Introduction 
Before information is organised and stored so
that it is accessible, obviously it must be produced. Understanding the
sequence of events in the production, or publication cycle, of information
within a discipline can help you to know where to start looking and
to choose the right research tool for your particular task.
The first
diagram shows each stage in the production of secondary literature,
and illustrates the process your researcher is involved in. Probably they
are near the top of the pyramid. The second
diagram shows where each stage is likely to be stored and found, and
reflects the process you are undertaking. Try matching your own position
on this pyramid.
A general guide to the
research process and the relevant resources for each step are also
explained on the Study & Research Help page of the Library webpage.
Where
to find material
Internet
Evaluate all Internet resources as you would any other research resource.
The
Internet is not officially part of the "information pyramid"
even though every publication type can be found there, and one search can
retrieve information at every level. The Internet hosts many resources
that collate and organise information, many of which replicate the
structure of print or subscription electronic resources - Wikipedia,
yourdictionary.com, Infomine.
Google and Google
Scholar are linked from the Library webpage.
Use the Advanced search option for best results.
Using Google Scholar from the Library webpageidentifies you as a University of
Auckland affiliated user.
Direct links are provided from Google Scholar results to University of Auckland subscribed databases, e.g. if your Google
Scholar search retrieves an article provided in full text by JSTOR,
you can connect directly to it by clicking on the title.
Another feature of Google Scholar is the citation information. This
is not as reliable as a citation index such as Arts & Humanities
Citation Index.
You can take a Library Workshop on searching Google and Google Scholar, or get
some tips from the handout.
Library
catalogues
All libraries provide free access to the catalogue of materials that they hold. In addition to individual libraries' catalogues, there are national catalogues which are collaborative enterprises to list the holdings of a country's libraries, or those that are particularly significant. On a larger scale, there are catalogues that aim for international coverage. University of Auckland Library webpage provides a gateway to a selection of important catalogues under the International heading.
Voyager
- Voyager is a catalogue of all materials, irrespective of format,
held by the University of Auckland Library system.
Material held at libraries outside the City Campus can be
requested using the Inter-Campus
Library Delivery Service.
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- As well as searching by author or title, you can search Voyager for books on your topic using Keyword or Subject searches.
The Advanced Voyager Library workshop covers these techniques. You
can book the course, or read the handout.
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- Voyager also
provides links to the full text of e-resources, both books and
serials. You must be logged on with your NetID and Password to
gain access to these resources. Voyager does not catalogue or index the contents of books or serials. Use an electronic database or bibliography for this purpose.
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- Subject searches look specifically in the Subject Heading field of the catalogue record for the term you have typed in. This term must correspond with the Library of Congress Subject Heading[s] assigned to the book.
Keyword searches look anywhere in the catalogue record for the terms
you type in. You can truncate terms to find all variant endings,
search for phrases, and use Boolean operators [and, or, not]
between words and phrases.
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Te Puna - the New Zealand
National Bibliographic Database
Te
Puna is a catalogue library holdings for the whole of New Zealand, and also connects you to overseas catalogues such as the Australian National Bibliographic Database and the Library of Congress.
It also includes records of new books not yet held by any library. Because
it runs on the same software [Endeavor] as Voyager, you can use the
same search techniques.
To
obtain material from other libraries in New Zealand, use the InterLibrary Loan request form on the Library webpage.
WorldCat
WorldCat is the catalogue of Library of Congress member libraries in the United
States. It catalogues all types of material - books, theses, microfilm,
internet resources, and archives and manuscripts. Use the Advanced search.
Databases
Specific databases
can be accessed alphabetically by title or by subject area from the Library webpage, from the Databases & Articles link.
The Connect page of each database provides details of content, scope, coverage, and compatibility with EndNote.
The Multi-database Search link allows you to search a group of databases simultaneously, across a default group according to broad subject areas, or using your own selection by Custom Search. Searches of this type, across more than one database simultaneously, provide a broad range of results rather than the focus of searching a single database.
The
Study & Research Help section of the Library webpage also has information about searching.
Overview
of databases
There
is no standardised search interface for databases, although several
databases may run off the same "platform", i.e. Ebsco, ProQuest.
Some
general principles apply to searching databases, and the following
techniques are common to most databases:
Help
screens - look for the link. Help screens have a menu with internal
links to examples and demonstration searches. Help is often task specific,
i.e. if you are displaying results, then the help from that screen will
relate to all aspects of displaying results. The help menu will include
information about the following:
Limiting
searches - most databases allow limits to publication date, full text,
and peer reviewed journals. You may also limit by language, publication
type and document type. Each database may have its special features.
Truncation
and wildcards - truncation allows you to find variant endings of
words, using a specific symbol after the word stem, e.g. colonial? =
colonials, colonialism, colonialists. Wildcards use another symbol
within words to allow for variant spelling or plurals, e.g. wom*n = woman
or women.
Indexes/Thesaurii - some databases have lists of index or thesaurus terms. These are the
preferred terms or controlled vocabulary by which the content of the
database is organised. You can match your search term against the list and
choose an indexed term, or search your own term as a keyword.
Boolean
and proximity operators - Boolean operators are most commonly AND, OR,
NOT. Proximity operators allow search terms to be found in relation to one
another, a certain number of words apart, or as phrases. The Advanced
search option usually caters for these searches, either by providing
several search boxes or by requiring you to type the Boolean operators as
part of the search strategy.
Here is an explanation and examples of how Boolean operators retrieve results,
and how to create a search strategy.
A short video clip also explains the logic of Boolean operators.
Search
results - results can be saved, e-mailed, printed or saved to EndNote [check the Connect page of each database to see if it allows for direct
export or an import filter to be used]. A few databases are not compatible
with EndNote.
Alert
systems and archives - many databases have an e-mail alert system. You
can also create your own archive to save both search strategies and
results for future use.
Full
text - if databases are not entirely full text they may be a
combination of full text and bibliographic references. Some provide only
bibliographic references with an abstract or annotation. Most University
of Auckland Library databases feature  . Clicking the symbol instigates a search in Voyager to check
whether the journal in which the article appears is held in the Library. A
full explanation of this feature is on the Study & Research Help section of the Library webpage.
Managing
your results
Referen©ite
It is essential to reference and cite accurately all material that contributes to your research. Referen©ite explains its importance, and has also created Quick©ite, an electronic guide to referencing the most common publication types that will be included in your search results.
Use the pull-down menu to select a referencing style, and the menus on its right to choose the publication type you wish to cite. If you are unsure which referencing style you should use, check with your supervisor. Each referencing style also has an official handbook, or style guide, available in either print or online. They provide more detailed information than Quick©ite and should always be referred to when in doubt, or when
you have an unusual publication not listed in Quick©ite. For information and guidance on referencing, or locating the official handbook or style guide, check with a subject librarian.
EndNote
EndNote is a computer software programme, which stores and manages references and
formats them into the chosen referencing style. It also operates in
conjunction with Microsoft Word to insert footnotes and create a
bibliography.
Information
all aspects of EndNote on the Study & Research Help section of the Library webpage.
You
can book a Library Workshop on using EndNote with Library databases, or follow the course
handout.
The Student
Learning Centre offers courses on using EndNote.
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