HSS4-N: Samuel Beckett

This guide from the MIT Libraries explains Boolean operators, keywords versus subject terms, truncation & wildcards, fields, phrases, and stop words.

When you find a really good article or book for your topic (whether or not you have immediate access to the complete item):

• If there is a detailed citation or reference to the item (aside from the brief citation or the full text of the item), look at it carefully. Many research databases include assigned subject terms (aka descriptors, subject headings, index terms, controlled terms). Searching using these terms can improve the quality of your results, making the search both more targeted and more comprehensive. General keyword searching is not as thorough or as discriminating.
• Look at the items referenced by the author in the bibliography, footnotes, or list of references. You may want to track down some of these items ('follow the bibliography').
• Try searching for other items written by the same author.
• Use a citation analysis tool to follow the article forward in time, that is, find more recent articles or books that cite the one you have at hand.  You can do this using the Cited By feature in Google Scholar or other citation indexes such as those in the Web of Science database.
• If the article comes from a journal that is closely related to your topic, browse the tables of contents of other issues of the same journal (e.g., English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920.)
• Don't give up on what may be a really good item just because you don't see a link for the full text! Save the citation and we will help you locate it. Contact a reference librarian!

AND, OR, and NOT diagrams

(We recommend caution when using NOT. It's easy to throw out the good with the bad.)

Most databases list which Boolean operators are available. "AND" is often implicit if you place terms next to each other. Look for "Search Help" or "Tools" to find details on Boolean operators or other idiosyncracies of that particular database.

SEARCH THE CATALOG (and more)

• Use the catalog site that is customized for Cooper Union: http://bobcat.library.nyu.edu/cooper/

• Consider using the Advanced search. This will give you more options for combining search terms.

• If the first results screen shows "Available (GetIt)" then the item should be available at one of the Consortium libraries.  If it shows "Check Availability" then it may already be checked out. Follow either link to see locations and circulation status (whether an item is checked out or not, when it is due back, etc.).

• If an item is checked out, you can request that it be returned specifically for your use. Use the Request link from the GetIt display or the display for a specific library location, then follow the instructions on screen.

• Generally, you will not find specific articles from journals or conferences in the catalog. For that, use one of the article databases. In those databases, some full text articles are included, but often your search results will contain citations and abstracts without full text. For instructions on how to find an article from a citation, see the research guide Finding an Article or Book from a Citation.

• By default, search terms are connected with a Boolean AND. You can also use OR and NOT if you enter them in ALL CAPS.

• Searches are not case sensitive.

• You can easily switch between searching the holdings of The Cooper Union Library, the entire Consortium, and Course Reserves without re-entering search terms. Just switch the search tab. (When using the E-Journals tab, you must re-enter any search terms.)

• Don't give up if you don't get any results. Think of synonyms and related terms, and try again.

• The default search is a keyword search for your query words wherever they may appear in the record. If you get too many results, try limiting the search to a specific field, such as title or subject.

• You can also search for an exact phrase instead of keywords. The exact phrase search is equivalent to putting quotes around your query words. Use the drop-down menu below the search box.

• You can refine your results using the categories to the left on the initial results screen. For example, refine by subject, call number group, or resource type.

• To sort a result list so that the most recent publications are at the top, change the drop-down sort at the top of the results list from relevance to date-newest.