Research at the UWM Libraries  Tags: research articles library books  

Browse the Libraries' stacks literally, or virtually using the online catalog. These are some of the call numbers for materials in the UWM Libraries.

Use the library catalog, PantherCat, to search for books. Search by:

• Title (eliminate initial articles, such as "the", "a", "an")
  
• Author (last name first followed by first name)
  
• Keyword (the same database search techniques apply; use "and", "or", "not" to separate keywords and put quotes around phrases)

Example: "small business" and marketing

When you find a book in PantherCat, write down the location and call number. The location "Stacks" refers to the main circulating collection from which books can be checked out. For circulating books, make sure to check the status--look for the phrase "Not checked out". Some books may be in other locations, such as Reference, which are non-circulating collections. For more help on finding books and call numbers, see the following library guide: Finding and Checking Out Books.

Remember, it is harder to evaluate the contents of a book just by looking in PantherCat, so it is usually best to get the book off the shelf and look through it before you determine if it will be a good source for your research.

Constructing a Search

• Write down the research question and underline key concepts.
• Think of synonyms and alternate terms for each of the main concepts.
• Think broader, or narrower, depending on results of initial searches.
• Consult a thesaurus or index, if available, to narrow and focus the search.

For example: What ethical questions are raised by embryonic stem cell research?

Sample searches: embryo and stem cell and ethics                          embryonic stem cells and morality

Which to use: Catalog or Database?

• Use a library catalog to locate books and documents in a library's collections. It will also say if the library owns specific journals. PantherCat, MadCat, and MarqCat are examples of library catalogs
• A database, on the other hand, indexes the journals and is used to point to specific articles within the journals, articles on a topic or by a particular author. The full text of some, but not all, of these articles may be available online. Academic Search, ERIC and Web of Science are databases.
• Catalogs and databases do different things but work hand in hand to provide resources. Use one or more databases to find references to articles, then a library catalog to see if a library owns the journal where the article is published.
• Find It! is a helpful tool for locating electronic or print copies of articles available at the UWM Libraries.