ESP 280 - Research and Analytical Methods

Introduction | Reference Sources | Indexes & Databases | Internet Resources | Writing the Paper

For further research assistance, please contact Tim Lynch tlynch@usm.maine.edu; (780-5344), Research and Instructional Services Librarian; Liaison to the Environmental Science and Policy Program. Gorham Campus Library, University of Southern Maine.

The key to all your library research is your USM Card. On that card is your Library Barcode beginning (2502. . .) This card will gain you access to remote databases, Interlibrary Loan, request items from other libraries in Maine and will allow you to check-out books from the University of Maine Library System. This card must be activated by the Circulation staff at one of our libraries before you may use it.

To start us off, lets begin by learning how to search the catalog and databases at USM:

Keyword, Title, Author, and Subject

Currently search strategies are catagorized by four types of searches: Keyword; Title; Author; and Subject. Keyword searches use "key words" from areas of the book or document record, like the title and the abstract, and match the exact instructions of your search (See Basic Search below). Title searches are performed by entering the exact wording of the title minus initial articles like A, And or The. Author searches are performed by entering the Last name of the author followed by a comma and the first letter or first name of the person or entity responsible for the content of the work.

Subject searches are altogether different. A subject search (See Subject Headings Below) is an attempt to find a collection of works determined to be in the same subject area. The Library of Congress creates these Subject Headings and new works are either matched to an existing Subject Heading or new Subject Headings are created. The best way to use a Subject Heading is to find a book, using a Keyword search, (See above) that very closely fits your topic, then look to the bottom of the record for the Subject Headings that belong to that book. Using the blank Subject search on its own is possible, but will probably not give you the information you are looking for, unless you know exactly the right Subject Headings to use.

If you do not know the exact Subject Heading describing the topic you need, try doing a keyword search using other word(s) related to that topic and then click on the Subject Heading links found within the relevant records to find additional, useful resources.

The following is a listing of selected Subject Headings relating to ESP 280 Each Subject Heading is hotlinked directly to URSUS.

URSUS
In order to find books, journal titles, videos, government documents and other materials owned by the University of Maine system you will need to consult URSUS, the online catalog. Because journal article citations are not included in URSUS, you will need to use a discipline-specific index to find this information (see Resources by Subject).

Basic Search

Searching Using AND and OR: (This process can be used in most any database including URSUS and journal indexes and databases)

1. State your topic in one sentence. (Ex. I'm looking for information about water pollution in Maine)
2. Separate important terms. (Ex. water AND pollution AND Maine)
3. Did you find enough information? If not continue. . . .
4. Add IMPORTANT synonyms and related terms that you would find in the professional literature. water AND (pollution OR water pollution) AND Maine
5. Truncate terms to get plural as well as singular form. Ex. water* AND (pollut* OR water pollut*) and Maine*

[Using Main* would bring up the words maintenance, maintain, main point, Main street, etc.]

Advanced Search (Default)

AND and OR searching can also be accomplished by filling in the search boxes using the AND connector in the Advanced search mode. Make sure and place all the OR terms (ie synonyms) together in the same box with the word OR between them. Then also place the AND terms in the same box, connected with the word AND

To obtain materials not located at USM, but within the University of Maine System, you will need to click on the black Request button on the URSUS screen and enter your name and barcode number (found under the barcode on your USM Card). Your barcode will need to be activated at the Circulation Desk on the first floor. Remember also to choose a location for the item to be delivered. Items requested in this manner require 3 to 5 days for delivery.

If the item is not available through the University of Maine System (URSUS) or Maine InfoNet you can request it via Interlibrary Loan (Illiad).
Books requested by interlibrary loan may take a week to 10 days to arrive. Articles requested by interlibrary loan usually arrive in under 3 days!

Off-Campus (remote) connection to databases: Use your name and library barcode number (2502. . . . ) available from your student ID to access Indexes and databases from home. Indexes and Databases that can be accessed remotely will have a small yellow "remote access" icon next to the Index or database. If you are having trouble, try using the state funded Marvel Databases. Enter personal information including ZIP Code.

See the Environmental Science and Policy Subject Guide .

All of the University of Southern Maine's Databases can be accessed from the homepage of the USM Library. Notice , overlap of subject matter will occur in these databases, this listing indicates a recommended first choice of databases for searches for journal articles, conference proceedings and reports in that field of information. Always remember to check general and related databases as well.

See "i" icons and Information/Help screens located on the USM Library Homepage and its links for more information about each database. To access the following databases choose Indexes and Databases from the USM Library Homepage.

Databases

General/All: Ingenta, Academic Search Premiere
General/Local: Proquest Newsstand, Maine Newsstand, PEARL
General Science:MathSci Net, GreyLit Network, Science Citation Index , Scopus
Ecology/Biology: Biosis Previews, Zoological Record, EBSCO Animals
Energy: Energy Citations Database, OSTI Website (formerly Pubscience)
Public Affairs/Policy: PAIS International (Public Affairs Information Service)
Business: Business Source Premiere, Business and Company Resource Center, Business and Industry, Business and Management Practices, Business Dateline, EconLit, Stat-USA (includes National Trade Data Bank) [See the Reference Desk--This database requires a separate password]
Statistics: Statistical Abstracts of the United States, Statistical Universe
Water/Soil/Geology/Geography: GeoRef, Geo Ref Preview, GeoBase
Agriculture: CRIS (Current Research Information System)
Law: HeinOnline
Citations: Science Citation Index

[Note on Journals]
Discover, Scientific American, Science News and other quasi-scholarly journals are, in fact, popular journals, but are usually written by experts in the field and therefore considered more scholarly.

Newspapers:
Proquest Newstand abstracts 143 newspapers from across the country and the world. Newswires are also included. Some regional papers are also in full-text (Ex. Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune). The Gorham Campus Library has the complete run of the New York Times in microfilm.
Maine Newstand includes selected full-text of the Portland Press Herald and other Maine newspapers for local perspectives on Environmental Science and Policy.

Terminology:

Scientific Terms vs. Popular Terms

Scientists have official names for many substances, life forms, diseases, etc.  The reason they do this is to insure that one scientist knows exactly what another scientist means, when they are communicating about a substance, life form, disease, etc.  These are called “scientific terms.”  “Popular terms” are names given by the media, a region, or a company to describe the same thing.  Think about these examples:

(Scientific names can be found either in an official subject heading/descriptor field, or in the text of an article on the topic)

See the Environmental Science and Policy Subject Guide

Websites:

See pathfinder or search the various search engines (Ex. Google, Altavista) available from the University of Southern Maine Library Help page under “Search Engines.” *NOTICE Websites do not always contain valuable information.  Always evaluate information you find from a website.  Who put up this information? Are they a reputable source?  What bias might they have?

            Think of the following sources.  Would you put them in a bibliography? Why? Why not?

New York Times Website                                         Recycling Company Website

Cornell University Department Website                  EarthFirst Website

NASA website                                                           Tim’s Web on Pollution                            

In using resources it is imperative that they be used ethically and legally. The sources listed here provide assistance in following correct citation methods and in avoiding plagiarism.

Writing Handbooks

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Gor. Ref. BF76.7 .P83 2001

St. Martin's Handbook
Por. Ref. PE1112 .L86 1989
Lew Ref. PE1112. L86 1989
Contains sections on the writing process, sentence construction, punctuation, doing research, and academic writing.

A Writer's Reference, 3rd Edition
Gor. Ref. PE1408 .H2778 1995
Includes sections on composing and revising, design, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, writing, and documentation.

Citation Styles

Citing Sources (MLA) (Indiana University)

MLA (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition
Gor. Ref. LB2369 .G53 2003

Online! A Reference Guide Using Internet Resources


Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Gor. Ref. BF76.7 .P83 2001

Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format (Purdue University Online Writing Center)

Plagerism

Plagiarism-The Do's and Dont's: Guidelines for Avoiding Plagiarism (University of California-Davis)

Plagiarism: What it is and How to Recognize and Avoid it (Indiana University)

Last Update: 10.2005
Comments: Ask-A-Librarian