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Designed to help students develop their searching skills, this book can be used as a how-to guide or as a text for an introductory course on research. Because sources quickly become outdated, the emphasis here is on the processes of research, rather than on particular publications or websites. Extensive cross-referencing and a comprehensive index are featured. Lane is the communications manager for the Australian Academy of Science; the other two authors are affiliated with the U. of Washington. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Figure List(p. ix)
• Preface(p. xi)
• Chapter 1 Information Content, Information Packages(p. 1)
• What is Information?(p. 1)
• Why Do We Need Information?(p. 2)
• Information Packages(p. 3)
• Searching for Information(p. 6)
• Chapter 2 Reference Works: Finding Facts Fast(p. 9)
• Printed Reference Works(p. 9)
• Using Printed Reference Works(p. 15)
• Why Use an Index?(p. 16)
• Electronic Reference Works(p. 17)
• Which Type of Reference Work?(p. 21)
• Chapter 3 Directories(p. 25)
• Content and Arrangement(p. 25)
• Types of Directories(p. 26)
• Using Directories(p. 28)
• Chapter 4 Biographical Dictionaries(p. 31)
• Content and Arrangement(p. 32)
• Types of Biographical Dictionaries(p. 33)
• Using Biographical Dictionaries(p. 35)
• Chapter 5 Encyclopedias(p. 39)
• Types of Encyclopedias(p. 40)
• Using Printed Encyclopedias(p. 41)
• Using Electronic Encyclopedias(p. 42)
• Limitations(p. 44)
• Chapter 6 Dictionaries, Thesauruses, and Other Word Books(p. 47)
• Content and Arrangement of Printed Dictionaries(p. 48)
• Development of Dictionaries(p. 49)
• Using Dictionaries(p. 50)
• Theasuruses(p. 53)
• Using Electronic Dictionaries and Thesauruses(p. 55)
• Other Word Books(p. 56)
• Chapter 7 Almanacs, Statistics, Handbooks, and Standards(p. 59)
• Almanacs(p. 59)
• Statistical Yearbooks and News Digests(p. 61)
• Census and Other Statistical Data(p. 62)
• Handbooks and Manuals(p. 63)
• Catalogs, Trade Literature, and Standards(p. 65)
• Chapter 8 Maps and Atlases(p. 67)
• Content and Arrangement(p. 67)
• Types of Maps and Atlases(p. 68)
• Using Maps and Atlases(p. 70)
• Publishers(p. 70)
• Electronic Maps(p. 71)
• Locating Maps and Atlases(p. 72)
• Chapter 9 Locating and Selecting Reference Works(p. 73)
• Choosing Among Reference Works(p. 76)
• Parameters for Selection(p. 76)
• Applying the Parameters(p. 81)
• Interpreting Entries(p. 83)
• Identifying and Locating Additional Reference Works(p. 85)
• Chapter 10 Search Strategies for Research Queries(p. 87)
• Defining the Topic(p. 89)
• Using Logical Operators(p. 91)
• Listing Access Terms(p. 93)
• Terms for Starters(p. 95)
• Chapter 1 Consulting the Experts(p. 97)
• Directories: The Starting Point(p. 97)
• Making Contact(p. 98)
• The Telephone Interview(p. 99)
• The Personal Interview(p. 100)
• Electronic Consulting(p. 102)
• Words From the Wise(p. 102)
• Chapter 12 Selecting Information Packages(p. 107)
• Information Packages and Their Characteristics(p. 110)
• Single-issue Print Formats(p. 110)
• Serial Print Formats(p. 114)
• Other Print Formats(p. 116)
• Audiovisual Formats(p. 117)
• Chapter 13 Choosing Collections and Services(p. 121)
• Libraries and Archives(p. 122)
• Information Services(p. 124)
• Freedom of Information Legislation(p. 126)
• Choosing Among Collections and Services(p. 127)
• Locating Collections and Services(p. 128)
• Chapter 14 Identifying Information Sources(p. 131)
• The Bibliographic Description(p. 132)
• Identifying Packages and Elements: Some Examples(p. 137)
• Annotations and Abstracts(p. 139)
• Citing Information Sources(p. 140)
• Chapter 15 Using Library Catalogs(p. 143)
• Purposes of Library Catalogs(p. 143)
• Decisions in a Catalog Search(p. 144)
• Author Searches(p. 153)
• Title Searches(p. 156)
• Subject Searches(p. 157)
• Hints on Searching by Author and Title(p. 159)
• Library of Congress Subject Headings(p. 161)
• Hints on Searching by Subject(p. 163)
• Chapter 16 Retrieving Information Sources(p. 167)
• Dewey Decimal Classification(p. 168)
• Library of Congress Classification(p. 171)
• Call Numbers(p. 173)
• Using the Catalog and Classification Scheme to Advantage(p. 173)
• Other Means of Retrieval(p. 174)
• Retrieval of Archival Materials(p. 177)
• Chapter 17 Using Indexes and Abstracting Journals(p. 179)
• Value of Journal Articles(p. 180)
• Indexes(p. 181)
• Abstracting Journals(p. 184)
• KWIC Indexes(p. 185)
• Citation Indexes(p. 188)
• Current Awareness(p. 189)
• Newspaper Indexes(p. 191)
• Other Types of Indexes(p. 192)
• Deciding Which Finding Aids to Use(p. 194)
• Chapter 18 Using Bibliographies(p. 195)
• Subject Bibliographies, Annual Reviews, and Guides to the Literature(p. 196)
• National Bibliographies(p. 197)
• Trade Bibliographies(p. 198)
• Bibliographies by Information Package(p. 199)
• Legal Bibliography(p. 200)
• Locating and Using Bibliographies(p. 201)
• Chapter 19 Using CD-ROM and Online Databases(p. 203)
• CD-ROM and Online Databases(p. 204)
• Full-text Databases(p. 205)
• Numeric and Image Databases(p. 207)
• Comparing Electronic and Manual Searches(p. 208)
• Carrying Out an Electronic Search(p. 210)
• A Hypothetical Search(p. 216)
• Recall and Precision(p. 218)
• Modifying a Search(p. 219)
• Online Access(p. 220)
• Chapter 20 Union Lists and Inter-library Lending(p. 223)
• The National Union Catalog and Other Union Lists(p. 224)
• Access to Sources in Other Libraries(p. 226)
• Chapter 21 The Internet(p. 229)
• The Origins(p. 231)
• E-mail(p. 232)
• Usenet Groups(p. 233)
• Electronic Mailing Lists(p. 234)
• Electronic Newsletters and Journals(p. 235)
• FTP(p. 235)
• WAIS and CWIS(p. 236)
• Telnet(p. 237)
• The World Wide Web(p. 237)
• Good Places to Start a WWW Search(p. 240)
• In Conclusion(p. 243)
• Appendix 1 Tips for Precision Searching in Alphabetical Lists(p. 247)
• Word-by-word vs. Letter-by-letter Filing(p. 247)
• Punctuation Marks(p. 248)
• Articles and Prepositions(p. 249)
• Initialisms, Abbreviations, and Acronyms(p. 249)
• "Mac" and "Mc"(p. 250)
• Numbers(p. 250)
• Spelling(p. 251)
• Names(p. 251)
• Order of Entries for the Same Word(p. 252)
• Subdivisions of Headings(p. 253)
• Appendix 2 Terminology Related to the Book(p. 255)
• Reference List(p. 259)
• Resource Index(p. 261)
• Topic Index(p. 267)
• About the Authors(p. 277)

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CHOICE Review

Another book about how to do research? Of several similar titles held at USCS, none shows high use. Among the more recent publications are Academic Libraries and Research by Kathleen Weessies et al. (2nd ed., 1997), Arlene Quaratiello's The College Student's Research Companion (2nd ed., 2000), and Thomas Mann's A Guide to Library Research Methods (1987). WorldCat and Books in Print bring up dozens of other titles on library research. All are similar; they describe sources for information retrieval (encyclopedias, indexes, bibliographies) and give general information about the search process. Why should libraries and students acquire this one? The subtitle gives a clue: it is comprehensive, having the most pages, and appearing to contain the most information. The arrangement is clear, explaining first what information is and how to find facts fast, then treating the research process in depth and analyzing different sources of information retrieval. CD-ROM and online databases are covered fully, as is the Internet. The book could be very useful, but the challenge for librarians and faculty will be to get students to use it. Undergraduates may be overwhelmed, while graduate students may be turned off by the more basic information. One of the best uses would be as a text for a semester-long library research class. H. E. Schneider; University of South Carolina at Spartanburg