ASSIGNMENT TWO

In this assignment, you will be searching a library catalogue. This might seem like a simple task, something you have done since high school, but library catalogues have a level of sophistication that enables you to do some very specific searches. In fact, the one assignment students have the most trouble with completing is this one. It is crucial that you read Research Strategies, chapters three and four, very carefully, even if you consider yourself to be a catalogue searching whiz. There is a logic to finding information on databases, and you must understand that logic if you want to be efficient in retrieval. For information on the use of Trinity Western's library catalogue, go to http://libguides.twu.ca/c.php?g=284762&p=1897368.

Keywords and Controlled Vocabularies

The most difficult concept for students is the difference between keywords and controlled vocabularies.  They are not at all the same, and you need to study the differences until they become very clear to you. The textbook, chapter 4, is devoted to subject headings.

A significant number of assignment #2's submitted by students are returned because the controlled vocabulary/subject heading search was done incorrectly.  Please be sure you understand the concept before you submit the assignment (more information below).

The most important thing to remember is that controlled vocabularies are search terminology created by librarians. There is no opportunity to revise them or mess with them in any way. You have to take them as given.  Keywords, on the other hand are created by you.  You have the power to shape them any way you want.  Keywords are words found in titles, etc.  Controlled vocabularies (such as subject headings) tell you what a book or article is actually about.  They are a way of pulling together everything on a subject regardless of what words are used in titles.

With keyword searching, consistently the biggest problem I see is that searchers start with too MUCH terminology.  I recommend that you start with two search words.  If that produces too much material, then add a word or two.  Simplicity generally wins over complexity in keyword searching.  Remember that, for an AND search, every word you add eliminates results from your list.  Some of those results might potentially be useful.  Keep searching simple unless lack of sufficiently narrow results calls for more complexity.
 

Finding Subject Headings

Here's a tip that could make the difference between success and failure in this assignment:

The easiest way to identify subject headings is to do a Keyword Title search in our catalog, open the catalog record for a relevant book, and see what subject headings were used. You can then click on any subject heading link to find the other books identified with that subject.

One of the results is The Kingdom of God in the Teaching of Jesus. Click on its title, then click on the catalog record link to get the full record. The linked subject headings are displayed. Clicking on any one will get you all the results in the catalog that use that subject heading:

Try out this video to see subject heading identification in action:

 

Alternatively, you can attempt to identify a relevant subject heading in our catalog basic search by choosing the Browse function and selecting Subject, then inputing a subject heading. The problem is that this is going to require guessing. Tools to help you identify relevant subject headings are available:

   

The Library of Congress also has a very good version of its controlled vocabulary subject headings system available online at http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects.html (Note that this is not a catalog in itself, just an index to subject headings).  

To use it, do the following:

       1. Type into the upper box a good guess about what the subject heading might be.  You will get a display of various related headings.
      2. If you search, for example, on Evangelism, which is not an authorized subject heading, the authorities database will provide us with on or more authorized headings.

Notice, above, that you have four possible authorized subject headings: Evangelism plays, Witness bearing (Christianity), Evangelistic work, and Children--Conversion to Christianity. Under some of those authorized subject headings are other terms that are not authorized (don't use those). Notice that our initial search term "Evangelism" is listed under the actual authorized subject heading, which is Evangelistic work.

Note: Once you have identified a subject heading that is authorized, you must then go to a library catalogue (like the TWU catalogue) and use that heading in a subject browse search in that catalog.  The index described above is not a catalog itself, just an index to identify subject headings.  Most academic library catalogs in North America use the Library of Congress Subject Heading system. Note: If a subject heading has hyphens in it, drop the hypens before you search by subject in our catalogue. Thus, instead of Leadership - Religious aspects - Christianity search on Leadership Religious aspects Christianity.

Our catalogue has "authority control," a cross-reference system to guide you to correct subject headings when you are using Subject Browse.  You will now find cross references among the subject headings, for example:

                

Bibliographic Managers - EndNote Basic

Bibliographic managers enable you to collect citations to various resources (books, articles, etc.), put them in folders, and generate bibliographies in various formats. They are a bit complex to learn, but they can be a valuable source through your student career and beyond.

EndNote Basic (http://www.myendnoteweb.com) is free, and you can keep it as long as you want. I strongly recommend that you start using it to formulate citations. You will find a set of tutorials to help you get started at http://libguides.twu.ca/EndNote/

 

Creating Formatted Citations without a Bibliographic Manager.

If you find that EndNote Basic is simply too complex for you, it's best if you do not use it for these assignments. 

Alternatively, you can create book citations http://www.worldcat.org. Here is a guide to help you  Our e-books, if they are on the EBSCO platform, Cite function in the right column to create formatted citations. Some other e-book platforms allow you to create citations by adding references to folder and using either the Save or Cite function to the right.

A very useful alternative is Citation Machine (http://www.citationmachine.net/). Formats are listed near the top of the screen. For most uses, Chicago is the same as Turabian.

Another tool which can help you format book and article citations is KnightCite (http://webapps.calvin.edu/knightcite/index.php). You will have to select Books from the left, then enter the required information

For a good guide to Turabian formats use http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html. Note that there are TWO Turabian formats, Reference List and Notes (or Bibliography) format. ACTS uses Notes (or Bibliography) format, which calls for footnotes or endnotes rather than short, in-text references. In the Turabian site above, the correct format is designated by N and B.

For a guide to APA, go to http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html

 

                          

 

Read Research Strategies, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five: Section 5.1 and Chapter Six [5th edition, 2014].

A. State your research question.

B. Go to the TWU library catalog at the library home page (www.twu.ca/library).  For information on the use of Trinity Western's library catalog, go to http://libguides.twu.ca/c.php?g=284762&p=1897368.

Related to your research question, start with a keyword search in titles by doing a Keyword Title search for relevant books. Be very sure you have set the catalog for Keyword:



Indicate what search words or word combinations you tried (e.g. Homeless* AND Philadelphia).  If one search doesn't work, use lateral thinking to find other ways that title keyword could be used to produce relevant results, but avoid multiplying the various search combinations you use.  Instead, use critical thinking to come up with a few narrow and highly relevant terms. Note that the truncation symbol for our catalog is $ rather than * .

Be sure to indicate what successful Keyword Title combinations you used. List each search you did on a separate line:

Kingdom Luke
Kingdom Gospel Luke, etc.

C. Make a list of ten books relevant  to your research question in alphabetical order by author. Include author, title, place of publication, publisher and date, and use either Turabian Notes (=Turabian Bibliography or Chicago) or APA format. Turabian is to be used for most topics, but APA can be used for psychology-related topics.  You MUST list all books in this assignment in either Turabian Notes or APA format.  For information on ways to do this, see the backgrounder above. Remember that there are two Turabian formats. You want Turabian Notes (sometimes called "Turabian Bibliography") format rather than Turabian Reference List format.

For Turabian, these examples will explain the differences between the two formats. Use the second format, not the first:

 Reference list: Badke, William B. 2005. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Meaning of Everything. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

Notes/Bibliography format: Badke, William B. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Meaning of Everything. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2005.

D. Put an asterisk next to the most highly relevant titles.  These ones will be helpful in guiding you to the correct subject headings to use for the next part of this assignment.

E. Be sure that your bibliography is in alphabetical order by author and contains only citations to books or e-books.

1. Related to your research question, do a Subject Heading search in the library catalog for relevant books. If you do not know which subject headings to use see the explanations in the background above. Please be aware that up to half of all students get their assignments returned because they did not understand subject heading searching. Make sure that you have grasped the concept.
   

   Be sure to indicate what subject headings you used, listing each on a separate line. Be sure they are actual subject headings rather than your own keywords.

Do not use the advanced search feature in the catalog, because it turns subject searches into keyword searches. Use only basic search.

1. Make a list of ten books relevant to your research question. Include author, title, place of publication, publisher and date and use either Turabian Notes (not Turabian Reference List) or APA format. The list needs to be in alphabetical order by author. (Your list can include book titles that are the same as those found in Keyword Title, if you wish, though the two lists might be quite different)
   
   
   

Comment on which search (subject heading or keyword title) was most profitable, and on how much overlap there was in results found by each search (i.e. how many results were the same).

  NOTE: If the TWU catalog is not available, or if you cannot find a great deal on your subject, do the assignment using another catalog available through the Internne (see http://www.libdex.com/country.html for a portal to these).  Indicate what library you used. This is only to be done if the TWU library catalog will not work for your project or is unavailable.

Rubric for Assignment Two.  Highest grade meets these criteria:

• Creative and insightful use of keyword terminology in the catalog to get best results
• Creative and insightful use of subject headings in the catalog to get best results
• Excellent results from library catalog searches that make a real contribution to meeting the needs of the research question
• Bibliographies are each in alphabetical order by author
• Proper formatting of book results from all catalog searches
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot issues

 

Last updated: July 8, 2016