Guide to Library Research in Linear Algebra

Dr. Derek Newland
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.

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 linear algebra.

Title	Location/Call Number
Encyclopedia of Mathematics	Science Ref QA5 .M3713 1988 v.1-10
CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics	Science Ref QA5 .W45 2003
Handbook of Mathematics for Scientists and Engineers	Science Ref QA40 .P72 2007
Handbook of Linear Algebra	Science Ref QA184.2 .H36 2007

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.

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 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 The 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 our sample topic.

Library of Congress Classification

Classification	Content
QA  184 - 199   184.5   186   187   188 - 197  200-	Mathematics  Linear and multilinear algebra. Matrices   Problems, exercises, examinations   Vector spaces   Linear dependence   Matrices  Vector and tensor algebra

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.

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.

Writing Your Paper and Citing Your Sources

Writing guides and style manuals assist a researcher in all aspects of the production of a research paper. A useful writing guide for mathematics is listed below.

Handbook of Writing for the Mathematical Sciences Science Reserves QA42 .H54 1998 In addition to covering English usage and the structure of a research paper, this manual addresses the entire publication process, writing and delivering a talk, writing and defending a thesis, and the use of computers in research and writing.

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 online 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.

Other resources that will provide assistance in all stages of a writing assignment, including citation formats 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 Ref 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.