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Start Your Research Here

Welcome back to a new term everyone!

Start and finish your 2012 academic research using the Libraries’ resources and services. We have all the online tools and expert personal support you need to plan, develop, and work on your assignments, papers, theses and projects.

Check our Reference & Research Services page for details by library. We also have a Research Tools page with links to the Assignment Calculator, RefWorks, research guides by subject, digital reference sources for quick answers and much more.

Happy New Year and good luck with your work!

Recent Archival Acquisitions at Archives and Special Collections

The EAC recently donate its archival records to Dalhousie

The University Archives and Special Collections has had a busy year!  Newly catalogued items enter the Special Collections on a routine basis and our music room is as busy as every.   We’ve also been busy acquiring and processing some exciting archival material.  Not all of the material is ready for research – it takes some time to create finding aidsto our collections – but we want to spread the word about a few acquisitions to give you a sense of what we’ve been collecting:

  • Ecology Action Centre (MS-11-13) – The Ecology Action Centre recently donated its audiovisual and print library to DUASC.  As part of this donation, the EAC also transferred a large batch of historical records that were held at Nova Scotia Archives.
  • Centre for Art Tapes (MS-3-46) – The Centre for Art Tapes donated a large collection of administrative records, programmes, brochures, exhibit materials, and other records that document the organization’s 30+ years as an artist-run non-profit arts organization.  The fonds is an excellent match for DUASC – we already hold the archives of long-time CFAT collaborator, Eye Level Gallery (MS-3-35).
  • Upstream Music Association (MS-5-16) – The Upstream Music Association is a genre-busting non-profit music organization that steers a number of composition & conduction ensembles, concert series, festivals, recordings, workshops and symposia in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.  Upsteam recently donated administrative records that document the organization’s history, audiovisual materials, and some fantastic avant-garde music scores – you have to see them to believe them!

This is just a selection – we’ve acquired over 100 metres of archival records this year alone!  We’re always working to process and make available new acquisitions and our extensive collection of unprocessed archives – business, shipping, personal, and university records.  If you’re interested in learning more about a collection, don’t hesitate to contact us!

 

Try Google Scholar Citations

As of November 16, Google Scholar has made their new Google Scholar Citations service available to all. Unlike its competitor Microsoft Academic Search, the Google citation tracking service requires that you register to set up your profile, a quick and simple process that apparently pays off in the quality of the search results.

Already there are lots of feedback, both positive and negative, coming in. For example, it appears that GSC may work more effectively in the sciences and social sciences than in the humanities (see Brian Kelly’s Thoughts on Google Scholar Citations for a detailed response).

Faculty, students and researchers at Dal might like to give it a try–we’ll be very interested to hear what you think, so please post your comments here!

New Guide to Researching the History of Dalhousie

It may still be years away, but here in the Archives and Special Collections, we’re busily anticipating Dalhousie’s 200th anniversary in 2018.  This summer we scanned a batch of University Yearbooks and made them available online in DalSpace, our institutional repository.  We’ve already processed some archival records of past university presidents (e.g., Arthur Stanley MacKenzie) and we’re currently processing a variety of faculty papers.

We’ve also created a new research guide – a Guide to the History of Dalhousie.  The guide pulls together some of our existing indices and research tools and adds links and online resources from other university departments.

Over the coming months, we’ll be adding links and other resources to help you research various aspects of Dalhousie’s history and development.   The guide is meant for students, external researchers, and Dalhousie faculty and staff.

Let us know what you think!

What Can Students Do About Open Access?

“It’s a familiar story: You’re writing a paper for class and you need to cite articles from peer-reviewed journals. Eventually, you find an article that looks good — maybe via a search engine, a footnote from another source, or a reference in an index. You search the Web for the full text, but you can’t get past the abstract. You look on your library’s Web site but they don’t have a subscription. You’re stuck. Maybe that article would have been a major source for your work — you’ll never know. You don’t have access.”
from The Right To Research: The Student Guide to Opening Access to Scholarship

How often have you encountered this frustrating scenario? Would you like to do something about it?

Learn more about what open access means in this special guide for students published by SPARC, and then then take action with these 5 practical steps.

Students have the right to research!

How Do Librarians Help Students?

“Since I started university in September, I’ve been really pleased with the services the library provided. Staff are always knowledgeable when I ask for information and if they weren’t then they would easily stir me in the right direction.”

“I have always had excellent service at the library and their abilities are top-notch. I’ve never been disappointed. 🙂 “

“I truly appreciate the ‘ask a librarian.’ The librarians are fabulous. They are ALWAYS very helpful and appear to want to answer your questions! They obviously like their jobs!”

These comments are among many we’ve received from students who have enjoyed working with our Dal librarians. But recent studies show that librarians come pretty far down the list when most students go looking for help with their academic work.

We get it that Google and Wikipedia are handy and helpful; in fact, we use them too. But if you’re depending on only these sources for the best quality information, you’re missing out. Did you know …..

  • There’s a librarian for every subject taught at Dal
  • Librarians are research experts. Many do their own professional research, so they know just where to look and how to search for information
  • Librarians can show you how to search the web effectively, evaluate websites, avoid plagiarism, and research online from home
  • Librarians are happy to work with you one-on-one to help you with your assignments
  • They will come to your class to teach you how to find and use library resources in your area of study (just ask your prof)
  • Working with a librarian will save you time and stress—guaranteed!

Don’t be shy about asking a librarian for help. The students quoted above were happy they did, and you will be too!

Scopus Database Trial

Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed scientific literature and quality web sources, with smart tools to track, analyze and visualize research. It currently offers nearly 19,500 titles from more than 5,000 international publishers, a total of 38 million records of
which millions date back as far as 1823! Scopus also provides 100% Medline coverage.

Beginning today the Dal Libraries are offering a one-month trial of Scopus to our on and off-campus users. Access this amazing database here, and let us know what you think by posting your comments to the blog!

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