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Searching for Technical Information Prescott Library, La Tech University

 

Choosing a Topic

To get an idea about current issues or problems in a particular field of study, look in relevant periodicals (magazines and scholarly journals). There are general ones such as

• Time
  
• The Week
  
• Nature
  
• MIT Technology Review
  

(all of these have websites), and then there are subject specific ones such as

• ENR (Engineering News Record)
  
• Fortune
  
• JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)
  
• Psychology Today
  
• etc.

You can find these and many more by searching the Tech Library Catalog and typing in a subject like marketing, education, electrical engineering, medicine, etc. and then add the words "and periodicals" to your search (ex. nursing and periodicals). This search should result in a large list of periodicals — which you can view online if a URL is provided or which you can find in paper format on the 3rd floor Periodical shelves under the call number provided.

Also on the 3^rd floor, you will find newspapers such as

• The New York Times,
  
• Baton Rouge Advocate,
  
• New Orleans Times Picayune,
  
• Shreveport Times,
  
• Monroe News Star, and
  
• Ruston Daily Leader

great sources for hard-to-find local information.

Additionally, the library subscribes to CQ Researcher, an excellent database that provides full text electronic reports on important current events and controversial topics (ex, bullying, homelessness, CMOs, gun control, net neutrality, opioid crisis; student debt). You can find this in the A-Z List of resources under the Databases tab.

 

Conducting your Research

A good research paper should include material from a variety of sources: books, journals, newspapers, government information, reputable websites. These sources may also include material you may not have considered before such as statistics, patents, and technical reports. So, where do you find these on the library webpage?

In the lists below next to each boldface resource are various links you can explore. For example, journal articles can be found under the tab Articles which searches the database Academic Search Ultimate. However, articles on specific subjects such as engineering, psychology, or education can be found under the tab Databases and then the words Subject List. Some subject specific databases include

• Avery Index (architecture)
  
• Engineering Village
  
• IEEE Xplore
  
• Business Source Complete & Enhanced
  
• Biological Abstracts
  
• CINAHL (nursing)
  
• Medline,
  
• ERIC (education)
  
• Psychlnfo and
  
• Scopus.

• Books: 
• Books;
  
• Catalogs; or 
• Library Catalog
  
• Journal articles: 
• Articles;
  
• Databases then Subject List (arranged by College such as Business or Engineering);
  
• Google Scholar
  
• Newspaper articles:
  
• 'Newspapers' lists dozens of titles, and
  
• Nexis Uni a database that covers hundreds of full-text news sources
  
• Government Information: this tab brings up a search box that searches only govt information; click on Federal or Louisiana to search federal and state websites.
  
• Patents:
  
• Government Info > Federal websites > PTO Patent and Trademark Office (U.S.) or
  
• Google Patents;
  
• Scopus
  
• Statistics:
  
• Statista;
  
• Statistical Abstracts of the United States (1879-2012).
  
• Also, try adding the phrase "and statistics" to your search.
  
• Technical Standards:
  
• ASTM,
  
• IEEE,
  
• a few others are listed in the Tech catalog
  
• Websites:
  
• Google Scholar;
  
• Science.gov;
• Usa.gov 

1. If you are not sure where to begin your research, there is a search engine called EBSCO Discovery Service which is the default option on the front screen. Type your topic into the search box, and it will look for resources in all places: the library catalog,the databases, government publications, etc. You will retrieve a very large list of results which you will then need to narrow down using the "Limit To" or "Limit Search Results" options on the left.
   
   
2. Most of the databases contain full text joumal articles. Look for the html/pdf links or the words "Full Text Finder" or the Full Text Finder icon because the full text may be available in another database. The Tech Library may even have a paper copy of the journal. Click on the phrase 'View item in Tech Catalog' to see what issues the library has and the call number of the journal. All paper copies are located on the 3^rd floor of the library.
   
   
3. If you see the phrase "Request this item ILLiad," it means that the library does not have access to this joumal. Anytime Prescott Library does not have access to the journal article, book, or technical report you need, you may request it from another library using the free service InterLibrary Loan (ILLiad).
   
   
4. Electronic Books; our ebooks are included in the Library Catalog when you do a search, but you can also search them directly under the link Electronic Book Collections:
   
• EBSCO books cover all subject areas. They are also included in the Library Catalog. 
• Knovel and Momentum Press are databases of technical and engineering books.
  
• Credo Reference and the Gale Virtual Reference Library provide the electronic version of reference books (encyclopedias, handbooks) covering all subject areas.
  
5. When accessing resources from off campus, you will need to enter your Username from your Tech email address (example — jde123@latech.edu) and your email account password. On your laptop access the library using the La Tech WPA2 portal. The library is also available from your mobile phone or iPad/tablet.
   

If you have questions or problems, click on Contact Us at the top of the Prescott Library webpage or email kevinc@latech.edu.

Works Cited Citation Format

Works Cited Citation Format Did you know that many of the databases now provide a way to cite the book or joumal article you are reading? Look for words such as cite, citation format. Prescott Library also has copies of several style manuals for APA and MLA formats. Just ask for these at the Information Desk on the main floor. You can also Google the OWL at Purdue (Purdue University's online writing lab) for helpful examples.

Rev. Dec 2018

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