New Service: 24/7 Chat Assistance!

This just in:  library assistance is now available 24/7!

Twin Cities Library is happy to announce the launch of our Chat Now feature, an instant messaging service that lets you get live help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  This service benefits all students, faculty, and staff, but particularly online students and faculty who live in different time zones.

To ask a question, simply select the Chat Now link (on the library's homepage or SuperSearch results page), type your question, and a librarian will help you within seconds.

Twin Cities Library Toolbar

The Twin Cities Library Toolbar is no longer available.

Our toolbar provider was bought out by another company and the awesomeness that was our toolbar became not-so-awesome (more malware-like, actually).

Using Folders and Notes in SuperSearch

Folders:
Folders are a great way to organize your research and streamline the process of reviewing your search results. You can access individual articles and eBooks, saved searches, checked-out eBooks, and more in your SuperSearch folder.
Create custom folders to organize resources for different assignments or courses.

1. Select the Folder icon (in the upper right side of the SuperSearch page).
2. Select "My Custom" (left toolbar).
3. Select "New."
4. Add a clever name.
5. Select "Save."

As you review your search results, add useful-looking resources to your specialized folders.
Folder contents can be shared with colleagues.

1. Select your clever custom folder name.
2. Select "Share." (You can make access to your folder password protected.) 
3. Enter email addresses.
4. Select "Invite."

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Notes:
New as of August 2013: In SuperSearch, you can create and save notes regarding specific resources, including articles, books, eBooks, and videos. Anything that you can find in SuperSearch, you can create a note for!

How to create a note:

1. Log in to your personal SuperSearch account.
2. Find a resource; select its title (this takes you to the item's record).
3. Select the "Create Note" link in the toolbar to the right.
4. Select the "New Note" button at the top of the record.
5. Type a note in the space that pops up.
6. Select the "Save" button.
7. Success! Your note is saved and can be accessed and edited anytime by selecting the "Folder" icon in the upper right side of the SuperSearch page. Your note will also show up automatically when you open the item about which you wrote the note.

Check out the visual below. Select the image to enlarge it.

Using Search Alerts with SuperSearch

Save yourself time by setting up a search alert in SuperSearch. Search alerts automatically notify you each time a new article, book, or report is published that matches your search criteria. You can also be notified every time a new issue for a selected journal title is available.

How to set up an alert:

1. Perform a search. A super search, if you will.
2. Stare at the results page. 
3. Select "Share" in the medium-upper right.
4. Select either "Email Alert" or "RSS Feed" (you can be alerted by email or add your alert to your favorite RSS reader).
5. Create the alert using the form that pops up (image #2 below).
6. Select Save.

Select the images for a visual explanation.

Speaking from experience, the humble search alert is the ultimate tool for the professional who needs or wants to keep up-to-date on a specific topic, but is too lazy to go into a database and do a search every once and a while. 

Also speaking from experience, in Internet-nerd speak this translates to:

1. Perform search.

2. Set up search alert.

3. Profit.

How to Bookmark Twin Cities Library's Website

Save time by bookmarking your oft-visited webpages in your Internet browser. Directions for bookmarking webpages in popular Internet browsers are listed below.

And may we suggest bookmarking this guy:  www.smumn.edu/tclibrary

1. Google Chrome
2. Mozilla Firefox
3. Safari
4. Opera
5. Internet Explorer

Top 10 Ways to Save Time Researching in 2013

An excellent New Year's resolution for a busy graduate student or researcher is to spend a little time learning how to save a LOT of time when conducting academic research.

TC Librarians compiled a list of our top ten tips to help you cut down on the amount of time you spend, basically, doing your homework. Each of the below links takes you to a succinct library video tutorial, webpage, or blog post that suggests ways to more efficiently and effectively conduct part of the research process.

1. Understanding Instructor Expectations
2. TC Library Toolbar
3. Create a Research Plan
4. Develop a Good Research Question
5. Don't Search Blindly - Use a Subject Page
6. How to Find and Get Articles in Academic Databases
7. Plan Ahead - Allow Time for Interlibrary Loans
8. How to Read a Peer-Reviewed Article
9. Writing Center's APA Templates (for MS Word)
10. APA Citation Generators

Want to learn more? Contact a librarian for more individualized help.

(That's the #11 time-saving tip - don't wait to ask a librarian your question! We can help you quickly get from Point A to Point B - the right way, the first time.)

Peer review: It isn't always perfect!

Wanjek, C. (2012, December 21). Science retractions: Top 5 withdrawn studies of 2012. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/22/science-retractions-withdrawn-papers_n_2353421.html

This article (linked above) from The Huffington Post brings up an interesting conundrum for Saint Mary's students and faculty, especially those in the School of Health and Human Services: You can't always trust what you read (duh), not even when it appears in a peer-reviewed journal (wait, what?).

In the academic community it is generally accepted that peer-reviewed articles are the gold standard in publishing and that the process of peer review ensures quality, reliability, and truthfulness. However, even peer review cannot ensure 100% accuracy. This article brings this last point into the spotlight.

The primary source for retraction information is the blog Retraction Watch. The librarians at Saint Mary's follow it and always have a good smirk when an item is retracted from a journal to which we have access.

One of our librarian's favorite sentences of the article was "The king of retractions, according to Retraction Watch, is Japanese anesthesiologist Yoshitaka Fujii, who falsified data in 172 of 212 of his papers published between 1993 and 2011. All of this came to light in 2012." Our Nurse Anesthesia students might find that interesting!!

Understanding Instructor Expectations

Before diving into an assignment, save yourself time and frustration by making sure you clearly understand  your instructor's expectations of quality work.

Below are some useful questions to ask your instructor.

1. Can drafts of the assignment be turned in early for feedback and revisions? (Turn work in early for feedback, even if it isn't complete yet. You will save time and score higher by finishing your assignment right the first time.) 
2. What types of information sources are acceptable for use on this assignment? (Information sources could include primary sources, secondary sources, peer-reviewed articles, trade journal articles, magazine articles, websites, books, or newspaper articles. Make sure you can identify and understand the differences in these information types.)
3. What writing style is expected on this assignment? (A paper could be very formal, like a literature review; more casual and written in first-person, like a reflective paper; or organized in a list format, like an annotated bibliography or research log.)
4. Is there a grading rubric available for this assignment? (Rubrics are good for helping you understand how you will be assessed on your assignment, and what the instructor expects for an A grade.)
5. Do you have any samples of this assignment from previous students?
6. If I have additional questions, what is your preferred method for communication outside of class?

Useful questions to ask yourself:

1. Did the instructor provide a list of items to cover in the paper that I can use to develop an outline?
2. Did the instructor provide a description of the assignment in a syllabus or handout?

There are a couple more useful questions included on this research plan handout. Use it to keep you on track throughout the WHOLE research process.

Citation Generators: Academic Databases, Google Scholar, and More

Writing APA citations from scratch can be time consuming and it is totally unnecessary!!! The following Twin Cities Library databases offer premade APA citations that can be saved or copied and pasted into your reference list.

Please note: These computer-generated citations are not perfect! You still need to know how to properly format an APA citation - the databases sometimes get the formatting wrong.

• SuperSearch
• Tutorial Formats: Interactive (Flash video)  |  Interactive (iPad video)  |  PDF
• eBooks
• Tutorial Formats: PDF
• Google Scholar
  • On the Google Scholar results page, citations can be found under the title of each article by selecting the link Cite.
• EBSCO databases (MegaFILE, PsycINFO, ERIC, Academic Search Premier)
• Tutorial Formats: Web
• ProQuest databases (Psychology, Education, Newspapers)
• Tutorial Formats: Web
• ScienceDirect
• Tutorial Formats: Web
• Emerald
• Tutorial Formats: Page 71 of Writing Center's APA Booklet
• Assessment Test Reviews (PY and MFT students)
• Tutorial Formats: PDF

Popular SMU databases that do not offer premade citations include PubMed and Sage Collections.

There are several free citation generators and bibliography-building tools available to academics. TC Library does not offer tutorials or support for these tools, but feel free to learn them on your own.

• Zotero
• Zotero is an open source tool that works in the Firefox browser (or as a plug-in in MS Word) to help you collect, manage and cite sources.
• Mendeley
• Mendeley is a free reference manager and academic social network that can help you organize your research.
• Citavi
• Let's you create a reference list of up to 100 sources.
• MS Word 
• Create a reference page within a Microsoft Word document using the References tab. 

iPad-friendly tutorials

TC Library is working on creating iPad friendly tutorials. On our tutorials pages, look for the iPad icon to watch video tutorials compatible on Apple devices.

 = iPad icon 

Our usual video tutorials (indicated by the 'lil icon below) are Flash-based, so they don't work on those cool tablets seen around campus. Until now baby!

= usual video icon


Dying to watch a tutorial?
Check out our most recently updated tutorial on Google Scholar.

TC Library: Mobilized

Resources are within reach with Twin Cities Library's NEW mobile website! Access this mobile-friendly site using any smartphone or tablet (e.g. iPad) with Internet access. On this website, you can:

• Search for articles, ebooks, and more
• View your checked-out items
• Renew and request materials
• Watch video tutorials
• Get library hours and directions
• Ask us a question

The website was developed by Twin Cities Librarians, and its features were ordered based on student and faculty preferences as evidenced by our mobile website usability study.

For easy access on the go, bookmark the site or use the "MOBILE WEBSITE " link at www.smumn.edu/tclibrary.

Try it out, and let us know what you think.

New ProQuest Database Interface

ProQuest gets an upgrade. Click here to access a ProQuest database.
In August ProQuest databases revealed their new user interface. Improvement highlights include a cleaner look, more intuitive searching and search results pages, easier ways to limit to relevant search results, and an overall feel similar to another set of beloved databases--EBSCO. New features of ProQuest include:

• personal user accounts--save your research and access it anywhere
• persistent links to searches
• share your research on social networking sites
• customer-driver design

Below you'll find opportunities to learn how to use the new ProQuest database interface.

Online Training Materials

• TC Library's ProQuest database guide
• ProQuest's Quick Start Reference Overview
• ProQuest's in depth User Guide

FREE Training Webinars
Here is a great opportunity for students and faculty alike to go beyond the basics when searching in ProQuest.  Participate in free training webinars. Click the links below to learn more and sign up. Many times are available for you night/morning owls. You can also watch a recorded training session (but then you won't have the opportunity to ask questions).

• Click here to see dates and times of live and recorded webinars.
• Introduction to the New ProQuest Platform
• Upcoming times:
• Aug 30, 2011 9:00 am 
• Aug 30, 2011 8:00 am (French) 
• Sep 1, 2011 4:00 am (French) 
• Sep 1, 2011 8:00 am 
• Sep 6, 2011 1:00 pm 
• Sep 7, 2011 4:00 am 
• Sep 12, 2011 4:30 am 
• Sep 14, 2011 12:00 pm 
• Sep 15, 2011 4:30 am (Polish) 
• Sep 19, 2011 3:00 pm 
• My Research 
• Upcoming times: 
• Aug 31, 2011 4:00 am (French) 
• Sep 9, 2011 2:00 pm 
• Sep 12, 2011 8:00 am 
• Sep 19, 2011 12:00 pm 
• Oct 21, 2011 4:00 am 
• Nov 3, 2011 5:00 am

Book Drop it Like it's Hot

Hi SMU Community,

Noticed a big wooden box near the back entrance of LaSalle Hall? Could it be a treasure chest? A big Jack-in-the-Box? Alas, no, it is even more exciting. It is the new TC Library Book Drop!

Materials may be returned to the Library Book Drop when the Library is closed. You can still drop your items off at the reference desk during Library open hours.

P.S. Don't get any clever ideas.

Text a Librarian!

Text a Librarian!

TC Library is guilty of texting in class, too! You can now text us and the librarian on the reference desk will text back a response to your question. We’ll keep our answers 140 characters short, don’t worry!

How to text us:

1. Address your text message to 246246
2. Start off the body of the message with send smutclibrary
3. Add your question/message

We’re able to provide this service to you using AOL's Mobile AIM Service. This service should work with most major cell carriers, but if you try it and do not receive a response from us, please try a different method of contacting us.

Also, remember that depending in your cell plan, sending and receiving text messages can cost money. The library is not responsible for these charges.

Library Tip: Finding Books on a Certain Topic

Hi students and staff,

Categorize this Library Tip under additional Library Catalog Searching Tricks. As mentioned last time, our SMU library online catalog is a bit finicky, so you’ll want to be on top of your game when you’re searching for books or videos on a specific topic. Below are some effective tips for finding the best information for your needs.

A word search is usually the best place to start because it will look for your search terms in all parts of the catalog record, not just the title. This means if the contents of the book are included in the record, results will be pulled up if your keywords appear in the chapter titles or section headings. Check out the picture below (enlarge it by clicking on it) and read the comments next to each section of the search page.Once you find a book that interests you, open its record by clicking on the hyperlinked book title.You can locate additional items by clicking on one of the subject headings located toward the bottom of the catalog record. These subjects will link you to additional subjects and additional books on the same and similar subjects. If you’re wondering why searching by subject is better (or worse) than searching by keyword, or for that matter, if you’re wondering what the differences between subjects and keywords even are, please visit our Subject vs. Keyword searching web page.

Library Tip: Library Catalog Searching Tricks

Listed below are a couple of hints that will make your search for the perfect book or video a breeze.

• Ever find the perfect book, head towards the shelf, not find it, check back on the computer screen, and discover the book is actually on our Winona campus? Arg! That is because the catalog searches both the Twin Cities and Winona campus libraries as a default. See below.
• Thus, to search ONLY the Twin Cities Campus physical library: Change the “library to search” box on the main page to “Twin Cities Campus Library – All.”
• To search ONLY videos and dvds available on the Twin Cities Campus library: In the “library to search” box, look under Twin Cities Campus Library –All, and select“–Videos and DVDs”
• To search almost 30 Minnesota higher education institutions’ library catalogs: Change the “library to search” box on the main page to “All MnPALS Libraries (MnSCU, Colleges, Gov’t).” You’ll need to order these books/videos through Interlibrary Loan.

Click here to read more about using our library catalog, and pick up more searching hints to make accessing the information you need a painless process.

Library Tip: RSS, wikis & more!

Confused by 21st Century technology vocabulary, like wiki, blogs, or rss feed? There is an excellent free educational web site to bring you up to speed on new technology, called Common Craft. Common Craft offers short, informative and entertaining videos that, to quote from their web site, focus on “making complex ideas easy to understand. We use a whiteboard-and-paper format we call Paperworks that is designed to cut out the noise and stick to what matters.” Each video only lasts a few minutes, but you’ll walk (or click?) away with a greater understanding of the technology swirling around you.

For a sample of how excellent this resource is, follow this link to watch “Wikis in Plain English” on Common Craft’s web site: http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english

To view the complete list of free educational videos, visit: http://www.commoncraft.com/shows/video

Library Tip: Boolean Operators

This is an extremely helpful tip if you find yourself overwhelmed by a high number of search results while searching for information in a database or online search engine. Boolean operators, otherwise known as AND, OR, and NOT, are useful tricks that allow you to search for longer phrases and multiple keywords. The result is fewer, but more relevant, search results.

To learn more about Boolean operators, visit our Search Strategies and Helpful Tips page. There you can print a handout of tips regarding searching with Boolean operators, subject headings, and more.

If visual learning is more your thing, check out this slightly corny but very informative video produced by the Schurz Library at IU South Bend.

Library Tip: Definitions

Ever find yourself reading something online and you come across a word whose meaning escapes you? That happened to me today, with the word elegiac. Not that you care about my vocabulary shortcomings, but there is a practical point to my anecdote: a quick, useful remedy for finding the definitions of unfamiliar words, courtesy of Google. It is their "define:" search parameter. Observe...

• Look near the top right-hand corner of the Internet browser screen. Chances are you see something similar to the image below.
• 
• That is a Google search engine search box, built into your Internet browser.
• In that box, type in define: then the word that you would like defined. See below.
• 
• Hit enter.
• A Google search results page pops up with multiple definitions to choose from.
• In about 30 seconds you've gone from staring blankly at a strange word to finding a suitable definition to understanding your new word in context. Brilliant!

Keep in mind, this isn't a scholarly search you've just performed (so you can't use this to define terms for your research papers!!!) but this is a very handy shortcut to help you out as you wade through every day readings online.
And in case you are curious.... Elegiac: expressing sorrow often for something past; "an elegiac lament for youthful ideals" (taken from wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn)

Library Tip: Assessment Test Reviews

Attention Psyc, MFT, and Ed.D students!! Do you ever borrow assessment tests from our collection and need to read reviews about them? Are you tired of thumbing through the thick print versions of Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) and Tests in Print, searching in vain for a test review? Next time you find yourself apprehensively staring at an MMY tome, remember this: The assessment test reviews are available online. This is handy to know for several reasons:

1. You'll save yourself time.
2. You'll save yourself money, not having to make copies out of the book (if you print at home). (Or work.) (Sneaky.)
3. You can access the reviews anytime, anywhere.
4. Risk of paper cut lowers 86%.

To access Mental Measurements Yearbook and Tests in Print online, follow these steps.

1. Go to our home page, http://www.smumn.edu/tclibrary
2. Click the link "search for articles"
3. Browse through the databases listed under "Health & Social Sciences". You should see both Mental Measurements Yearbook and Tests in Print.
4. Click!
5. Remember if you're off campus, you'll need to log in with your Saint Mary's University username and password to access the databases.