google Scholar searches both peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed information.
- Google Scholar returns results that require you to pay for full text of the articles.
- However, if you search for the same topic or specific article through the library you often have full text access through the library, and if not, you are able to request the full text of the article through Interlibrary Loan free of charge (more info on ILL here).
- There is no way to limit to only peer reviewed articles or only full text articles like there is in many of the more robust library research databases.
For these reasons, Google Scholar should be used to compliment not replace SDSU’s research Databases!
What are the benefits of Google Scholar?
- Google Scholar, like Google, uses natural language which is easier to search than the more complex searching rules required by library research databases.
- Google Scholar provides a wide range of interdisciplinary results.
- Google Scholar also provides links to articles that are “Cited By” and “Related Articles.”
- The “Cited By” feature allows you to look at articles that have cited the article you found. This helps your research process because it links to other articles that have commented on the original article you found, giving you a better understanding of how relevant and reliable that original article is to your research subject.
When Should I use Google Scholar?
- You are new to the research process and would benefit from using more natural language to search.
- It is early in your research process, and you can benefit from the wide range of disciplines Google Scholar searches.
- You need background information on your topic and/or need help narrowing down your topic before diving into the library’s databases.
- You need help brainstorming keywords and phrases to use when you search in the library’s research databases.
- You want to check out what other articles have cited an article that you have found particularly helpful to your research project.
How Can I Get the most of Google Scholar?
The first thing you should do to be an effective Google Scholar searcher is set your preferences so that Google Scholar works with SDSU’s library to determine if and where SDSU has full text access to the articles you find. To do this you must do the following:
- Click on Scholar Preferences.
- Type the name of our library, San Diego State University, in the 'Library Links' section.
- Click Save preferences in the upper right hand corner!
- Start searching with links to your library's resources. When you find an article that looks helpful, click on SDSU SFX link on the right hand side of the search results. This will then search the library’s resources for full text access and return a screen that shows you what databases have access to this article or if the library has a copy in print. If we don’t own the article, there will be a link to Interlibrary Loan so that you can request that article free of charge. You will have to authenticate yourself using your Library pin and Red ID.
You can search by author, publication, date, legal opinion, journal title, and more. Most of these advanced features must be used under the advanced search screen, found by clicking the Advance Scholar Search next to the Search button on the Google Scholar home screen. Here is a link to the Google Scholar Advanced Search Tips to help you build more complex searches.
I found a great article on Google Scholar but there is no full text, or it costs money, now what?
If you found an article on Google Scholar that you want access to, you should search for this article using the library’s Articles & Journals page. Use the box titled, Find a specific article from the citation, the second box down on that page. Input the Journal Title and Year to find out if and where the library has access to this article.
If the library has online access to this article, it will be returned here and you will go into a database to access the full text of that article. Sometimes, you are taken into the full text of the journal, but not to the specific article. If that is the case, you will need to use the citation information including the volume, issue and year to find the correct issue you need to get the article you want.
If the library has this article in print, it will tell you where in the library this item is located, and the call number for that journal. If the article is from 1986 & newer it will be located on the 1st Floor in the Current Periodicals and Microform Center (CPMC). If the article is from 1985 & older it will be on the 5th Floor of Love Library. There is a help desk in the CPMC if you have trouble locating your newer article. Also, be aware that some of the most recent items are kept behind the desk and must be checked out from the desk. Further, some of the articles are stored in microform or microfilm and must be used in conjunction with a reader. There are readers with printers for those types resources in CPMC and those working at the CPMC desk can assist you with finding the film and using the readers.
If the library does not have full text access to your article, you can request this article using Interlibrary Loan (ILL). You will need to make an ILL account, separate from your Red ID and Library PIN, but this service is free of charge. Find out more information on ILL here.
If you have questions with any of the steps in this process, stop by the reference desk and a reference librarian will happily teach you how to find that article you are looking for!
Author: Brittany Cronin, questions: bcronin@rohan.sdsu.edu
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