CSC 498: Computer Science Senior Seminar: Welcome

If you encounter obstacles finding sources for your paper, please feel welcome to schedule a one-on-one reference appointment with me or any other librarian at Roy O. West if I am unavailable. If you have questions you can email me at aliciaikerd@depauw.edu

• Most authors, researchers, doctors, etc. will dedicate their lives to their craft. Utilize author searching (especially Author Profiles on Google Scholar) to find more works by the author of a source you like
• Utilize past references in a work
• Utilize Google Scholar's "Cited by" feature on a source to look for more current sources on the same topic
• Consider multiple names for your topic
  • Example: Artificial Intelligence can also be called Machine Learning or Knowledge Engineering
• If working in a database, utilize your operators
  • Example: Sustainability AND ("Artificial Intelligence OR "Machine Learning" OR "Knowledge Engineering")
• If you are looking for a starting point on a topic, consider dissertations and Annual Reviews. Annual Reviews will give summaries of a topic at an overview level. Dissertations are usually written by those attempting to receive their PhD in a topic. If they are writing a dissertation it operates as a book in terms of length and amount of information. However, they can be useful because usually a person writing a dissertation needs something new to say about the topic.
• Just because an item is Open Access, does not mean it has integrity or is a legitimate source. Make sure you are investigating the author, their credentials/degrees, their methods, their affiliated organization, and the publisher. 
• Consider grey literature
  • Grey literature is literature that exists outside of the typical peer review publishing process. These items may get reviewed by editors, board of directors, etc. but they do not get reviewed by a panel of experts in their field for integrity. Grey literature often times lives outside typical databases and includes things like technical reports, statistics, patents, research reports, etc.
  • Click here for grey literature searching overview
• You get access to multiple newspapers free through your DePauw affiliation -- use them! Click the newspaper tab on this guide and it will take you to the step-by-step procedure to create your accounts.

If an item you need is not available in our physical collection OR a journal is unavailable in our digital holdings you CAN request to interlibrary loan books and/or journal articles from other institutions. Journal articles tend to arrive faster than physical books - the time it takes depends on the loaning institution. For more information or if you'd like to request an interlibrary loan, email ILL@depauw.edu

Alternatively, you can request ILLs via the catalog this way OR if it is not in the catalog you can request it this way

Part 1 of the recorded instruction session will cover an overview of the LibGuide for your class like how to access it and what is on it. It will also provide more information on the databases listed and how certain kinds of resources can help you along your journey. 

Part 2 of the recorded instruction session will cover library tools like LibKey and Zotero Citation Management, as well as sample searching in the ACM database. It will also cover search strategies and suggestions like utilizing index terms, author profiles, and cited by features to expand your searching. 

Instruction session recorded on 9/10/2024 by librarian Alicia Ikerd / aliciaikerd@depauw.edu