Finding citations in the library

From WolfWikis

Finding references is one of the most common tasks librarians can help you with. We have a lot of experience doing this, so don't hesitate to Ask A Librarian and we can find it quickly for you.

Below is a general idea of the process we use. Understand I'm not going to even try to be comprehensive, because there are just too many exceptions! These are only the most common, straightforward cases. I'm going to tell you to Ask A Librarian a lot because, while we want you to learn to use the library effectively, that's what we're here for.

Books

References and citations to books usually contain the author, title, year, and publisher. Here is a sample:

Sagan C. 1985. Contact: A novel. New York: Simon and Schuster. 432 p.

Use the library catalog to search by either author or title. I usually use whichever term is shorter or more unique, so my search will be both easy and exact. Note the call number, floor, and library (DH Hill or branch) and you're on your way.

If we don't have it, you can request the book through Tripsaver.

Ask A Librarian if you have questions or need help.

Articles

Use this case for any articles in journals, magazines, newspapers, etc.

References and citations to articles usually contain the author, title of the publication (not necessary the article title, but sometimes), year, volume, issue, and page number. A sample:

Magrini, L., Corbelli, E., & Galli, D. (2007). The building up of the disk galaxy M 33 and the evolution of the metallicity gradient. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 470(3), 843.

Use the library catalog or journals tool (both linked from home page) to search for the JOURNAL title (or magazine or newspaper title). NOT the article title. (Journal titles are often abbreviated in citations. Check the journal abbreviations page for help in that case.)

Do we appear to subscribe to the journal in the year your article was published? Yes: follow online links and browse to the right year, volume, and page number. For print journals, additionally note the call number, floor, and library (DH Hill or branch), and you're on your way.

No: If we don't have it you can request the article through Tripsaver.

Ask A Librarian if you have questions or need help.

Things that aren't clearly articles or books

If a citation looks unusual to you, it may be one of any number of other formats or types of information. Try searching the catalog first for any identifiable keywords. If you're not sure how to proceed beyond that, Ask A Librarian.