The purpose of this page is to guide you through the research process, but if you have any problems or questions, please contact a librarian by:

     1) going to the library,
     2) calling 425-5312, or
     3) using the Ask a Librarian option.

Happy hunting!

All the books listed in this section are in the Reference area of the library unless otherwise indicated.

• International Dictionary of Applied Mathematics (Ref QA 5 I5)
• Dictionary of Computer Science, Engineering, and Technology (Ref QA 76.15 D5258 2001)

• Computer Science Handbook (Ref QA 76 C54755 2004)
• Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery Handbook (Ref QA 76.9 D343 D3765 2005)
• Encyclopedia of Computer Science (Ref QA 76.15 E48 2003)
• Encyclopedia of Science & Technology (Ref Q 121 M3 2007)
• Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics (Ref Q 175.35 E53 2005)
• Handbook of Mathematics (Ref QA 40 B713)
• Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia (Ref Q 121 V3 2002)

Write down the main concepts or keywords that have to do with your topic, then try to think of other words or phrases that are related. When you’re searching the library catalog and online databases, you sometimes have to try several different words or phrases before you find what you’re looking for. For example, if your topic is “How does television violence affect children?” you might write:

Searching Tips:

Boolean operators

• AND - will retrieve articles that have both terms. Example: If you search on "televison AND violence," you'll get articles about both television and violence.
  
  
• OR - will retrieve articles that have either term. (Be sure to put parentheses around words connected by OR.) Example: If you search on "television OR violence," you'll get articles about television, about violence, and about television and violence.
  
  
• Use Boolean operators and the search terms that you listed above to create a search, such as:
  
  "television AND violence AND children."
  If you wanted to include all of the related terms, you might try:
  
  "(television OR cartoons OR ninja) AND
  
  (violence OR aggression OR fighting) AND
  
  (children OR youth OR adolescents)."

• Truncation allows you to search for different versions of the same word. Basically, you substitute an asterisk (*) for one or more letters. This is a quick and easy way to include plurals, tense variations and alternate spellings. Example: "violen*" will find violence, violent, etc.
  
  
• Be careful when using truncation; "cat*" will find cat, cats, catastrophe, catalog, catapult, etc.
  
  
• When you're searching the OC Catalog, you'll need to use "$" instead of "*" (e.g., "violen$").

To access these resources, go to the library's Web site (www.oc.edu/library). NetLibrary and WorldCat are available off campus only to OC students, faculty, and staff, who must use their OC login and password to access the databases. If you have an OC login but are having problems logging into these databases, please call the reference desk at 425-5322 or Ask a Librarian.

OC Library Catalog (books in the OC Library)

• Select: OC Catalog
• Search by author, title, or keyword

• Select: NetLibrary

• Select: WorldCat
• TIP: If you find a book in WorldCat that is not in the OC library, you can request it on interlibrary loan (i.e., we’ll borrow it from another library) by clicking on the ILL button at the top left and typing in your name and information. The book will usually arrive in around 2 weeks, and the service is usually free.

• Select: Other Library Catalogs
• Select the desired library
• TIP: Other local libraries are a good option when you don’t have time to wait for a book on interlibrary loan. Through the OK-Share program, OC students and faculty can check out books from over 40 university & college libraries in Oklahoma.

To access all databases, go the library's Web page (www.oc.edu/library) and click on "Find Articles." All databases are available on campus, but most databases are available off campus only to OC students, faculty, and staff, who must use their OC login and password to access the databases. If you have an OC login but are having problems logging into the databases, please call the reference desk at 425-5322 or Ask a Librarian.

Applied Science & Technology Index (listed under Computer Science)

Citations and abstracts for articles in science and technology as well as the full text for many (but not all!) of the articles. Indexes Communications of the ACM, Computer, Journal of the ACM, and a number of the other IEEE and ACM journals.

TIP: If you find an article in Applied Science & Technology Index that is not in the OC library, you can request it on interlibrary loan (i.e., we'll borrow it from another library) by clicking on the ILL icon and typing in your name and information. Articles cost $0.10/page and usually arrive in around 2 weeks. The article fee is due even if the article arrives too late, so please do not order articles unless you think they will arrive in time.

Includes articles from all disciplines including Mathematics and Computer Science. Provides citation and abstracts for articles as well as the full text for many (but not all!) of the articles. Indexes College Mathematics Journal, Mathematics Magazine, Mathematics Teacher, American Mathematical Monthly, Communications of the ACM, Computer, and a number of IEEE and ACM journals.

TIP: If you find an article in Academic Search that is not in the OC library, you can request it on interlibrary loan (i.e., we'll borrow it from another library) by clicking on the ILL icon and typing in your name and information. Articles cost $0.10/page and usually arrive in around 2 weeks. The article fee is due even if the article arrives too late, so please do not order articles unless you think they will arrive in time.

Includes articles from all disciplines including Mathematics and Computer Science. Entries are citations. Allows you to limit your search to articles in journals that are in the OC Library. Indexes College Mathematics Journal, Mathematics Magazine, Mathematics Teacher, American Mathematical Monthly, Pi Mu Epsilon Journal, Communications of the ACM, Computer, Journal of the ACM, and ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, as well as a number of the IEEE and ACM journals.

TIP: If you find an article in ArticleFirst that is not in the OC library, you can request it on interlibrary loan (i.e., we'll borrow it from another library) by clicking on the ILL button at the top left and typing in your name and information. Articles cost $0.10/page and usually arrive in around 2 weeks. The article fee is due even if the article arrives too late, so please do not order articles unless you think they will arrive in time.

Applied Science & Technology Index, 1958- (3rd floor index table)

An author and subject index to magazines and journals about science and technology.

General Science Index, 1978- (3rd floor index table)

An author and subject index to English language periodicals in the sciences.

The College Mathematics Journal

Current two years on paper
1984-present on microfiche

Mathematics Magazine

Current five years on paper
1982-present on microfiche

The Mathematics Teacher

Current two years on paper
1980-present on microfiche
1953-1979 on microfilm
1996-2001 in Education Full Text

The American Mathematical Monthly

Current five years on paper
1982-present on microfiche

Pi Mu Epsilon Journal

1980-present on paper

Communications of the ACM

2000-present on paper
1982-1999 on microfiche
2004-present in Business Source Elite

Computer

1974-1996 on paper (some issues missing)

Journal of the ACM

1962-1981 and 1996-present on paper
1982-1999 on microfiche
2004-present in Business Source Elite

• Take a look at the Library’s recommended links about mathematics and computer science.
  
  
• Some particularly useful sites are:
  1. American Mathematical Society
  2. Association for Computing Machinery
  3. Science.gov (technical reports from the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, and more)
  
  
• Do a search in WorldCat that is limited to "Internet Resources."
  
  
• Use the following sites to search for scholarly information on the Web
  1. Infomine
  2. Google Scholar
  3. Directory of Open Access Journals (a list of free online scientific & scholarly journals)


• Search the Web for sites that provide information on your topic, but remember that many Web sites are not reliable and may provide false or misleading information. Some good search engines are:
  1. Google (a search engine that emphasizes academic sites)
  2. Altavista
  3. Alltheweb
  4. Yahoo!

• Once you have found your sources (books, articles, Web sites), you’ll need to evaluate them to see if you should use them in your paper.
  
  
• For tips on how to choose good sources over bad sources, take a look at Evaluating Sources of Information.

• After writing your paper, you must make a bibliography of the books, journal articles, and other sources used in your paper.
  
  
• Citing Your Sources gives a list of handbooks, style manuals, and Web sites that will help you cite your sources.

Please send comments or suggestions to library@oc.edu