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James Samuel Guy Chemistry Library
1515 Dickey Drive
Atlanta, Georgia 30322

INTRODUCTION TO LIBRARY RESEARCH
CHEM 597R
2007/2008

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

I. Topics - (March 7-14)

In consultation with your advisor, choose a topic for library research no later than Friday, March 14.

• Gain approval of your Research Advisor
• Complete topic sheet (syllabus, last page, http://chemistry.library.emory.edu; go to Library Services; Instruction; Chem 597R, Introduction to Library Research; scroll to and click on MS Word Version ); return topic sheet to Donna Hudson, Chemistry Librarian, no later than Friday, March 14. Topic sheet may be returned in person to the Library Circulation Desk, attention: Donna, or download the MS Word version and mail the last page to libdth@emory.edu.

II. Library Research

Students are expected to spend enough time to do a thorough job researching the chosen topic. If the amount of time greatly exceeds 15 hours, the topic may be modified upon approval of the Librarian and Faculty Advisor.

III. Preparation for Research Consultation- (March 10 -March 14)

Begin preparation for your research consultation by finding, researching, and taking notes on at least one scholarly article specifically related to your topic. In many cases your advisor, the post doc or senior graduate student in your group will be able to give you a starting paper about your topic. If not, then you need to find that first paper on your own. The people listed above will be good resources for answering questions about your topic.

Search EUCLID and databses, particularly SciFinder Scholar and Web of Science, prior to rescheduling a consultation. Come to your consultation prepared to discuss the questions outlined in the section, "Research Consultations" below.

IV. Research Consultations - (March 17 -April 11)

Research consultations are available at any time, and may be scheduled at any point during your research. You are REQUIRED to schedule at least one consultation with the Librarian between March 17 and April 11. Go to the Chemistry Library website:  http://chemistry.library.emory.edu 

to sign-up for a 45 minute consultation. Appointment times will be available each week. The first sign-up schedule will be posted by Wednesday, March 12.

HOW TO SET AN APPOINTMENT ON GOOGLE CALENDARING

• You should receive an email invitation from your professor asking you to sign up for a Google account if you haven’t already. Click on the link in the email to accept the invitation.
• Sign-up for a Google account. The sign-up process is short and easy, and only takes about two minutes.
• After you sign up, Google will ask if you want to add the calendar your professor has set up (Chemistry 597). Click yes to add the calendar.
• To view the calendar, make sure that only the Chemistry 597 calendar is checked in the box at the bottom left side of the page.
• When the calendar comes up, highlight a specific day and time to set your appointment with your professor. You cannot add an appointment time in areas marked “unavailable,” neither can you add an appointment time in areas that are already occupied by other students.
• After you have highlighted your desired day and time, a box will pop up with the day and time of your appointment. This box will also allow you to give a description of your appointment. In the area labeled “what,” you should put your first and last name. Once you have filled in the details, click the box that says “create event.”
• Once you have made your appointment, it should be clearly visible on the calendar on the day and time that you chose.

If you need help getting started, schedule a consultation early. On the other hand, you may want to wait until later. Just don’t wait until too close the deadline. There will be plenty of appointment times available. However, there will not be enough time for everyone to wait until the last week. Plan your time accordingly as this is a course REQUIREMENT.

When you come for your consultation be prepared to discuss or bring the following:

• Discuss your topic with beginning knowledge. What are you looking for? What will be the focus of your research?

• Bring a photocopy of one or more articles that represent the type of references for which you will be looking. What can be learned from these references to help you find more information?

• Bring a list of potential words, phrases, authors’ names, keywords, or indexing terms that will be important for you to search. Has your professor or his/her group written articles on the topic?

• Discuss your search strategy. How will you screen references for only those you want;? How much information will be enough? Too much? How much information do you expect to find? Is this a retrospective search covering many years or is this a new topic?

• Discuss background information you will need. Check Euclid for books on background or supporting information. Does the library own any reference books that will be helpful? Dictionaries? Encyclopedias? Handbooks?

• Discuss other databases that should be searched. Do not limit your searching to SciFinder Scholar. Are you searching for biomedical information? Search Medline or PubMed in addition to SciFinder Scholar. If you are synthesizing compounds or looking for properties, don’t forget CrossFire, Beilstein or Gmelin. In general, most topics should be searched in Web of Knowledge. Citation searching in Web of Knowledge helps you to quickly identify additional, significantly related bibliographic references.

• Have you practiced using EndNote? Now is the time to begin building a database of references that are significant to your research. Using it will also make writing your paper and producing your bibliography so much easier.

Sign-up for research consultations will begin Wednesday, March 12.

There will be NO consultations done after Friday, April 11.

V. First Paper - (Due April 18 - 75%)

The information for writing this paper will be found by using a combination of resources identified through SciFinder Scholar searches and resources identified by searching Euclid and other library databases, i.e. Web of Science, Medline, PubMed, CrossFire Beilstein, etc. In addition to the above resources, you may use information found on websites, provided you have verified that the information found on the website is accurate, authoritative, objective, and current.

Length of the paper and bibliography will vary. Ask your advisor for guidelines. S/he may want a comprehensive, retrospective discussion of the topic, an overview, or a paper identifying direction for future research.

The bibliography MUST conform to the guidelines established in the ACS Style Guide. A copy of the ACS Style Guide will be on reserve at the Circulation Desk in the Library. Several helpful online sites for using the ACS Style Guide:
http://pubs.acs.org/books/references.shtml
http://iws.ohiolink.edu/chemistry/info/acs.html

http://chemistry.library.wisc.edu/instruction/acstyle.htm

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/CHEM/chem1a/ACSguide.html

The Librarian will grade the paper for readability, clarity and style. Your faculty advisor will grade the paper on subject content.

PLEASE MAKE TWO COPIES OF YOUR PAPER - ONE FOR THE LIBRARY AND ONE FOR YOUR FACULTY ADVISOR.

You are responsible for delivering a print or electronic copy of your paper to the library and to your advisor.

VI. Second Paper - (Due April 18 - 25%)

Write a short one-page paper that documents use of library resources in finding information on your topic. This is to be a process paper - one that documents, evaluates and draws conclusions about the use of library materials in finding information on your topic. In this paper, you are required to discuss Euclid; SciFinder Scholar and at least ONE other resource, either another database, a major reference work, or a reliable website used for finding resources/information for your paper.

Include as many of the following points in evaluating and discussing resources in your paper.
• What library resource(s) were used?
• What non-library websites did you find that provide good, useful information on your topic?
• What type of information were you looking for?
• Which resource(s) provided the most information on your topic?
• Was the information you found timely and comprehensive?
• Were you surprised to find or not find information on your topic in a resource that you searched?
• Were there journals you needed that were unavailable online or in print at Emory? If so, what were

  they?
• Did you find plenty or not enough information on your topic? Additional comments about the availability

  of resources?

PLEASE MAKE TWO COPIES OF YOUR PAPER - ONE FOR THE LIBRARY AND ONE FOR YOUR ADVISOR.

You are responsible for delivering a print or electronic copy of your paper to the library and to your advisor.

VII. Course Evaluation-(Due April 18)

Each person in the course is expected to complete, outline, an anonymous course evaluation. A link to the evaluation will be given to you at the time of your scheduled consultation.

Please go to:

to complete your evaluation.

VIII. Grading - Pass/Fail

• Anonymous Course Evaluation

Final course grades (P/F) are submitted to the Graduate School through the Chemistry Department at the end of the second semester.

All work for CHEM 597R will be completed by 5:00 PM Friday, April 18. Papers submitted after this date will automatically receive an F (Fail) grade.

SUGGESTED READINGS

The following items are available in the Chemistry Library.

ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors, 3rdd edition (On Reserve)
Coghill, Anne M. and Lorrin R. Garson, editors. American Chemical Society, 2006; Chem. Ref. QD8.5 A25 2006; Location: Reserves

How to Find Chemical Information: A Guide for Practicing Chemists, Educators, and Students, 3rd edition
Maizell, Robert E.; Wiley, 1998; QD8.5 M34 1998; Location: Reference and Electronic Access (NetLibrary)

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NAME

Please submit your choice of topic to Donna Hudson, Chemistry Librarian, by Wednesday, March 8.

My research topic is:

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FACULTY ADVISOR

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LIBRARY APPROVAL