First Year Seminar
Wooster - 200 Years of Environmental Change

Dr. Greg Wiles
Information Resources Compiled by Donna Jacobs

An important factor in your academic and professional success will be how well you develop the ability to determine when you need information, and to locate, evaluate, and use it effectively. One goal of this research assignment is to help you begin to strengthen your information literacy skills. This web page and the in-class library instruction session will:

• provide suggestions for developing a search strategy;
• suggest specific reference sources and general browsing strategies to use as a starting point;
• introduce you to techniques for using important tools such as library catalogs, research databases and the World Wide Web;
• show you how to locate the books, periodicals, and other references you retrieve in your search of catalogs and databases;
• give you advice on how to evaluate the quality of the information you gather;
• discuss the importance of the ethical use of information.

Remember—The primary goal of the library staff is to help you to develop the skills needed to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively. If you have questions, ask for assistance at one of the staffed service points in the library or contact a librarian by telephone or e-mail.

Selecting Your Search Topic

Before you can begin searching for information, it is important to define your research topic. Take the time to write down a sentence or two in which you state your topic as specifically as possible, including the aspects of the topic that you wish to investigate. Remember, this is just the starting point. You will continue to refine your topic as you locate relevant information.

For example, if your research paper deals with climate change and alternative energy sources, you might start with the following search topic:

Locate information about the relative advantages and disadvantages to the environment of using nuclear power instead of fossil fuels to generate electricity.

Finding Background Information

Before researching a topic in depth, it is useful to read some background information of the kind found in encyclopedias and dictionaries. These sources are helpful in placing the topic in a broader context and providing related subjects and terms to use as keywords as you continue your search.

The following sources may provide useful background information for your research on topics related to climate change and alternative energy sources, as well as other topics you may choose.

Title	Location/Call Number
Encyclopedia of Rural America	Ref E169.12 .E5 1997 v.1-2
Caldwell's Atlas of Wayne County Ohio (1873)	Ref G1398 .W3C3 1997
Encyclopedia of Water	Science Ref GB655 .N38 2003
Conservation and Environmentalism: An Encyclopedia	Science Ref GE10 .C68 1995
Environmental Resource Handbook	Science Ref GE20 .E657 2008
Environmental Issues: Essential Primary Sources	Science Ref GE105 .E5825 2006
International Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics	Science Ref GE170 .I55 2002
Environmental Activism: A Reference Handbook	Science Ref GE195 .S88 2003
ABC-CLIO Companion to the Environmental Movement	Science Ref GE197 .G76 1994
Encyclopedia of World Environmental History	Ref GF10 .E63 2004 v.1-3
Environmental Encyclopedia	Science Ref GE10 .E38 2003 v.1-2
Encyclopedia of Global Change: Environmental Change   and Human Society	Science Ref GE149 .E47 2002 v.1-2
Encyclopedia of the Developing World	Ref HC59.7 .E52 2006 v.1-3
Natural Resources	Ref HC103.7 .N278 1998 v.1-3
World Energy Outlook 2006	Ref HD9502 .A2 W6694 2006
Encyclopedia of Environment and Society	Ref HM856 .E56 2007 v.1-5
Europa World Year Book	Ready Ref JN1 .E85 2008 v.1-2
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology	Science Ref Q121 .M3 2002 v.1-20
Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology	Science Ref Q123 .E497 2002 v.1-18
Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather	Science Ref QC854 .E523 1996 v.1-2
Encyclopedia of Soil Science	Science Ref S592 .S53 2008
Encyclopedia of Environmental Studies	Science Ref TD9 .A84 2001
The Environmental Guidebook: A Selective Reference Guide to   Environmental Organizations and Related Entities	Science Ref TD171 .S76 2002
The World's Water: A Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources	Science Ref TD345 .W674
The Water Encyclopedia	Science Ref TD351 .V36 1990
Energy Supply	Science Ref TJ163.2 .Y68 2005
Wiley Encyclopedia of Energy and the Environment	Science Ref TJ163.235 .W55 1997 v.1-2
Macmillan Encyclopedia of Energy	Science Ref TJ163.28 .M33 2001 v.1-3
Handbook of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy	Science Ref TJ163.3 .H356 2006
Alternative Energy Facts, Statistics and Issues	Science Ref TJ808 .B467 2001
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1867-1970 OHIOLink Digital Media Center	Online

Access Science: McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Online This is the electronic access version of the 10th edition of McGraw-Hill’s Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, a highly technical encyclopedia in the sciences. The Web site provides fully searchable content from more than 8,500 articles in the latest edition of the encyclopedia as well as definitions from McGraw Hill’s Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, biographies of more than 2,000 scientists, bibliographies containing more than 28,000 literature citations and a well-developed subject directory of Web links. Encyclopedia Britannica Online This is the electronic access version of the Encyclopedia Britannica. In addition to 12 dedicated research tools, the Web site includes the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus. Wikipedia According to information posted on its Web site, “Wikipedia is first and foremost an online encyclopedia and, as a means to that end, an online community of people interested in building a high-quality encyclopedia in a spirit of mutual respect.” Anyone can contribute a new article, or edit an existing article. The online encyclopedia contains information on almost any topic. It is updated immediately so that the information is very current. Caution! Wikipedia’s strength is also its weakness. Because anyone can edit almost any page, it is essential that users confirm information in other sources to ensure reliability.

Possible Keywords

As you consult various reference sources, you will find keywords and concepts that are relevant to your topic. It is a good idea to keep a list of keywords to search in other reference sources, library catalogs and databases. Remember, you will probably continue to refine your search topic as you locate more information. You will add new terms and delete other terms as you continue your research.

Some of the following concepts and keywords might be helpful in a search for information about climate change and nuclear power.

Climate	Alternative Energy	Safety	Cost
climate change global warming carbon emissions greenhouse gases	nuclear energy nuclear power atomic energy atomic power	radiation exposure radioactive waste nuclear waste aging power plants earthquakes accidents terrorism Chernobyl Three-Mile Island	nuclear reactor › useful life decommissioning uranium, plutonium › mining cost availability processing yield

Developing Your Search Strategy

Once you have consulted reference sources for background information and developed a list of concepts and keywords, you are ready to search some of the tools that will provide access to books, magazine and journal articles and other documents relevant to your topic. Because most of these tools are available electronically, it is tempting to type a few words into a database without thinking about how the terms are related to each other. You can save time and improve your retrieval by taking a few minutes to develop a search strategy that combines terms logically and takes advantage of the search features provided in the database your are using. Search Strategies and Techniques provides tips and techniques for designing and implementing search strategies.

Library Catalogs

Library catalogs contain listings of the materials owned by (or accessible from) their respective libraries. Materials listed in library catalogs include books, government publications, electronic resources, scores and recordings, media, and periodical titles (but not the articles contained in the periodical). Library catalogs also provide information about locations of materials and current availability.

The CONSORT catalog includes the merged catalogs of the College of Wooster, Denison University, Kenyon College, and Ohio Wesleyan University. You can search the merged catalog or the individual catalog of one of the CONSORT colleges and access the OhioLINK catalog.

OhioLINK is a consortium of more than 80 Ohio academic libraries, including Ohio State University, Kent State University, Cleveland State University, and Case Western Reserve University. The OhioLINK Central catalog is the database of all books and other materials owned by all the OhioLINK member libraries.

See Searching Library Catalogs for a brief summary of the contents and search capabilities of the CONSORT and OhioLINK catalogs.

Organization of Library Materials

As you locate relevant reference sources and books by using the library catalog, you may find that books shelved nearby also contain useful information. That is because most of the materials in the library are arranged by subject according to the Library of Congress Classification System. See Organization of Library Materials in the Guide to Library Research in Science for more information about library classification systems, reading call numbers and physical locations of materials in the College of Wooster libraries. Some of the call number ranges that contain materials that may be relevant to your topic are listed below.

Library of Congress Classification

Classification	Content
F  486-520   497 .H74   497 .W4	United States Local History  Ohio   Holmes Co.   Wayne Co.
G	Geography. Maps. Anthropology. Recreation
GE	Environmental Sciences
H	Social Sciences
HD  101+	Industries. Land Use. Labor  Land Use
Q	Science (General)
QC  851-999   980-999	Physics  Meteorology. Climatology, including the earth’s atmosphere   Climatology and weather
QD	Chemistry
QE  38  39.5 .U7	Geology  Environmental geology  Urban geology
S  589.7  590-599	Agriculture  Agricultural ecology  Soils. Soil science
T	Technology (General)
TD  169-171.8  172-193.5  194-195  201-500   365+   388   390	Environmental Technology  Environmental protection  Environmental pollution  Environmental effects of industries and plants  Water Supply for Domestic and Industrial Uses   Water quality management   Water conservation   Sources of water supply
TJ  163.13-163.25  163.26-163.5  807-830   809-812.8   820-828   830	Mechanical Engineering and Machinery  Power resources  Energy conservation  Renewable energy sources   Solar energy   Wind power   Animal motors. Treadmills
TP  248.13-248.65  315-360	Chemical Technology  Biotechnology  Fuel

Superintendent of Documents Classification

United States Government Publications are cataloged by issuing agency, using the Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) Classification System. Each item is assigned a call number and arranged on the shelves with other items published by the same department or agency, regardless of subject. For this reason, browsing in government publications is very inefficient. See the Superintendent of Documents Classification System section of Organization of Library Materials for more information about reading SuDocs call numbers and locating government publications in Wooster’s libraries.

Newspaper Indexes

Newspaper indexes provide access to articles in newspapers, and are especially useful for finding information on current events. The College of Wooster Libraries subscribe to several print newspaper indexes, which are located in the Reference section of Gault Library. In addition, online access to many newspaper indexes and full text access to newspaper articles is available through the Databases by Title page. Current issues of print newspapers are shelved on Level 2 of Andrews Library. Back issues are stored on microfilm or microfiche. For a more detailed list of research links related to news, see the News Sources page.

Selected Newspaper Indexes

Alternative Press Index [FirstSearch] (1991-present) Alternative Press Index Archive (1969-1990) Indexes alternative, radical and left-wing journals, newspapers and magazines, covering topics on cultural, economic, political and social change. America’s Newspapers [Newsbank] This collection of online full-text newspapers includes 17 Ohio newspapers, plus other major newspapers from other states. Content includes local and regional news, including community events, schools, politics, government policies, cultural activities, local companies, state industries and people in the community. Google News Archive Search Google’s newest feature directs searchers to both paid and free digital content from the archives of newspapers and magazines that may date back as far as 200 years. Participating publications include The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, The Guardian and LexisNexis. LexisNexis Academic [LexisNexis] Provides indexing and full text access to sources in news, business, legal research, medical, and general reference sources. The news categories include: general news; today’s news; US news; world news; wire service reports; transcripts of television and radio news broadcasts; reviews, entertainment and sports news; campus news, including Chronicle of Higher Education and student newspapers; and, non-English language news, including Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian, and German. Newspaper Source [EBSCOhost] Provides indexing, abstracts and full-text for 233 news sources, including newspapers, wire services and television and radio news transcripts. Most of the coverage is from 2000 to the present with some going back to 1995.

Finding Citations to Articles in Periodicals

To gain access to information in periodicals, you will need to become familiar with periodical indexes and abstracts. By looking up your topic in a relevant periodical index, you can determine what articles have been written and find complete bibliographic citations to those articles. In addition to the bibliographic citation, abstracts provide a brief summary of the article cited. Most periodical indexes are available as electronic databases. A complete list of the databases available at the College can be found on the Databases by Title page. The following are a few databases that will be helpful for your assignment.

Selected Periodical Indexes

Academic Search Complete [EBSCOhost] Academic Search Complete is a scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database with more than 5,300 full-text periodicals, including 4,400 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 9,300 journals and a total of 10,900 publications, including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc. The database features PDF content going back as far as 1865, with the majority of full text titles in native (searchable) PDF format. Searchable cited references are provided for 1,000 journals. Academic Search Complete is updated daily. . AGRICOLA [EBSCOhost] AGRICOLA provides citations to journal articles, monographs, theses, patents, software, audio-visual materials and technical reports. The records describe publications and resources encompassing all aspects of agriculture and allied disciplines including plant and animal sciences, forestry, entomology, soil and water resources, agricultural economics, agricultural engineering, agricultural products, alternative farming practices, and food and nutrition. Auxiliary subjects that support NAL’s Information Center activities, such as agricultural trade and marketing, rural information and animal welfare are also included in the database. BIOSIS Previews [OHIOLink] Provides access to bibliographic citations and abstracts to biological and medical literature focusing on vital biological and medical research findings, pharmacological studies, and discoveries of new organisms. Includes references from journals, international meetings, reviews and books Business Source Complete [EBSCOhost] This database provides indexing and abstracts for scholarly business journals back as far as 1886 as well as searchable cited references for more than 1,200 journals. The database also provides access for full text journals in all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, MIS, POM, accounting, finance and economics as well as non-journal content. Computers and Applied Sciences Complete [EBSCOhost] This database provides indexing and abstracts for more than 1,300 academic journals, professional publications and other reference sources, as well as full text for more than 500 periodicals covering the literature of the many engineering disciplines, computer theory and systems, new technologies, and social and professional context. In addition to covering the research and development aspects of computing and applied sciences, the database is a resource for research concerning the business and social implications of new technology. Environment Complete [EBSCOhost] Environment Complete covers applicable areas of agriculture, ecosystem ecology, energy, renewable energy resources, natural resources, marine and freshwater science, geography, pollution and waste management, environmental technology, environmental law, public policy, social impacts, urban planning and more. The database contains records from more than 1,500 domestic and international titles going back to the 1950s (including 959 active core titles) as well as more than 100 monographs. GeoRef [OHIOLink] Provides indexing and abstracts to references from the American Geological Institute’s geoscience database, covering the worldwide technical literature on geology and geophysics. GreenFILE [EBSCOhost] GreenFILE offers well-researched but accessible information covering all aspects of human impact on the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles include content on the environmental effects of individuals, corporations and local/national governments, and what can be done on each level to minimize negative impact. Topics covered include global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more. GreenFILE is multidisciplinary by nature and draws on the connections between the environment and a variety of disciplines such as agriculture, education, law, health and technology. Sociological Collection [EBSCOhost] This collection covers information in all areas of sociology, including social behavior, human tendencies, interaction, relationships, community development, culture and social structure. The database provides complete full text for more than 500 important journals, including nearly 500 peer-reviewed titles. In addition to the full text, indexing and abstracts are provided for all 523 journals in the collection.

Finding Book and Film Reviews

Subject Guide: Reviews This guide lists a few resources for locating reviews of books, films and theatre productions. Academic Search Complete [EBSCOhost] Find book or film reviews in this database by limiting the document types retrieved to “Book Review or Entertainment Review.” LexisNexis Academic [LexisNexis]

Understanding Citations

Print and electronic bibliographic databases or bibliographies from books or periodical articles will provide references to many types of literature on your topic. It is sometimes difficult to tell whether a citation refers you to a book, a book chapter, a periodical article, or some other type of document. See the Understanding Citations lesson of the Guide to Library Research in Science for guidance with regard to deciphering citations found in bibliographies and databases.

Do We Have That Journal?

After you have retrieved citations to relevant articles from print and electronic databases, you will need to determine whether the journals are available at Wooster and how to access them. The College of Wooster libraries provide access to more than 35,000 electronic journals, in addition to our print and microform journal collections, through our databases, subscriptions, and aggregated collections from OhioLINK EJC, EBSCOhost, and JSTOR among others. You can use the search engine on the Wooster eJournals and Journals page to:

• search for an individual title or ISSN;
• browse an alphabetical listing of available titles;
• browse by subject category.

See Finding Full Text of Journal Articles in the Timken Science Library Web site for more detailed instructions for accessing journal articles at the College.

Note: A number of the EBSCOhost databases provide links to articles from Scientific American in html format without images. To view Scientific American articles in pdf format, select the Scientific American Archive Online link from the eJournals and Journals page.

Borrowing Materials from Other Libraries

One of the advantages of membership in the CONSORT and OhioLINK consortia is that College of Wooster students have access to the resources of many academic libraries, large and small, in the state of Ohio. If the materials you need cannot be found in Ohio, we can usually retrieve them from outside the state. To learn how to borrow materials from other libraries, see Interlibrary Loan. See also Borrowing from Other Libraries at the Timken Science Library web site.

Web Resources

Throughout this Web page we have used the Internet to access a wide variety of databases and reference sources. For the most part, these electronic resources have been evaluated and selected by librarians for addition to our collection in the same way that print materials are selected. It is important to note that The College of Wooster library purchases access to these products, just as it purchases the books on the shelves.

In addition to these carefully selected electronic resources, there is an almost unlimited quantity of information available on the World Wide Web. Some of the Web sources are excellent — authoritative, accurate, reliable, objective and current. Other Web sources are less useful, for one or more reasons. See Searching the World Wide Web for detailed information about web directories and search engines and hints for evaluating information found on the Web.

You may want to use the following Web resources to find information on your topic.

Google Scholar The Google Scholar search engine locates scholarly literature from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web. Results are ranked by relevance, taking into account the full text of each article as well as the article's author, the publication in which the article appeared and how often it has been cited in scholarly literature. Search results may include citations of older works and seminal articles that appear only in books or other offline publications. Living on Earth This weekly news and information program from Public Radio International focuses on the world’s changing environment, ecology and human health. The program features news, interviews and commentary on a wide range of ecological issues. Union of Concerned Scientists According to their Web site, “the Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading science-based nonprofit working for a healthy environment and a safer world.” This Web site provides access to information about global warming, clean energy and more efficient vehicles. Energy Information Administration This is an excellent resource for data on all major energy sources, including petroleum, natural gas, electricity, coal, nuclear and renewable fuels. The site includes international energy information; statistical forecasts and analyses; state and U.S. historical data; energy use for houses, buildings and industry; and environmental date. Green Power Partnership The Green Power Partnership encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to lessen the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The site describes how organizations can partner with the Environmental Protection Agency to “display environmental leadership while reducing [their] impact on the environment.” National Renewable Energy Laboratory “NREL’s mission and strategy are focused on advancing the U.S. Department of Energy’s and our nation’s energy goals. The laboratory’s scientists and researchers support critical market objectives to accelerate research from scientific innovations to market-viable alternative energy solutions.” Research areas include biomass, solar, wind, geothermal, and hydrogen and fuel cells. New York Times: The Energy Challenge “Articles in this series will periodically examine the ways in which the world is, and is not, moving toward a more energy efficient, environmentally benign future.” Ohio Department of Natural Resources    Soil and Water Conservation    Division of Water    Ohio Geological Survey Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Ohio Department of Development    Ohio County Profiles Public Utilities Commission of Ohio City of Wooster Wayne County Ohio Government Holmes County Government Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network Wayne County Historical Society Smithville Community Historical Society Ohio Historical Society College of Wooster Libraries Special Collections

Evaluating Information

Critical evaluation of information is an essential part of the research process. Whether the source of your information is a print reference or a web site, it is important to evaluate the information for accuracy, authority, timeliness, coverage, and objectivity. Although print publications are usually subjected to pre-publication evaluation by editors, publishers, and peer reviewers, they still may contain inaccuracies and may reflect the bias of individuals responsible for their creation. Likewise, documents appearing on many web sites also undergo rigorous evaluation before they are launched. However, the openness of the web environment makes it possible for almost anyone to publish information without the quality control that is part of print environment. Therefore, it is important to think about the reliability of the information you retrieve, no matter what the format. See Evaluating Information for help in assessing the reliability of information from both print and web resources.

Ethical Use of Information

Research is usually a cumulative process in which today’s researcher builds upon the work of those who have come before. While all scholars hope that their work will provide a useful foundation for the research of others, it is important to remember that when you use the ideas of others, you must credit your sources.

The College’s understanding and expectations in regard to issues of academic honesty are fully articulated in the Code of Academic Integrity as published in The Scot’s Key and form an essential part of the implicit contract between the student and the College. The Code provides a framework at Wooster to help students develop their own personal integrity.

While you are a student at this college, you will be treated as an adult. You are expected to know and abide by the rules of the institution as described in The Scot’s Key and The Handbook of Selected College Policies. Particular attention should be directed to the appropriate use of materials available on-line through the Internet. It is important that you read and understand the Ethical Use of Information tutorial found on the libraries’ web site. Whether intentional or not, improper use of materials can be considered a violation of academic honesty.

A few of the resources that will provide assistance in all stages of a writing assignment are listed below.

Title	Location/Call Number
The Columbia Guide to Online Style	Science Ref PN171 .F56 W35 2006 c.2
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers	Ready Ref LB2369 .G53 2003
A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations (Turabian)	Ready Ref LB2369 .T8 1996
A Writer’s Reference (Hacker)	Ready Ref PE1408 .H2778 2007 Science Res PE1408 .H2778 2007
College of Wooster Libraries Writers’ Guide

Don’t Forget: The information presented in your in-class library instruction session and in this web page are intended as an introduction to library research. As you begin to gather and evaluate information for your research paper, you will probably have questions about research methods or resources that have not been covered in class or in this web page. If you have any questions, ask a librarian for help.