Research Tips

Linfield Libraries

Library Class Pages

Find course specific research help with resources tailored to your class assignments.These pages usually accompany a Library Instruction session with your professor and a librarian. But if you find a class that meets your general subject needs, you may be able to use it to get started with your research as well.
Find Library Class Pages list on the left sidebar of the Libraries main page. Select the right course name and professor combination.

Linfield Search: Search Linfield Libraries and Beyond

Linfield Search (powered by Primo ExLibris) is the Search Box on the main page, front and center: Use it for finding books and articles at Linfield College or at libraries regionally and libraries worldwide. By default, results include items:

Available either in Linfield Libraries or full text online or

Check Holdings - These include Summit or WorldCat items requested with CatNet ID,

Not Available - If you check the Expand my Results box to the left of the search to discover items, you will find items we do not have but which are requestable via Interlibrary loan. Checked out items are also included.

Use the dropdown scopes to search:

Everything - books from Linfield and other Summit (37 regional) academic libraries and articles from subscribed and freely available journals worldwide. Request Summit items (yellow bullet) with delivery about 3-5 days. Note: This scope does not contain WorldCat items - see below.
Linfield Libraries - just physical materials in our Linfield libraries.
Articles - articles from subscribed and freely available journals worldwide.
Ebsco - focuses on articles from dozens of Ebsco databases. You can also search Ebsco and other databases individually via the Research Databases link on the left sidebar of the Libraries pages.
WorldCat - (yellow bullet) find materials worldwide outside of Summit, including public libraries. WorldCat requires sign in to Linfield Search first. (Delivery on WorldCat requested items is about 3-10 days).

*Note: DCE Students: More information on borrowing items

Tips for Searching Linfield Search

Linfield Search is powered by ExLibris Primo which includes lots of online search help. Here are some hints for specific kinds of searching:

Use quotes around known titles for best results, just as in a Google search. (For instance, "The World Is Flat"). Add author last name in search box to limit further.
Limit by facets: After search, notice the facets along the left sidebar. Limit results by format (books), Subject (vitaculture), Language (French), etc.
Advanced Search includes more options such as using keywords in title, subject, author or limiting by material type. (Remember to use quotes around exact titles, even in Advanced Search title mode.)
Browse Search works well for finding books using Subject headings (Viticulture - Oregon) or by Library of Congress Classification numbers (ex. SB387.76.O7 O74).
Sign in with CatNet ID for best results. Some resources require sign in for discovery, including WorldCat scope, certain databases, E-Shelf, My Account, etc.
My Account - tracks your checkouts and allows renewals (requires sign in)
Use E-Shelf - As you search, click stars for the titles you want to track or revisit. They will show up in your e-shelf each session but sign in required to preserve for future searching.

More Tips:
Find a book, dvd, cd, or other materials

Linfield books, dvds, etc. are on the shelves according to Library of Congress classification. Use the call number (such as QL737.C4 E25) from the catalog record to find the material on the shelf.
There are many reasons it is hard to find things on the library shelves. Please ask staff for advice if you spend too much time trying to find stuff.

Find an article

Search for articles via Linfield Search noted above. You may find links to full articles that way. But there are lots more academic articles in our:
Research databases
- EBSCOhost includes many full text articles - multidisciplinary and subject specific periodical databases.
- Lexis-Nexis is best for full text major newspapers for news, also business, legal, medical, and reference information
- Use the drop down menu on the left sidebar of the Libraries main page to see the whole range of Research databases listed alphabetically or by subject, containing articles from specialized academic journals.
- Periodicals@Linfield -lists all newspapers, magazines, and journals accessible at Linfield College either in the library or via online periodical database or publishers web site.
- You can also search Google Scholar and access many articles that we have there for free. But if you do not find the article free, check Periodicals@Linfield or request via Interlibrary Loan. You never have to pay for articles!

Note: If you are trying to access article databases from off campus, you will need to login with your CATNET ID and password.

Especially for DCE Students: Now How Do I get the item!

Find Background and Quick Facts

The web page drop down menu Quick Facts accesses dozens of Reference sources - online encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks and other resources. Do a quick search across hundreds of subjects in the most popular general references:

Or consult the Alphabetical or Subject Listing to find individual favorites like:

Interlibrary Loan

Requesting Articles or Books from other Libraries ( pdf with screen shots)
For books, check Linfield WorldCat limiting to the books tab. Anything not available at Linfield can be requested via Summit (Regional libraries) or Libraries Worldwidefor books worldwide, although delivery times vary (see above under Books).
For articles, check journal title in Periodicals@Linfield to see if it is available full text via another database or in Linfield's collection.
If you find neither books nor articles locally through previous steps, order them via Interlibrary Loan Request (also linked on the Libraries Web page.
Google and Google Scholar are a great starting point for many searches, but may lead to pages asking you to pay $$$ for articles. Don't pay. Find books via Linfield WorldCat. Find articles from us via Periodicals@Linfield or current students, faculty, and staff can order materials via Interlibrary Loan.

Evaluate Web and Print resources

Web Evaluation Criteria: What Questions to Ask?
Wikiality - A Colbert Report classic to get you thinking about where we get information.
Ulrich's International Periodical Directory is great for figuring out if a journal is scholarly or not. Search by Title & look at Document Type to see whether a journal is popular or scholarly
Cornell University Research Minute - Is the article or journal Popular or Scholarly?

Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism

Research & Documentation Online Find examples of APA, MLA, and other common styles.
Bedford Bibliographer - create a bibliography on the fly
Linfield WorldCat and many Article Databases such as EbscoHost include citing tools - look for links with a specific book or article entry.
Citing Sources & Avoiding Plagiarism Duke University
Avoiding Plagiarism? Tips from Purdue University's Online Writing Center (OWL)
Open Colleges Cyber Safety - Plagiarism

Questions of any kind? Contact Barbara Valentine (x2573;bvalen) or another Reference Librarian

DCE students: contact the DCE librarian: Carol McCulley (x2595; mccull