Northeastern State University Libraries

General Information for Students

Resources
Search Tips for Databases
Biography Database
Search Tips - Biography
Internet Sites
Evaluating Websites
Following APA style rules

Resources

If you are unfamiliar with the terminology you encounter while searching article databases (or while reading articles in journals) you may wish to refer to sources such as textbooks, dictionaries, and other reference resources in the field of study.

Online Catalogs

Search the NSU Libraries' Online Catalog: http://library2.nsuok.edu/ (Use the Location pull-down menu to limit your results to Curriculum Materials or Y Collection.)

Search for E-Books using NetLibrary: http://library.nsuok.edu/Refdesk/vrdbks.html

If you need an item that NSU doesn't own, you can order it through our ILLiad system.

Books (not an exhaustive list - just a sampling)

John Vaughan Library, Tahlequah

Best Books for Children Call # Ref. Z1037 .G48 2002

Book Review Digest Call # Z1035.A1 C95

Book Review Index Call # Z1035.A1 B6

Books for the Journey: Guide to the world of reading Call # Z1003 .B7195 2003 (main collection)

*Children's Literature Review Call # Ref PN1009.A1 C5139

*Contemporary Authors Call # Ref. PN451 .C59

*Something About the Author Call# Ref. PN451 .S6

*Use Contemporary Authors Cumulative Index Call # Ref. PN451 .C59 Index V. 1-133 OR
the Biography and Genealogy Master Index to locate the volume that includes your author.

Broken Arrow Library

Authors & Artists for Young Adults BA Ref. PS490 .A98 2002

Cataloging correctly for kids : an introduction to the tools Z695.1.C6 C37 2006

The children's and young adult literature handbook : a research and reference guide Z1037.A1 G475 2005

This collection is small enough that you could go browse the shelves in the Z sections (reference and book stacks)

Journals (not an exhaustive list - just a sampling)

Booklist Call # Z1035 A.39

Choice Call # Z1035 .C5

The Horn Book Magazine Call # Z1037 .A1 A15

School Library Journal Call #  Z675.S3 S29115

Journal and Magazine Article Databases

Academic Search Premier - This is a general database, which means it contains article citations and full text articles covering many academic subjects. It is one of the twenty-five databases produced by EbscoHost for which NSU has a subscription. It is probably our most widely used database and is sometimes referred to simply as "Ebsco."

ERIC - This is another database produced by EbscoHost. ERIC stands for the Educational Resource Information Center. It contains more than 2,200 digests along with references for additional information and citations and abstracts from over 1,000 educational and education-related journals. ERIC contains a thesaurus, which can be very helpful in figuring out which search terms to use when looking for information.

Professional Development Collection - Designed for professional educators, this database provides a highly specialized collection of more than 550 high quality education journals, including more than 350 peer-reviewed titles. This databasealso contains more than 200 educational reports.

Go to all EbscoHost databases

Education Full Text - Part of Wilson's Omnifile Full Text, Mega Edition, EFT provides comprehensive coverage of an international range of English-language periodicals, monographs and yearbooks. Coverage includes 79 journals (37 with full text) not covered by ERIC's Current Index to Journals in Education. Index coverage goes back to 1983. Full text articles from 1996 to the present. Contains a thesaurus.

Library and Information Science - Part of Wilson's Omnifile Full Text, Mega Edition. Set the subject area to "Library and Information Science."

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Search Tips for Databases

1. Be prepared with synonyms in case your original search produces no results. Use a thesaurus if the database is equipped with one.

2. Pay attention to search tips or help screens provided by each database. Even experienced researchers (like professors and librarians!) can have trouble when dealing with a new interface. Take the time to learn how to use the tool - it will help you to avoid frustration!

3.  Remember that most databases allow for Boolean Searching.  Use and to narrow, or to expand, not to exlude.  Truncation is also useful for bringing back all relevant results.  For example, type counsel* to bring back documents containing the words counsel, counseling, counselor...

4. Take advantage of the following sources of help:

- Tutorials

- Reference On Call at JVL is staffed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday - Thursday and 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Friday by reference librarians or other experienced library staff members.

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Biography Database

Biography and Genealogy Master Index - It indexes current, readily available reference sources, as well as the most important retrospective works that cover individuals, both living and deceased, from every field of activity and from all areas of the world. Searching Biography and Genealogy Master Index will enable you to quickly determine which publication to consult for biographical information.

Search Tips - Biography

In order to obtain the maximum number of records, make sure to check all possible forms under which a name may be listed. This is especially true in the cases of:

Names with prefixes or suffixes:

Compound surnames:

Names which appear in inverted order:

Names transliterated from non-Roman alphabets:

Pseudonyms, stage names, or nicknames:

Initials or middle names used in place of full names:

Resources

Internet Sites

General

Sites for Teachers: http://www.sitesforteachers.com/

Can Teach: http://www.canteach.ca/index.html

Top Sites for Educators: http://www.americanteachers.com/topsites/index.php?a_m=2

Children's Literature Review journals online:

American Library Association's Booklist Online: http://www.ala.org/ala/booklist/booklist.htm

Midwest Book Review's Children's Bookwatch: http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/index.htm

The Horn Book, Inc.: http://www.hbook.com/default.asp

Kirkus Review: Electronic access through Academic Search Premier

Notes from the Windowsill: http://lib.nmsu.edu/subject/childlit/reviews/notes/notes.htm

School Library Journal.com: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Internet Sites relating to Children's Literature:

Chronicle Books: http://www.chroniclebooks.com/site/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&store=kids

The Reading Corner: http://www.carr.org/read/newbery.htm

The Children's Literature Web Guide: http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html

Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Web Site: http://www.carolhurst.com/

Award Winners:

Caldecott Medal Home Page

Newbery Medal Home Page

The Pura Belpré Award

Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

The Official Site of the Sequoyah Book Awards

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Evaluating Web sites

It's important to remember that publishing on the web is very easy - almost anyone can do it! The problem with that is knowing what's credible (worth your time) and what's not.

Here are some of the thing you want to look at or for:

the URL (.gov, .mil, .us, .edu are usually pretty credible);
links to information about the author or sponsoring organization;
links to other sites that are credible;
how current it is

Ultimately the researcher must be the one to determine whether or not to use information found on a web site. The following information from the University of California at Berkeley provides some excellent guidelines for evaluating sites:

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.htm

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Following APA style rules

The American Psychological Association originally created a publication manual to provide a common structure for all journal manuscripts in the area of the social sciences.

Many other disciplines (including psychology, the behavioral sciences, nursing, personnel administration and many areas within education) have adopted this as their professional writing standard as well.

In an academic environment, you will often be expected to conform to this standard when writing. At this point, you should be mostly concerned with creating an accurate reference list using proper format and providing citations within the text to give credit for an idea or concept to the source from which you got it.

Print:

Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). (2010). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

The library owns several copies of the style guide; however, only the 5th edition circulates (can be checked out). The NSU libraries have seven copies of the 6th edition in reference and two on reserve. ( BF76.7 .P83 2001)

Websites:

www.apastyle.org

Using APA format (Purdue University) - this comprehensive guide summarizes the print version of the book. Click on Your Reference List to find examples of the proper format to use when listing sources you used.

APA Style.org's Frequently Asked Questions

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• Contact the Subject Librarian for Education - burkhead@nsuok.edu
  
• College of Education Web site
• Department of Curriculum and Instruction