Journalism & Media Studies
Help & FAQs:
Check out the Poynter Library Collection Development Policy
Suggestions for the Poynter Library collection?
Contact: Deb Henry (3-4799)
Frequently Asked Questions:
How can I access online library resources from home or work (off campus)?
Log into your Blackboard account (my.usf.edu) and then
proceed to the USF Libraries web page. This will authenticate you
as a member of the USF community and allow access to full-text materials.
How do I find full-text articles online?
If you are using a database to locate articles on a topic, look for a full text link on the results list or the record page. Full text files may be
available as either HTML files or Adobe Acrobat (pdf) files.
If you do not see an obvious full text link, click on the "SFX" or "Find it @ USF" button. An intermediary screen will display possible options for obtaining the full text
from another one of our full text providers.
If we do not have the title online, the page will direct you to the USF Catalog so that you can check to see of we recieve the journal in paper copy.
You may also search our electronic journal collection directly through the USF Libraries web site. Click on the Resources page and the third entry down is "E-journals by Title."
I can access a journal title but when I select the particular issue
I need, there is a message that I have to pay for it. What gives?
While the USF libraries subscribes to many journals, we may not subscribe to all issues. In some cases, we may only subscribe to the latest
7 to 10 years of a journal.
Check out the main page for the journal or the SFX or "Find it @ USF" page. There should be holdings information available, i.e.
what range of years we have paid for access to.
Why does the USF catalog have to change?
Changes in the USF catalog are usually due to updates/improvement/fixes made on the software that manages the catalog. The basic priniples of
searching have not changed but the display can be quite different.
The basic search screen with one search box is the default but advanced searching is still available.
The basic search utilizes a pull-down screen that allows the user to select keyword searching (ANYWHERE) or specific field searching such
as author, title, subject headings, International standard book number, journal title and so forth. These options hopefully will
improve the relevancy of your searhc.
How do I read or get information from the Catalog Results screen?
After a search, a list of brief records appears. A new navigation bar appears on the left hand part of the catalog screen.
This navigation bar allows you to easily refine your search by different parameters. For example, if you only want to see books here in
St. Pete, you can Narrow your search by clicking on the "USF Libraries - St. Petersburg" link in the navigation bar.
Other features that you can use to narrow your search are:
format
subject topic
time period
language
geographic language
and more.
Also on the catalog results screen, you can plainly see, in bright red font, if the book is checked out by someone else or if it is available on the shelf.
If a book is checked out, there is a "Place a Hold" button right on the results page that you can click and place a reserve request to be
the next person to have the book.
The type of material, for example, book, online book, government document, is plainly indicated with an icon on the results page as well.
These features significantly improve the usability of the catalog from the previous version.
What is this Refworks I hear some of my professors and the library staff talking about?
Refworks is a web-based (therefore accessible from anywhere, not just on campus) citation / reference management software. It helps you to orgnize any of the information research that
you perform for an assignment or a research paper.
In many cases, you can download citations for books and articles directly from the databases and catalogs you search into
this personal database. You can then edit, add notes to, and control your refworks database for your personal needs.
One of the most popluar functions of this software is the (almost) automatic preparation of a list of
references or "bibliography." The laborious job of typing all those citations in a specific format is done in a minute or two by Refworks. Ask a reference librarian for more information about Refworks.
What is the best way to get to a database that I want to use?
There is probably not a "best" way but the obvious way is to Go to the USF Libraries web page (if you are at the Poynter Library web page, click on the tab for the catalog and you will be taken to
the USF libraries web page) Click on the Resource tab. The second option in the list is "Databases by title/subject" Click there. In the "Find database" by title box,
type in the name or part of the name of the database you need. If you are *not* sure of the exact title, then leave the middle radio button "Contains" selected and click on
go. Select from the list the correct database and you are set to go.
What if I don't know what database to chose?
Again, Go to the USF libraries web page and Click on the Resource tab and "Databases by title/subject."
Instead of searching by title however, click on the word "subject" that appears above the search box.
Browse through the list of subject Categories and select the broad subject heading that might include your topic. The Sub- category column lets you choose
databases based on the type of materials included. Key sources are those that might be the most helpful. You can make your won decision there.
If you need to know more about the database BEFORE you start to search it, click on the "i" button on the right hand side of the screen and you will see a brief description of
the purpose,content and date range of the database.
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