Libraries' Help & FAQ

• The University Libraries' Databases page allows you to group databases by subject area by clicking on the "Subjects" drop-down menu.
• Click on the "i" to the right of a database title or click "more..." to get more information about that database.
• Most of the databases are article databases which allow you to search for articles by keywords.
• Once you choose a database, type keywords describing your topic into the search boxes to find article entries which include your words.

• Go to OneSearch.
• Type the author’s last name, several words from the article title, and the year of publication.
• If OneSearch does not find your article, consult the Finding Specific Articles guide

• Many article databases provide a way in which you can filter your results to only include peer-reviewed/scholarly articles.
• Choose an article database from the University Libraries' Databases page.
• Look for a check box near the search box labeled “Limit to Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals” or similar.

• Databases available through the University Libraries will display a blue Find It @ BALL STATE button that, when clicked, will tell you if the article in available in full text through another database.
• If no online holdings appear, you can click on the Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad) link on the Find It @ BALL STATE page or go to Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad) directly to request the full text.
• For step-by-step instructions, consult Interlibrary Loan: Getting articles/books we don't have.

• When you're using a database, and can't find a link to the full text of an article, look for a Find It @ BALL STATE button.
• Find It @ BALL STATE helps you to search the Libraries' other databases to see if the full text is available through another resource.
• If it is available, Find It @ BALL STATE provides a link to the text of the article; and if it cannot find the full-text, Find It @ BALL STATE provides a link to Interlibrary Loan so that you can request that we get a copy of the article from another library.

• Use LibKey Nomad, a browser plugin that helps you locate the text of journal articles when you're researching on the web.
• Download LibKey Nomad to get started.
• Learn more about it on the LibKey Nomad online guide.

• Start on University Libraries' homepage.
• Go to OneSearch.
• Type your title into the search box with quotation marks around it, and select Search.
• If the Libraries own your title, it will be in the list of results.
• To narrow your search to titles owned by the University Libraries, select "Library Catalog" on the left.
• You can find location (ex. Bracken Library, General Collection), library name, and call number information right on the search results page.
• Click on a title to view complete information about it, including options for requesting it.

• The information on the OneSearch search results page includes the call number and location/collection the book is in.
• Consult Book Locations and Floorplans to determine where the book's collection is located in the library.
• You may also use the charts in the elevators in Bracken Library to figure out which floor your General Collection book is located on.
• Use the call number (ex. HC103 .D39 2011) from the item record to locate the specific book on the shelf.

• Start on University Libraries' homepage.
• Go to OneSearch.
• Enter keywords describing your topic in the large search box.
• On the search results page, choose "Physical Books in the Library Catalog" under "Refine your search."

• After doing a search in OneSearch, use the filters on the left to choose "eBook Full Text Online" under "Refine your search."
• The results will be updated to only include electronic books.

• OneSearch provides location and call number information for dissertations and theses.
• Dissertations and theses written by Ball State students may be available in online form, print form, or both, depending on the author's wishes.
  • Print copies found in the Archives and Special Collections cannot be checked out.
  • Pring copies found in the Thesis Collection in Bracken Library, located on the fourth floor, west side, can be checked out.

• Go to Cardinal Scholar Theses and Dissertations.
• Ball State faculty, staff, and students should then log in with their BSU username/password to get full access. Then choose “Ball State Theses and Dissertations” under “Communities in Cardinal Scholar.”
• In Cardinal Scholar you may choose to type in search terms, or to browse in various ways, including the date, author or department.
• Some documents will be available to read in full-text online, and some will only be available in print form; this depends on the age of the document and the choice of the author.
• Another resource is the database "Dissertations and Theses," accessible on the Databases page.
  • Type "Ball State University" in a search box and choose "University/Institution - SCH" in the drop-down menu on the right to limit to works written by Ball State students.

There are several ways to increase the number of records you find when doing database searching.

• Substitute a more general word.
• Use synonyms and related terms.
• Reduce the number of words in your search.
• Consider using a more general, less specialized database.

There are several ways to reduce the number of records you find when searching in a database.

• Substitute a more specific word.
• Add more words to describe other aspects/concepts related to your topic.
• Use limiters to narrow the type of record to retrieve (ex. scholarly articles, or articles with full-text).
• Use limiters to be more specific about the years of publications you want.
• Use NOT to exclude terms (but use this with caution).
• Consider using a more specialized database.

• OneSearch is the University Libraries’ discovery tool, useful for searching across a wide variety of databases for a variety of content types.
• OneSearch allows searching for books and other items in our collection, as well as articles from article databases, all from one search box.
• Consult the OneSearch LibGuide for more help.

• Library Information Desk (Bracken Library, 1st Floor West) has copies of all of the popular citation manuals used on campus, including MLA, APA, and many others. Reference staff are available to help with citation questions, as well.
• The online guide entitled Citation Style Guides provides links to basic outlines of all of the major citation style formats.
• For more extensive help with citing sources and writing research papers, visit Ball State's Writing Center.

• Interlibrary Loan is a service that allows you to request materials -- books, articles, etc. -- from other institutions.
• Consult the Interlibrary Loan FAQ for answers to specific questions.
• For step-by-step help, visit Interlibrary Loan: Getting Articles/Books We Don't Have.

• Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are permanent identifiers given to electronic documents, such as journal articles. DOIs commonly appear at the beginning of articles, in citations, and also in search results. Generally, the DOI appears like this: DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.69.2.334.
• PubMed Unique Identifiers (PMIDs) are unique identifiers given to articles and citations in PubMed. They generally appear like this: PMID: 18488594.
• If you have a DOI or a PMID for an article, you don't need any other citation information to find the article using CitationLinker.