finding information : new dit students
library guide no. 1
know what you’re looking for. This sounds obvious, but you need to think in terms of different
keywords to describe and narrow down your topic. Consider the date range - do you want new or older
material. Think about what types of information you need e.g. textbooks, ebooks, research articles,
standards, government publications? Note down keywords that describe your project topic.
reading lists course coordinators generally provide a list of references linked to a module which is a
good place to start. If you haven't got a reading list, then start with a textbook or encyclopedia to get
a basic understanding of the topic. The library has a collection of subject dictionaries and
encyclopedias located in the Reference Section & the eBooks section on the DIT Library website.
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where should I look? Once you’ve defined your topic and have a number of keywords to work with it’s
time to begin to plan your search and use appropriate information sources. Consider these options:
browsing Many students browse the shelves for books when first looking for information on a topic.
Textbooks are arranged in order of ‘call number’ which is found on the spine of the book (e.g. 510 or
616). These numbers have been allocated according to the subject matter of the book. This means that
books on a similar topic will usually be found together on the shelves. Kevin St Library has a Short Loan
Collection at the Library desk for heavily used core textbooks in different modules.
library catalogue Undergraduates can borrow 6 items for a 14 days period and renew them once
only. All material held in DIT Library is on the Catalogue http://library.dit.ie which lists the books and
ebooks the Library holds on a particular subject. It will give location details and list how many copies
are available. Try a keyword or subject search around your topic and then find the material on the
shelves. You also have a DIT Library Account where you can check your book return dates and renew
loans. You need a Library PIN to access these services see http://www.dit.ie/library/a-z/pin/.
what about journals? The latest research on a topic is reported in journals usually published on a
monthly basis. Journal articles are subject specific and report on original research. The author(s) will
also refer to other relevant papers that were used in its preparation. These "references" are collected
and listed at the end of the article and can be useful in pointing you in the direction of more
information on a specific topic. New issues of a journal are displayed alphabetically by title in the
Current Journals Area (Stack 11) in the Library. Or try the eJournals link on the Library website.
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where can I find e-information on my subject?
Subject links can help you find relevant web links for your subject area. Use the Subject
Gateway link on the DIT Library Website and click on Physics, Chemistry etc. This will give
you links to academic related web information specifically tailored to the sciences or
engineering subject area. Some useful subject related weblinks are Sci Central
www.scicentral.com or Infomine http://infomine.ucr.edu/
Databases are a list of references describing scholarly articles from hundreds of journals,
which cover a specific subject area. They provide a short summary of the article and some
databases provide links to the article fulltext. To choose a relevant database go to the
Library Website and click on Databases. Useful ones for science/engineering students are
Engineering Village, Knovel and Science Direct. For remote access your will need your
Student Number and Library PIN. Some databases are also available in app format.
eJournals Search for specific journal articles at: http://www.dit.ie/library
eBooks Browse the ebooks collection at http://www.dit.ie/library/ebooks/
Search engines: use Advanced Search on Google Scholar to get more accurate results or try
a subject specific search engine such as Scirus (scirus.com).
evaluating resources - what’s right for you? It is important to think critically about your
research sources especially those from the web. Think about how relevant the information is and its
bias. Be aware that information found on the web needs to be tested in terms of purpose.
why do I need to list my sources? Once you’ve located information on your topic, it is important to
record where you found it e.g. on the web or in a textbook.
This is so your lecturer can ensure
plagiarism hasn’t taken place (plagiarism is copying ideas without acknowledging their source). You need
to list details of the items your have used at the back of your assignment in a bibliography. A number
of helpful guides are available at 808 in Stack 10 in Kevin St Library.
still can’t find what you’re looking for?
Use the Ask A Librarian help desk at [email protected] or www.dit.ie/library
You may also wish to use the Library Group Study Rooms, Laptop Loans Service,
and Silent Study Area. Please ask at the Information Desk for more details.
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