City Planning

Research Strategies & Resources

Today we will look at:

  • Library services during pandemic times
  • Search strategies & resources
  • Expanding your search beyond the UM's collection
  • Useful tools for searching & managing literature you've found

Quick Poll

How many of you have:

A - used the Library Search (aka the "library catalogue", once called "One Stop Search")

B - visited the City Planning subject guide

C - ordered something using Document Delivery

D - used the Avery Index database 

E - used the Oxford Art Online database

F - used a reference management software (e.g. Mendeley, Zotero, EndNote)

 

Answer at www.menti.com/v4ojyk8y4g

Library services during pandemic times

Note - during pandemic times:

  • Online library services are always available
  • Services involving physical collections & spaces are available in a limited capacity, which may change as the situation evolves.

Currently:

 

Request physical books to pick up at
Elizabeth Dafoe Library

Request scanned portions of books in & outside our collection (up to 10% or 1 chapter)

Limited in-person study space available

UM Library Search

  • All physical resources within the Libraries
  • Some (not all) of the databases we subscribe to
    • Includes many reference texts available online (encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc)
    • If you sign in, more results (eg ArtStor images)
  • Very broad search engine - might get a lot of unrelated results.

Requesting Items

  • Sign in to the Library Search with your umnetID
    • Problems signing in? Staff on the Ask Us library chat can help
  • If the item is checked out, users have at least 7 days to return (we allow more if needed)
    • No late fees during pandemic
  • Check out from Hold Locker using your student ID card

Requesting a chapter or 10%

Search for the Table of Contents:

  • in the Details area of a Library Search record
  • via Google Books or Amazon (sometimes there is also a preview...)
  • email documentdelivery@umanitoba.ca just to request the Table of Contents
    • Provide at least the title, author, link to the book in the Library Search

Search Tip: to get more results

Try to find all the different ways of expressing the concept you're searching for. This can be done by:

  • putting OR between synonyms (rome OR roman)
  • adding an asterisk (*) to the root of a word:

 

E.g.: Canad* - finds Canada, Canadian, Canadians

Christian* - finds Christian, Christians, Christianity...

 

Note - Christ* also finds Christmas, Christo (the artist)...

Search Tip: to get more specific results

(narrowing down your search)

  • Put a phrase "in quotation marks" to find results with those words in that order.
    • E.g.: "gothic revival"
  • Use NOT to exclude unrelated content.
    • E.g. union NOT soviet - for content about unions, but not the soviet one

 

More search tips on the Graduate Help & Services pages

Which search will find the most results?

www.menti.com/v4ojyk8y4g

Try brainstorming some keywords on your research topic

  • Are there any phrases that should go "in quotations"?
  • What synonyms would be useful to include?
    (candy OR mints OR sweets OR...)
  • Are there any root words that could be truncated? (Canad*)
  • Try out your search. Are there any irrelevant keywords that should be excluded using NOT?

 

 

For more useful keywords, check:

  • subject tags
  • reference entries

Searching beyond the UM Library Collection

  • Library Search > Include Results beyond UofM
  • Document Delivery
    • journal articles
    • up to 10% or one chapter of a book
  • Databases include results beyond our subscriptions
    • Avery Index - Architecture (including city planning)
    • Canadian Business & Current Affairs - Canadian topics
  • Google Scholar (with links to UM resources)
  • WorldCat.org for books worldwide

Document Delivery during pandemic times

("Request from another library" link in the Library Search)

 

No physical book requests

 

Request a copy of up to 10% or one chapter of a book

 

Request journal articles

For more sources, check:

  • Bibliographies of works on your topic
  • "Cited by" feature in many databases (e.g. Avery)
  • Subject headings in databases

for more articles:

  • Related Reading sidebar

for more books:

  • Virtual Browse

Citing

Link to full text of Chicago Manual of Style further down the page

(or access via the Library Search)

Citation Management Software

  • Keep track of research,
  • annotate documents,
  • produce a bibliography

Free software options:

  • Mendeley
  • Zotero

Keeping up with current trends

  • Use the Library Search to find journals that are relevant to your area of interest
  • Use Browzine to keep track of relevant journals, receive alerts when new issues are available, & more

City Planning subject guide

bit.ly/UMplanning

Questions?

General Library Help

  • Questions about your library account, or how the UM Libraries work? The Help & Services page for graduate students may have the answer.
  • During the Fall term, library staff are available via the Ask Us chat service: 9am-8pm Monday-Thursday, 9am-6pm Friday, and 1pm-4pm on weekends.
    • Fastest way to ask a general question about the Libraries.
    • If we're not online, your message will be received the following morning.

Questions?

Research Support

 

CITY 7050

By Ellen Tisdale

CITY 7050

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