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

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 Planning subject guide
  • resources for research
  • citation info
• Contact Ellen for help with your search strategy when looking for resources for your assignments, advice on which databases are the best places to look for various research topics, and with questions about citing.
  • By email: Ellen.Tisdale@umanitoba.ca
  • By appointment, via phone or video chat
  • By cellphone: (204) 583-1528