Library Search Tools

Omni

Omni - try it yourself

Omni - a few tricks!

Related Articles

Citation Trails

Virtual Browse

Books from other libraries

Learn more about Omni

Interactive Tutorial

• https://brocku.libwizard.com/f/How-to-use-Omni

Search Tips

• https://researchguides.library.brocku.ca/BrockOmni

Databases

History of Science, Technology, and Medicine

Journal articles

Books

Book chapters

Dissertations

Conferences

Coverage: all time periods

Limited to:

2 simultaneous users

Other Databases

• Historical Abstracts
  • world history
• America: History and Life
  • history of North America
• JSTOR
  • multidisciplinary

• Early English Books Online (EEBO)
  • digitized printed works from 1473 - 1700
• ARTStor
  • digitized images

Search Strategy

1. Search techniques and keywords

2. Finding related items with subject headings

Activity

Go to JSTOR (hint: it's a "database")

With a partner, compare the results of each pair of searches.

Which returns more results? Can you explain the difference?

1. middle ages VS "middle ages"

2. islam VS islam*

3. indigenous OR native VS indigenous AND native

Techniques

1. Use quotation marks for phrase searches:  “early modern”

2. Use truncation for variant word endings: arab* retrieves arab, arabs, arabic, arabian

3. Use OR for synonyms:  indigenous OR native

4. Use AND to combine two different concepts:  slaves AND missionaries

Subject Headings

Subject headings are a powerful way to find related items 

Primary sources

• Published collections

• Primary source databases

Primary sources

Add one of the following terms to your search in Omni. They work best when you add them to a "subject" box:

• personal narratives
• sources ***
• diaries
• letters
• correspondence
• interviews

Primary sources

Primary Source Databases

Digitized copies of English-language print books from Britain, Ireland, and North America 1473-1700

Title Text

HIST 2P75

Library Tutorial

Digitized copies of English-language print books from Britain, Ireland, and North America 1473-1700

• 146,000 works
• 17 million pages
• 70 years to scan and produce metadata
• All full-text searchable and scanned images

How to:

• Navigate the interface
• Find specific works
• Search across the entire collection and within works

Early English Books Online

• 146,000 titles
• 17 million pages
• 70 years to scan and produce metadata
• All full-text searchable and scanned images

Activity

Go to EEBO

Find this book: Edward Topsell, The history of four-footed beasts and serpents… 

Find an animal mentioned in Topsell

Find another book which mentions the same animal published AFTER Topsell's book

EEBO - learn more

https://proquest.libguides.com/eebopqp

Evaluating Websites

Purpose

Why does this resource exist?

Authority

Who wrote/produced/published it?

Currency

How current is it?

Evidence

Are the author’s claims supported by evidence?

Based on York University SPARK handout: yorku.ca/spark/books_journals_more/PARCA%20Test_Final.pdf

Evaluating Websites - samples

http://bestiary.ca/

https://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/library/library_exhibitions/schoolresources/astrolabe/chaucer

Activity

Download the website evaluation activity here:

bit.ly/2Sd9POj

Complete individually, then compare with a partner. Discuss any differences in your analysis.

Navigating Websites

• Look for navigation cues - edges of screen
• Search on large pages - CTRL-F, Command-F
• Be flexible
• Use the browser URL, especially for older sites

Activity

Follow the instructions for your group here:

1 - bit.ly/2RqQzsk

2 - bit.ly/2RTwvnl

3 - bit.ly/2CL0zac

Be prepared to demonstrate your process in front of the class.

Managing your sources

Zotero

zotero.org/download

• Add sources as you find them
• Store, organize, take notes on them
• Generate and format citations in Chicago style

Research Guide

researchguides.library.brocku.ca/HIST

• Help Desk
• Online tutorials
• Ask a Librarian chat
• Personal appointment

Research Help