Music 242: Music History and Literature II

Title Slide: Journal Article Searching

[Image: St Olaf Libraries and IT logo]

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Slide 1: Access the Databases

Catalyst's article results are not as complete as what you can get in the individual databases.

Click the "databases" button at stolaf.edu/library to see the A-Z database list.

[Image: Screenshot of St Olaf Libraries homepage, with a red arrow pointing to the Databases button]

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Slide 2: Database Types

The Library subscribes to hundreds of databases.

Use the "Subject" menu to limit to recommended resources for your research area.

[Image: Screenshot of the "Subject" drop-down menu.]

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Slide 3: Database Types

​​​Use the "Database Type" menu to limit to find particular kinds of resources.

For journal articles, pick "research database."

[Image: Screenshot of the "Database Type" drop-down menu, with "Research Database" selected.]

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Slide 4: Excellent Music Journal Databases

RILM Abstracts

• Indexes books, book chapters, scholarly journals, some popular/trade magazines
• Better for art music than pop music

Music Periodicals Database

• Indexes scholarly journals and popular/trade magazines
• Does not include books and book chapters
• Includes more pop music than RILM

Music Index

• Indexes scholarly journals and popular/trade magazines after 1970
• Does not include as many journals/magazines as RILM or MPD
• Good for art and pop music

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Slide 5: Excellent Theatre & Dance Journal Databases

Theater and Dance are often grouped together under "performing arts," so they share many databases.

International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance

• Indexes books, scholarly journals, and trade/popular magazines

Performing Arts Periodicals Database

• Indexes journals and trade/popular magazines
• Not as many books as IBTD

Film & Television Literature Index

• Indexes books, scholarly journals, and trade/popular magazines
• Good if your production was commercially filmed

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Slide 6: Excellent Interdisciplinary Databases

If you want to see what a lot of different research areas have to say about your topic, try an interdisciplinary or general research database.

Academic Search Premier

• Indexes newspapers, scholarly journals, and trade/popular magazines from 1975 on

Arts & Humanities Citation Index

• Indexes scholarly journals and books from 1975 on

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Slide 7: Tips 'n' Tricks: Search Multiple Databases

Didn't find what you were looking for? Try another database.

The same search terms in Academic Search Premier, RILM, and Music Periodicals Database will give different results.

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Slide 8: Tips 'n' Tricks: Multisearch in EBSCO

You can simultaneously search multiple EBSCO databases. (EBSCO is a database vendor.)

First, log into an EBSCO database. Click "Choose Databases" at the top of the screen.

[Image: screenshot of the RILM database from EBSCO, with a red arrow pointing to the "choose databases" link.]

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Slide 9: Tips 'n' Tricks: Look for Contextualizing Articles

Sometimes it hard to find scholarly research that addresses your exact topic, especially if you're researching a recent song, movie, play, or TV show.

Look for contextualizing articles about the genre or style, the time period, the artist's other work, or comparable artists.

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Slide 10: Getting the Article/Book/Chapter

Most databases provide direct access to most (but not all) of the material they index. Look for "PDF" or "Full Text" links to read the resource.

[Image: Screenshot of an article record in Performing Arts Periodicals Database, with red arrows pointing to the PDF and Full-Text hyperlinks.]

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Slide 11: Getting the Article/Book/Chapter

If there is no full text option, click the "Find It!" button. This asks Catalyst if we have access to the resource somewhere else.

[Image: Screenshot of an article record in Academic Search Premier, with a red arrow pointing to the "Find it!" button.]

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Slide 12: Getting the Article/Book/Chapter

What happens next varies, because lots of computer systems have to talk to each other, with mixed success.

Best case scenario, you get taken directly to the article!

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Slide 13: Getting the Article/Book/Chapter

Or you may get taken to a Catalyst record that asks you where you want to access the material.

Be sure to check that your article falls with in the available date range.

[Image: Screenshot of a Catalyst record with 4 options for accessing an article online. A red arrow points to the range of dates that the journal is available online.]

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Slide 14: Getting the Article/Book/Chapter

Usually clicking the link will take you straight to the article.

Sometimes it takes you to the entire journal, and you have to search there for the individual article you want.

[Image: Screenshot of a Catalyst record with 4 options for accessing an article online. A red arrow points to the range of dates that the journal is available online.]

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Slide 15: Getting the Article/Book/Chapter

What if we don't have electronic access to the resource?

A mustard-colored note tells you to look for physical copies.

[Image: Screenshot of a Catalyst record for a journal article. A red arrow points to a mustard-colored banner reading "Check for physical copies or request a copy."]

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Slide 16: Getting the Article/Book/Chapter

Sign in with your stolaf username by clicking the link in the yellow bar.

[Image: Screenshot of a pale yellow bar in a Catalyst record. A red arrow points to the "Sign in" link in the yellow bar.]

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Slide 17: Getting the Article/Book/Chapter

Click the "resource sharing" link that appears.

[Image: Screenshot of a Catalyst record with the a red arrow pointing to the "Request via Resource Sharing" link.]

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Slide 18: Getting the Article/Book/Chapter

This pulls up a pre-populated request form.

Make sure the data is correct and complete.

Then submit!

[Image: Screenshot of a filled-out request form for an article.]

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Slide 19: Getting the Article/Book/Chapter

Scans of articles or chapters take 1-3 business days to complete (i.e., weekend requests take longer!)

Requests for physical books, DVDs, etc. can take a week or more, depending on shipping.

You will receive an email when the material has arrived.