Understanding Where the Information Is
Although computers have revolutionized the way libraries work, the basic method remains the same as that of the old print-based days: Librarians catalog books, magazines, newspapers, photographs, and recordings by author, title, and subject, with cross-references to important subtopics within the subject. This information is stored in the library's catalog, so you can look for a work by subject--or by author or title if you have that information. Articles within the magazines and newspapers are listed in indexes according to this same method. Computer programs can rapidly scan catalogs and indexes--even pages of articles or the tables of contents and indexes of individual books--for words you specify; some programs also look for related subtopics that you haven't even mentioned. In addition, electronic databases can sometimes also give you the text itself to read on the screen or to print out.
Academic research papers require information found in articles published in scholarly periodicals, many of which are not on the Web. Therefore, you will need to consult some specialized databases that index scholarly articles. Your library will have a number installed in designated computers for you to consult.
Databases come in four types:
Bibliographic databases (lists of titles of books and articles) are the most common type. These indexes and catalogs will usually give you a brief description or the abstract of a book or article, along with the title, author, publisher, date of publication, and number of pages.
In the library, you will have access not only to its catalog but also to a variety of indexes on CD-ROM, installed at designated computers. You can find out which periodicals the Library subscribes to in the catalog, but to find specific articles, you will need