Information Resources for CANA 3301, Winter 2009

Prepared by Elizabeth Millar, R. P. Bell Library
emillar@mta.ca | Reference Office, Bell Library, Room M11 | 364-2572

Topic Selection

Flexibility in research can save a lot of time and frustration. Be prepared to modify your topic as necessary, whether by making it more or less focused, by adjusting the time period or geographical scope, and especially by paying close attention to the what the resources actually say on the subject.

Synonyms and Related Terms

As you prepare to search the libraries' catalogues and databases, draft a list of possible search terms to use. It is possible that the term(s) used in the database will not be the same as your first choice(s). You may need to try several searches to retrieve the best results.

Synonyms

First Nations | Aboriginals | Indians | Native Peoples

Related Terms

Canada >> Maritimes >> New Brunswick >> Sackville

Canadian Culture >> Music >> Songwriters

Women >> Aboriginal Women >> Aboriginal Women Leaders

Searching the Library Catalogue

Keyword Searching

Begin searching for library materials with a Keyword Search. If you are using multiple synonyms or search terms, you might find it easier to use the Advanced Keyword Search. This option provides extra search boxes and search limits such as item type, location, and publication date range.

Tips

Use AND to combine search terms: Women AND media AND Canada

Use OR to separate similar terms: immigrants OR minorities

Use double quotation marks for phrases: “first nations” OR “native peoples”

Use the dollar sign $ to search for terms that have variant endings: politic$ (for politics, politicians, political)

LC subject headings

Once you find a relevant title, click the “Full Record” tab to view the LC Subjects. These links will lead you to more resources that are also on that topic. For example, a search for:

Canada AND women AND politics

returns over 100 records. By clicking the “ Mount Allison University ” link at the bottom of the first record in the results list, and then the “Full Record” tab, the LC subject link for: “Women in Politics Canada” leads to the 38 records that are specifically on that topic.

E-Books

We have access to thousands of e-books on Canadian topics. Depending on which e-library database the book is in, you may need to download a reader to display it. The reader is already on Mount Allison machines; for your personal computer you will need to click the link in the library catalogue record, and then follow the download instructions that will appear on your screen.

Searching Indexes and Databases

Access to electronic databases is available from both on and off campus. Several should be of particular help: the ProQuest suite of databases; America: History and Life ; Globe and Mail: Canada 's Heritage From 1844 ; and Toronto Star: Pages of the Past. Try to select search terms that are as specific as possible, and use the Advanced Search options to limit the number of results.

Tips

The asterisk ( * ) is the symbol used by the databases to search for terms that have variant endings (politic* for politics, politicians, political). The one exception is LexisNexis which uses the exclamation mark ( ! ).

If there is ever a choice between a Full-Text (.html) and a .pdf document, always work with the .pdf document. Unlike .html documents, which simply display the text on one screen, the .pdf documents are images of the original print document and clearly show where the page breaks are. This is very helpful when it comes to citing references correctly.

If the full text of the article is not available through the database you are searching, it is possible that we have the article in print in the library, or online through another database. Many databases display a “@MTA?” button; a “Preliminary search of the library catalogue. Always double check” link; or a “MTA Journal Finder” link. Use these features to help lead you to our holdings. If the database does not show any of these buttons or links, use JournalFinder (the link is on the MTA Library Catalogue web page) or enter an Exact Search by Journal in the library catalogue to see if the article you need is available at Mount Allison . If not, complete an interlibrary loan request (details below) and the library will get the article for you.

While not all databases use Library of Congress subject headings, most of them provide subject terms or “descriptors” to help you use the same terms they do. If the results of your search aren't as precise as you would like, look at the list of terms within the record to help you make adjustments.

ProQuest Databases

The ProQuest databases contain citations and full-text for hundreds of thousands of articles. Sometimes, but not always, phrases work better than keywords:

“Canadian female singers” OR “Canadian female artists” OR “Canadian women musicians”

America : History and Life

America : History & Life has some full-text, but for the most part it has citations only. We have access to many of the titles in the database, however, so be sure to check the catalogue or JournalFinder. In this database, searching for terms, rather than phrases usually works best:

(discrimination OR oppression OR racism) AND feminism AND Canada

Globe and Mail: Canada 's Heritage From 1844 and Toronto Star: Pages of the Past

These two historical databases provide images of the newspapers from the 1800s to the early 2000s. They were among the first searchable newspaper databases made available, and as such have unsophisticated optical character recognition and search capabilities. Their content, however, is invaluable in providing contemporary articles on women in Canada . Once you open a page, the search term(s) will be highlighted in yellow to help you scan the articles more easily. Your searches will work better if you read other resources first to establish specific date ranges and search terms. Short and precise searches work best:

anti-feminist

Doris Anderson [search type: exact phrase]

Vancouver AND women AND abortion [search type: Boolean Query]

Tip

Make sure you set an appropriate start date for your searches. If you know an event took place in the 1970s, for example, don't leave the default start date at 1844 / 1894.

Government Documents

To search the library catalogue specifically for Government Documents, enter your search terms in the Advanced Keyword Search fields and set the Location to “Government publications.”

Internet searches can be limited to Canadian government pages by adding site:gc.ca to a search in Google, or domain:gc.ca in AltaVista.

Mount Allison Government Documents Librarian Anita Cannon has created a web site “Contemporary Canadian Government & Politics: A Practical Research Guide” which includes useful information. The URL is: http://www.mta.ca/library/govt&politics/main/home.html

Internet Searches

There is a vast amount of information available on the Internet, and there is an equal variation in quality, accuracy, and authority. When you find web sites look for names and affiliations to establish authority, cross check information with reliable resources to confirm accuracy, and read the content closely to determine quality.

Tips

Use specific phrases and/or search limiters to reduce the results to a manageable number. The Advanced Search feature of most Internet search engines provides options to limit results by type (such as a .pdf document); by wanted and unwanted words and phrases; language; and domain type (such as .edu for American universities; .ca for Canadian sites; .gc.ca for Canadian Government resources).

Example (from Google) :

women Canada politics – 15,100,000 results

women Canada politics site:ca – 155,000 results

“women in Canadian politics” site:ca – 2,490 results

“women in Canadian politics” site:gc.ca – 192 results

“women in Canadian politics” site:gc.ca filetype:pdf – 10 results

Borrowing from Other Institutions

Inter-Library Loan

If you need a resource (book, film, journal article) that isn't available at Mount Allison , the libraries can bring it in for you at no charge. Go to the Circulation Desk first to activate your student card, and then click on the link to the “Interlibrary Loan Request Form” on the bottom right of the library's home page. It leads to the ILL web page here: http://www.mta.ca/library/ill.html

Note: Interlibrary loans can take one to two weeks or longer, depending on where the items are located. Start your research early in order to leave yourself time should you require resources from other libraries.

Note: Interlibrary loans cannot be renewed. Please use them as soon as they come in so that you may return them on time.

ASIN Card

Students going to a university town for a weekend or over Reading Week can borrow materials at other universities in Canada , and then return them to the Bell Library. The card is free, and is available at the Circulation Desk at the Bell Library. You MUST present an ASIN card to borrow books at other institutions, and it MUST be acquired before you leave Sackville. Trying to use your Mount Allison student card will not work. More information is available here: http://www.mta.ca/library/services_facilities.html#asin

Citing Sources

Chicago Manual of Style

Canadian Studies papers need to follow the Chicago Manual of Style . The print volume is on the main floor of the R. P. Bell Library, call number: REF Z 253 .U69 2003. There are also quick reference sheets available at the Reference Desk, and online at:

http://www.mta.ca/library/guides/chicago_author_date.pdf

http://www.mta.ca/library/guides/chicago_notes_bib.pdf

Government Publications

Government publications can be tricky to cite. A list of guides is available on the Mount Allison Libraries' web site here: http://www.mta.ca/library/gov_info.html#citation_can

Citation Services

Within Databases

A number of databases now have citation formatting features. Look for a link above the article or citation called “Cite this.”

Internet Citation Services

KnightCite is a citation formatting service maintained by the librarians at Calvin College in Grand Rapids , Michigan . Simply select the desired style, enter the publication information in the appropriate fields, and the service will create a bibliographic citation. The URL is: http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/

Note: While citation services are very useful, you are still responsible for ensuring that the final result has been formatted correctly. Always double check for accuracy.

Avoiding plagiarism

Each time you quote, paraphrase, use an idea, a concept, or a statistic from a work you need to include a reference to it. You do not need to cite the source for information that is generally well-known: Kim Campbell was Canada 's first, and so far only, female Prime Minister. If you need help learning when to cite please ask before you hand in your assignment.