social science

Library Noise Levels

  • Three floors with different noise level expectations:

    • First floor: more social, collaborative space.

    • Second floor: moderate noise for study and group work.

    • Third floor: quiet area for serious study and concentration.

Library Services

  • Provides essential resources for scientific research.

  • Access to articles, journals, and scholarly sources that are not freely available online.

    • Importance of using academic libraries for credible and peer-reviewed information.

Peer-Reviewed Sources

  • Definition: Articles that have gone through a rigorous review process by experts in the field before publication.

  • Critical for scientific research as they ensure the quality and reliability of information.

Library Access Points

  • Websites and services:

    • Interface available on library computers for searching books and resources.

    • Keyword searches yield results relevant to library holdings.

Finding Books in the Library

  • Use of call numbers to locate books:

    • Each book has a unique call number for easy identification.

    • Example given: HT2241.

  • Circulation desk:

    • Books can be borrowed for up to two weeks, with two renewals allowed.

Classification System

  • Academic libraries typically use the Library of Congress classification system.

  • Books organized into subjects:

    • Example: HT class section includes topics on housing and urban development.

  • Understanding subdivisions helps locate material relevant to research interests.

Digital Resources Access

  • Digital platforms subscription:

    • Access to a wide range of articles and databases not typically found on the internet.

    • Examples: EBSCO and JSTOR provide collections of scholarly articles for academic work.

Search Strategies

  • Importance of using keywords effectively:

    • Keywords should reflect concepts, not just single words.

    • Example keywords: "green spaces" and "urban area.

  • Combining keywords can refine search results to a manageable number.

  • Limit search results by date or document type (e.g., scholarly articles).

Example Search

  • Search on the library’s discovery interface:

    • Using keywords together narrows down results significantly.

    • If "green spaces" returns too many results, additional keywords can help focus the search.

Using the Discovery Interface

  • New interface for searching through various databases from one platform.

  • Important to understand the differences between searching in single vs. multiple databases.