OneSearch at UAH is now set to search full-text by default: what this means for you.

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Doug Bolden

Today, we made a change to the back-end of OneSearch so that it now when you search, it limits results to full-text by default.

Why did we do it? Many of our patrons using OneSearch are wanting something tangible and to dive into the information right away. While some are wanting a wider look at the field, most are wanting to see primarily what is in our collection. If the majority of our users are always clicking to turn the full-text limit on, then it makes sense to work with how our users search.

What does this mean? That the results you get will automatically be filtered to include only those for which you have immediate access. Rather than a mixed page of abstracts and full-text, you will have only those in full-text right away.

How will this impact your searching? If you are the kind of person who just wants to get a few articles that are immediately available – in PDF or HTML – then it speeds up your process by cutting out those articles for which we only have abstracts. If you are a little more of a power-searcher, and want to see all of what is available, or if you are searching for a topic where the articles are a little more obscure, you may need to turn off the “Limit to full-text” option to get a wider view.

How do I turn these options off? See the graphic above. Click on the little blue/white Xs after “Full Text” and “Available in Library Collection”. This will remove those options and show you also articles without immediate full-text.

Will this affect other databases? For right now, the plan is to keep the other databases in their current configuration. Those going to databases like CINAHL or Business Source Premier are driving down to slightly more precise information, so the idea is that those users are more likely to want to powersearch. With that being said, keep in mind that databases like JSTOR and SpringerLink are already set to default to showing our collection.

Is this change permanent? We’ll keep an eye on usage and make sure people are getting what they want. If it turns out that this is not how people want to search, then of course we will change it back.

Whom should I contact if I get articles that show up in full-text searches but there is no full-text attached? You can call us at the reference desk at (256)824-6529, or email us at erefq@uah.edu. Or see http://libanswers.uah.edu for more options.

Scopus working on increasing author visibility and organization

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Doug Bolden

From a recent Scopus blog entry: The new Scopus author profile page has arrived.

Newly revamped, old distractions on the Author Profile page are gone and the best tools remain. For example, if an ORCID ID is associated with a Scopus profile then a link to that ORCID will display on the author detail page. Additionally, a new graph added to the sidebar gives a quick overview of an author’s recent productivity. Best of all, users can sort “Document” and “Cited-by” lists without having to leave the author profile or reload the page.

What this means for you varies on whether or not you have articles indexed by Scopus.

If you do, then your author profile page is a little bit cleaner and has more functions. It provides a convenient glance at most cited articles, co-authors, sources, and the sort. If something is incorrect, look for the link over on the upper right-hand side that says “Request author detail corrections”. Care to see your author page? Then head over to Scopus, click on the Author Search tab, and then search for yourself. Confirm the affiliation and view the page.

Whether or not you have articles indexed by Scopus, you can still make use of this to see what other researchers are doing. Have a big paper for a professor and want to make sure the quantum physicist you are citing is well respected? Well, here is a good way to see the citations and the interactions with the community. You can also subscribe to an author to see when he or she publishes new articles or get alerts, check a few different cross-tab style statistics, and similar sundry.

You can view this screenshot of Dr. Joseph Ng’s page to get a feel.

Free access to Oxford online products April 13-19

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Doug Bolden

In recognition of National Library Week (which is April 13-19 in the US), Oxford University Press is providing free access this week to many of their online resources. For more information, see the Oxford University Press page here.

Please note that these are in addition to several different Oxford online resources that you can already access through the UAH Library (some of which come to us through the Alabama Virtual Library). Those Oxford online research tools with ongoing access include:

Oxford Music Online
Oxford Reference Online Premium
Oxford University Press Journals
And more! (We have more databases from Oxford University Press available for your use, as listed here.)

Scopus to start expanding indexing back to 1970

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Doug Bolden

“The interconnectedness of all things,” is the mantra of not-quite-detective (debate remains on whether he is quite holistic) Dirk Gently, and rarely does it reach more of a truth than in research fields, where the understanding the state of the art is as much an understanding-the-context as an understanding-the-content.

Here at the Salmon Library, one of our key resources for seeing how articles and research are interconnected is Scopus: an Elsevier product that helps to see which articles are citing which other articles, how they are being cited, how they are being used in other ways (online mentions, social media mentions), how they relate to the author’s body of work, how the journals in which they are published match up with the field as a whole, and so forth.

Whether you are a professor looking to get published or a student wondering which articles you should prioritize with your capstone project, Scopus can help, and it is about to get bigger.

The Scopus blog has just announced today that the team will begin the Scopus Cited References Expansion project. Among other things, this will track citation data back to 1970, giving a better overall picture of how articles and researchers use other articles and research. For any field of research that needs to go back more than the past couple of decades, this will be invaluable.

To quote from their blog:

The Cited References Expansion project aims to increase the depth of Scopus’ scholarly content while enhancing the ability to use Scopus for evaluation and trend analysis. Moreover, author profiles and h-index counts of researchers who published articles prior to 1996 will be more complete.

The increased indexing will “become apparent” in the fourth quarter of 2014, and should be completed in 2016.

Curious about Scopus and how you can use it? Contact the Reference Desk (phone: 256.825.6528 or email: erefq@uah.edu, see link for more options) and we can help!

SMP Database Trial through April

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Doug Bolden

Security Management Practices (SMP) is an expert resource on the Web for learning about how to confront and manage organizational risk, plan for disruptions, deploy network security appliances, employ biometric technologies, safeguard intellectual property, establish security best practices, protect and train students, staff and much more. Click the link below to try it out!

SMP Trial

Database Trials — IBISWorld and CRCnetBASE Engineering ebooks

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Doug Bolden

Running through March 31st, Salmon Library is providing free trial access to two databases: IBISWorld and STMnetBASE ebooks.

Billed as “The largest provider of industry information in the U.S.“, IBISWorld provides thoroughly researched, accurate and current business information. This database provides a robust selection of industry analysis for areas such as market conditions and forecasting, clearer pictures of supply chains, major products and services, key statistics, or even a means of keeping up with competitor activity in an industry. IBISWorld’s comprehensive reports will keep you informed. Marketing and new product development students and faculty will especially find this a useful tool. Click here to access now!

Offered by Taylor & Francis, this collection focuses on engineering ebooks. It includes over several cutting-edge and bestselling reference works, as well covering subject areas such as: mass transfer, chemical processing and design, power engineering, telecommunications, and structural engineering, to name a few.. With access to the latest handbooks in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering, the Engineering Collection is definitely worth exploring for engineering related topics. Click here to access now!

World Almanac Trial until December 21st

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Doug Bolden

We currently have a trial to the World Almanac Online until December 21st.

Published since 1868, The World Almanac and Book of Facts has become the best-selling American reference book of all time, with more than 80 million copies sold. The new World Almanac Online is packed with essential facts collected and honed over decades by writers, editors, and fact checkers. The editors of the World Almanac are devoted to finding the most up-to-date, authoritative information, and consult hundreds of sources in governmental, international, trade, and professional organizations while bringing subject-specific expertise to curating the information presented on any topic.

Please email or call us (256-824-6529) if you would like access to this great resource! And don’t forget to let us know what you think!

Music Database trials until December 31st

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Doug Bolden

We currently have database trials to the Music Index, Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale (RILM), and RILM Retrospective Abstracts of Music Literature running until the end of December.

Formerly The Music Index Online by Harmonie Park Press, the Music Index provides comprehensive coverage of the music field and every aspect of the classical and popular worlds of music. Featuring digitized content from 1970 to the present, the Music Index contains cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts of articles about music, musicians and the music industry for more than 480 periodicals. It also provides selective coverage for more than 200 periodicals.

From hip hop to Händel, from ethnomusicology to music therapy, from elementary music education to advanced music theory, RILM is the first stop for the researcher who wants clear, verified bibliographic information that is fully cited, abstracted, and indexed. RILM includes over 700,000 records, and over 40,000 new records are added every year.

RILM Retrospective Abstracts of Music Literature, a bibliography of music articles, collections, and books published before 1967, offers researchers and music scholars nearly 20,000 records from a critical period in music research. It matches the scope and format of RILM Abstracts of Music Literature, but its coverage specifically focuses on all document types published before 1967.

Please email or call us (256-824-6529) if you would like access to these great resources! And don’t forget to let us know what you think!

Interlibrary Loan Department Closed During the Holidays

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Doug Bolden

The Interlibrary Loan department will be CLOSED from December 20, 2013 until January 1, 2014. They will resume normal operations Thursday, January 2, 2014.

How does this affect your ILL requests? Book requests submitted after December 13^th may not be processed until Thursday, January 2, 2014. Article requests submitted after December 18^th may not arrive until after Thursday, January 2, 2014. Please plan your research requests accordingly!

Groves Music Online Trial until December 16th

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Doug Bolden

We currently have a trial to Groves Music Online until December 16th. Grove Music Online is a dynamic online resource and the unsurpassed authority on all aspects of music. Now available through the Oxford Music Online gateway, Grove Music Online includes the full text of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition; The New Grove Dictionary of Opera; and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz second edition.