finding resources for your dissertation: classics & ancient history nicola conway october 2011
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Finding resources for your dissertation: Classics & Ancient History
Nicola Conway
October 2011
Aims of the session
To help you: • Identify, find & evaluate relevant resources for your
dissertation• Use the library effectively, and make the most of our
services and resources • Know who to contact for further help
Format of the session
What the session will involve:• A demonstration of quality academic resources for
your subject• A chance for you to begin searching for information
for your dissertation• An opportunity to ask for help and advice when
researching
4 steps to finding information
1.Identify
keywords
2.Decide where
to search
3.Search
4.Review results
1. Identify KeywordsIdentify keywords from your topic:
“The literary and social significance of food in Roman satire ”
Advanced searching techniques:• Synonyms : significance OR importance OR value
: satire OR humour OR irony• Truncation: litera* to locate literary, literature etc. • Phrases: “Roman satire”• Wildcards: humo?r to locate humour or humor• Joining Words: AND, OR, NOT
Task One p.3 of handout
• Identify keywords from the topic you are researching, if you can’t think of one use one of the following:– How effectively did Greek vase painters tell the story of a
myth?– Examine Alexander the Great’s role in the history of
Greek numismatics?
Task One p.3 of handout (2)
OR
AND
numismatics
“Alexander the Great”
“Alexander of Macedon”
“Examine Alexander the Great’s role in the history of Greek numismatics?”
currency
AND
OR“Alexander III of
Macedon”
coin*
Greek Greece
2. Decide where to search
Questions to ask yourself:• What information do you need?
– Overview of a topic, theory, idea, concept? • Encyclopaedias and Dictionaries (online and in print)
– Background information?• Textbook/E-book
– Information on the latest research?• Journal Article• Conference Paper• News item
2. Decide where to search• Do you have a specific reference?
– Yes Library Catalogue
– No Online resource
• Have you looked at all the information resources available for Classics & Ancient History?– http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/classics/
Subject Specific Support: http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/classics
3. Search
OR
AND
numismatics
“Alexander the Great”
“Alexander of Macedon”
“Examine Alexander the Great’s role in the history of Greek numismatics?”
currency
AND
OR“Alexander III of
Macedon”
coin*
Greek Greece
Searching the library catalogue• Can be searched using a variety of methods
– Author/Title (combined) for known item– Keyword– Classmark and Subject search
• Searches for print and electronic resources but does not search within them
• Can save searches and email results
Online Journal Databases• Search a wide range of journal articles• Some are full text
– JSTOR• Some only provide bibliographic information
– Web of Knowledge– L’Année philologique– Need to use ConneXions to see if Durham subscribes to the
content
No single database will cover everything
E-books and News Items• E-books:
– Cambridge collections online: cross-searchable database which includes the Cambridge Companions Complete Collection
– Myilibrary: collection of e-books from a range of publishers.
• News Items– Infotrac custom newspapers - online full text archive of UK
broadsheets
Using Internet Resources (1)
• Remember to evaluate information on the web Anyone can be a web author There are few controls over what is posted on the web Is material peer-reviewed or edited? Is the information up to date? Check for bias or an agenda
Internet Resources (2)
• Perseus Digital Library - full text primary and secondary sources for the study of ancient Greece and Rome
• Google Scholar – search engine for academic resources – uses Durham ConneXions button
Obtaining items outside of Durham
• Visiting other universities e.g. Newcastle and Northumbria– Check their catalogues:
http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/resources/online/catalogues/
• Access to other libraries – SCONUL Access Scheme – http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/otherlibraries/
• Document Delivery Service– http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/using/borrowing/dds/
4. Review your results• Are your results useful?
– Do you need to change your keywords or search in a different database?
– Use one record to find similar useful resources• Evaluate the quality of your sources
– particularly if they are found on the internet• Keep references
– e-mail yourself useful references
References and Bibliographies
• Always keep a full and accurate record of your information sources
• Use the Library Catalogue and online databases to e-mail references
• Make sure you refer correctly to other authors within your work
• Avoid plagiarism
Task Two p.6 of handout
• Use the keywords you identified in Task One to search for information in:– An online database– An e-book– Any other information resource listed in the
handout
Where to get further help• Help and Information Point on Level 2
• Online enquiries form:– http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/using/enquiries/
• Subject information pages:– http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/classics/
• Academic Support Team:– Nicola Conway – Classics & Ancient History
