Using a Subject search is a good way to begin looking for information on a topic.
Keywords may return a number of results, but it's a random net and you don't know whether or not you are finding all that is available.
A Subject search helps you think through your subject because each topic is divided into several headings. Let's follow a search for Eating Disorders:
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Here are the results:
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The results offer ways to conduct your research and narrow your topic. The "See Also" references suggest other topics that can focus your research. (But what if there's nothing in the catalog on your subject?)
An overview of the subheadings suggests both research tools (handbooks) and ways of restricting your research. You might decide, for example, to focus a psychology paper strictly on the difficulties of diagnosing eating disorders in adolescents.
You select a category, such as the general heading "Eating Disorders", to bring up a list of titles:
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You click on a title to bring up the record for the item:
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The record contains all the information about the title. There is only one record no matter how many copies of a particular item there are in the whole library system. However, different editions of a work, paperback versus hardback versions of a book for example, will have different records. In a record, the author and subjects are links that will run new searches.
In order to find an item, look below the record to the copy information. The Location tells you where in the library to find it, the Call Number gives its position on the shelf, and the Status tells you whether it is checked out. The DACC library uses the Dewey Decimal system of Call numbers. If you would like more information about Dewey Decimal numbers and what they mean, you can watch an animated explanation or simply look at a complete list of the numbers and what they designate.
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And that's it. That's a basic subject search.
If you run into trouble with your topic, take a look at what to do if there's nothing in the catalog on your subject. After you've done that, you'll also want to expand your search to DACC's sister libraries in I-Share. You can request materials directly using your library card. Learn how! If you want to try a powerful but slippery keyword search, take a look at the Any Word Anywhere search
And REMEMBER, if you have trouble with this, or any other stage in the research process, you can ask for Help! Ask your teacher! Ask Librarians! If you need to, just hit the PANIC button! |
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For information about this, or any other
Library Web Page, contact the
Library.
©Ruth B. Lindemann, 2003 Danville Area
Community College
2/10/03
Revised 11/1/06
