Library Instruction

Fullerton college

Locating Resources

Fullerton College Library is available 24/7 online. In fact, the majority of our library books and periodicals are online resources. Faculty librarians select resources to support students on and off campus, including materials such as:

1) eBooks (over 200,000, available off campus); and

2) Databases that provide students with access to: primary sources, periodicals (e.g., journals, magazines, newspapers, trade publications), legal resources, historic newspapers, and more.

Looking for general information, such as the info available via encyclopedias? A popular Fullerton College Library general reference database is CQ Researcher. Another reference resource, Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context, includes images, primary sources, opinion pieces, audio from National Public Radio (NPR), and more! (Consider listening to the news/NPR on your daily commute [streaming or on the radio: 89.3/KPCC or 89.9/KCRW].) Gale Virtual Reference Library is an additional reference resource that the library makes available to students. Check with your instructor to determine whether you may cite general reference sources, such as general encyclopedias.

Students may chat with a librarian to receive virtual reference assistance. The library website offers sections such as: “Research Tips & Tricks,” featuring several pages dedicated to: 1) The research process, 2) Resource eval, and 3) Citation of sources in MLA style (NoodleBib). For more information, see: http://library.fullcoll.edu/research-tips/search-strategies.

The library website offer both: 1) Video clips regarding the research process, and 2) Links to other Internet resources. Students may e-mail reference queries to the librarians (librarian@fullcoll.edu). Emails are generally answered within one or two business days. Via EBSCO, the library offers students access to more than thirty databases. The EBSCO databases represent the most heavily-utilized digital resources offered by Fullerton College Library. Within EBSCO is the Military & Government Collection, a database with content that relates to all branches of the military. Another EBSCOhost offering, the multidisciplinary database, MasterFILE Complete, is popular with students. FC’s EBSCO databases each rack up an average of over 300,000 search hits annually. Are you using EBSCOhost databases? Your fellow students are! Another library database, JSTOR, is popular among Fullerton College instructors and student researchers, as JSTOR primarily makes available peer-reviewed resources, including journals and eBooks. OneSearch is a discovery tool that searches all of the library resources via one search box. NexisUni is a legal, business, and international/national/local newspaper database that the library maintains to support the accreditation of the paralegal program. The library subscribes to Science Online/AAAS, at the request of science instructors.

Students may search for and access periodicals (e.g., magazines, newspaper, journals), books, and other sources in electronic format via: 1) The myGateway “Fullerton” tab; and 2) the library website: http://library.fullcoll.edu/databases. (Users select a database, then log in with student ID number [or staff ID number] and last name.)

Research Tools

                                                                                                                                                                         Quick Find 

Use CTRL “F” or command “F” to search the piece for words more quickly.

• For PCs: Quickly press the “control” key (on a PC) and the “F” key at the same time.
• For MACs:  Quickly press the “F” key and the “command” key (on an Apple/Mac) at the same time.

• Do a Google search for: Do IUDs prevent STDs. Do you see a problem with the results?_________________

Library Resources

OneSearch

Search all of the library resources in one box!

• Open a browser, e.g., Chrome.
• Go to: library.fullcoll.edu.
• Search in the OneSearch search box (located @ the middle/top right-hand side of the webpage) for: donald trump.

Which encyclopedia appears as the Research Starter result at the top of the page? __________________________________________

• Search in the OneSearch search box for: debat*.  Name a result that is listed as being on order: ______________________________________________________

Library Catalog of Books

• Open a browser, e.g., Chrome. Go to: library.fullcoll.edu.
• Select “Catalog” located next to the OneSearch button.
  • OR

• Go to: http://fcclib.nocccd.edu/.
• Type in search box: mouthfeel and textur?
• Hit: “Go” or “Search”
• Sort by: “Date [Newest First]”
• How many results are retrieved?____
• Type in search box: mouthfeel?
• Hit: “Go” or “Search.”
• Sort by: “Date [Newest First].”
• How many results are retrieved?____
• Which search retrieves more print books?________________________________________________

CQ Researcher

• Open a browser, e.g., Firefox. Go to: library.fullcoll.edu.
• Select: “Databases” located next to the “Catalog” button, then select: “View Full Database List.”
• Scroll down to peruse the list of Fullerton College Library databases.

• Click: CQ Researcher.
• On campus? If so, no need to enter authenticating information. (You’re automatically in!)
• If you are off campus, enter student ID (or staff ID) and last name. Then, you are in!

OR

• You can also enter Fullerton College Library databases via MyGateway. Go to the “Fullerton” tab in your MyGateway account.
• Select the database. (You’re in!)
• Search: “citizenship”
• Does the 1^st short report “refugee crisis” (2018) offer a chronology?___________________________
• Online, subscription database, CQ Researcher, offers students a thorough consideration of hot topics and controversial issues. Reports include citation information, and are penned by professional journalists. Students will find the chronology and pro/con resources especially helpful.
• Tip: To save a search in CQ Researcher, click “Save this Search,” and create an account.
• Tip: To cite sources in CQ Researcher, use “Cite Now!” to generate a citation.

Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context (OPV)

• Open a browser, e.g., Chrome. Go to: library.fullcoll.edu. Select: “Databases” located next to the “Catalog” button, or select: “View Full Database List.” Scroll down to peruse the list of Fullerton College Library databases.
• Click: Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context (OPV).
• Search: “animal rights”
• Name a recent result in the statistics category:____________________________________________

• Like CQ Researcher, Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context (OPV) is an online, subscription database that is a resource for students who are researching controversial issues and hot topics. Students should consider reading or listening to the National Public Radio audio stories that are available via OPV for keyword and narrowing ideas.
• Tip: Click “Citation Tools” to generate an MLA citation in OPV. Review computer-generated citations for mistakes, as the automatically-generated citations will likely not be error-free.
• Tip: Students may use the “Search History” function to record searches. To do this, select “More,” then “Search History.” OPV now allows users to save citations and documents to Google Drive. If you would like to use this function, then select the “Sign in with Google” option at the top of the OPV webpage (to save citations, resources, and highlighting to Google Drive).

• Name a keyword that would help with broadening a search re: Bob Marley:______________________________

EBSCOhost                             

1. Go to library.fullcoll.edu. Click “Databases” located on the middle/top right-hand side of the webpage. Select “View Full Database List.”
2. Select “EBSCOhost Master Search” from the list of databases.
3. Select “EBSCOhost Web,” which is a link that is located at the top of the page.
4. Leave the default setting as is to select all of the databases. Select “Continue.”

7.  Type in the first box: johns hopkins

8.  Type in the second box: hexamethonium

9.  Type in the third box: google

10. Select in all three drop-down menus:

• TX All Text
• Selecting “TX All Text” opens up (broadens) your search, seeking the search words anywhere in the piece.

11. Click the green “Search” button. Your search will look like this:

14. Read the abstract in Information Today. Was an internet search sufficient in this case?__________________________

• Note that “Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals” may be selected to limit results.
• 

• Tip: Searching the abstract will generally yield better results, because “AB Abstract” searches the description, or summary, of the piece for the word(s) entered in the search box. If search results are not helpful, then the student should expand the search to include the entire text of the document by selecting the field “TX All Text.” Or, the student might try to search using different search terms and/or different search strategies.
• Tip: Click “Cite” to generate an MLA citation in EBSCO. Double-check computer-generated citations for accuracy.
• Tip: Select “Email” to email yourself a resource, such as a magazine article or journal piece.
• Tip: Selecting “SO Source” in the drop-down menu limits the results to the selected source, e.g., Consumer Reports.
• Tip: I do not recommend that students conduct searches using the drop-down menu field “SU Subject Terms.”
  • AB Abstract: Keyword search of a summary (description) of the piece.
  • TX All Text: To keyword search searchable fields – the full text and the citation record.
  • TI Title: Search keywords in the title.
  • AU Author: Keyword search for any of the authors.
  • SO Source: Search for words within the title of the source, e.g., Sports Illustrated.
  • SU Subject Terms: Keyword search of the subject headings listed in the records.
• Here’s a video tutorial re: how to create an account in EBSCO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt9OkmLs-EU.

J  STOR

• Go to the database list. Select: “JSTOR.”
• Type in the first box: suicide.
• In the second search box type: intellectual property.
• Click the “add a search box” button.
• In the third box, type: jstor.
• Click “search.”
• Sort by newest.
• Which result includes a word in the title that rhymes with “choke”? _______________________________.

• FC English instructors request the online database, JSTOR, to support higher-level research papers.
• Tip: To cite in JSTOR, select “Cite this Item.”
• Tip: To email yourself a piece, download the piece, then attach the downloaded piece to an email to yourself.
•  
• To record results, JSTOR suggests, “Copy the string that appears in the search box after executing an advanced search and pasting it into a separate document. For example, I can save a complex advanced search as the following string for later use: (("spanish civil war") AND (women)) Students can also easily save sources by creating a personal MyJSTOR account and using the "MyLists" functionality. You can read more about this and other citation-management features on JSTOR at: http://support.jstor.org/myjstor/.”

NexisUni

• Go to the database list. Select: “NexisUni.”
• Search: gaetan dugas

• How is the 2^nd result different from the oldest result?__________________________________________________
• Online, subscription database, NexisUni, supports the accreditation of FC’s paralegal program. Within this academic research database, students can find local, national, and international news, as well as legal and business resources.
• Tip: The NexisUni citation tool is not particularly well-developed. I recommend that students cite NexisUni sources using citation tools such as: NoodleBib, EasyBib, MLA Handbook, Purdue Owl, and/or the FC Library MLA handouts, all of which are a helpful tools for checking that the database-generated citations are correct.
• Tip: Use * to truncate in NexisUni.

Gale eBooks

• Gale eBooks offers online access to general and subject-specific reference books regarding education, fashion, literature, history, science, tech, and more.
• Tip: Click “Citation Tools” to generate an MLA citation in GVRL.
• Tip: Students may use the “Search History” function to record searches. To do this, select “More,” then select “Search History.”

More Tricks & Tips

Demystifying Research and Citations 

• Read: http://fclresearch.pbworks.com/w/page/32096913/Information%20Types
• Title: Fullerton College Library: Information Types
• Description: Addresses how to differentiate among information types.
• http://fclresearch.pbworks.com/w/page/6264250/Defining%20a%20Research%20Topic
• Title: Fullerton College Library: Defining a Research Topic
• Description: Developed to assist students in defining a research topic.

• Citing sources: Most of the FC Library research databases offer students/researchers a tool to generate MLA-formatted citations (8^th ed., MLA Handbook), but students must check the auto-generated citations, because the citations aren't usually quite correct, e.g., extra spaces or capitalization issues. The librarians created MLA handouts, which are a great tool for checking that the database-generated citations are correct. Tutorials are freely available via the NoodleTools site.
• Go to Library Research Page: http://library.fullcoll.edu/research/how-to-research/exploring-topics-for-research/.)
• Read the entire page. Watch the embedded video: https://youtu.be/jSHXb83Xtsk.

Exploring Campus & Other Resources

• Check out the Fullerton College Math Lab website: http://math.fullcoll.edu/mathlab-policies.html.
• Explore the writing center website: http://writingcenter.fullcoll.edu/tutoring.html.
• Read the info available via the tutoring center site: https://academicsupport.fullcoll.edu/online-tutoring/.
• Visit the Fullerton College Skills Center website: http://skills.fullcoll.edu/services.html.

End  Research Guide

Monique Delatte Starkey resides with a parkour calico, a Hemingway tuxedo kitty, and a Starkey in South Side Strong Beach. Her publications include a book for the American Library Association (ALA); a fashion bibliography for Reference & User Services Quarterly; and an ALA publication regarding access for persons with disabilities (editor). This strawbrarian has been active as a presenter for ALA, e.g., participating in poster sessions and panel presentations, and co-leading a half-day Austin preconference for the Young Adult Literature Symposium that included social sharing (#keepYALSAweird). Our liberal lion of the library has authored grants totaling over $100K, and was featured as a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in the “change agents” category. On weekends, she enjoys trying her hand at screenwriting, catching performances, flesh-free grub, and leathery vino with BFFs. On weekdays, find her at the reference desk; teaching LIB100; guiding-on-the-siding in one-on-research consultations; collaborating with colleagues to run library operations in her role as the acquisitions raspbrarian; leading library instruction sessions; and co-chairing Q&A, a queer-straight alliance United Faculty committee.