Poll #1: Tips for effective searching of Minerva
As a follow-up to the investigations you have been doing into the most effective methods for using Minerva, here is the first of the poll questions. There will be at least two more polls posted during the course, so you can select the one that you would like to respond to (responding to more than one poll is welcome, though not required).
If you were helping someone who was new to using Minerva, what 2 things would you emphasize to the person as being of critical importance? And why? Write your response as if you were actually telling the person these pieces of advice.
Comments
One of the most important things i would tell someone who is using Minerva is to start with subject headings and if that fails use keyword search. Also i would tell the person using Minerva is that subject keyword searches are more narrow. The information is more specific but sometimes it fails because you dot always get depth. And keyword searches are more broad. Which can sometimes be more helpful when your not sure what aspect of the topic you are looking for.
Posted by: Danielle Snide | November 3, 2009 09:40 PM
The first thing you need to know about minerva is that there is a basic search and an advanced search. The basic search is useful when you only know a few keywords or the title of what you're researching. Basic search allows you to narrow down your serach field by what type of format youre looking for such as audio or reference book and also allows you to search things such as title and keyword. Advance search on the other hand, allows you to narrow your topic search much more by giving options such as choosing a language and which library you would like to look for your information in.
The second thing you should be familiar with is that minerva allows you to use boolean operators. Knowing how to correctly use AND, OR and NOT, will help you out immensely.
Posted by: Kylene Busch | November 14, 2009 04:27 PM
First, you need to identify your topic and how much you know about it. The degree to which you are already informed on the topic at hand will affect the way you search for it. If you know very little about your topic and want some background information, the best place to start would be a keyword search under the basic search option. This type of search will help you to create and develop your thesis because it will return a large amount of sources with A LOT of information regarding your broad topic. If you want to narrow down your search a little, I would suggest the subject search, also under the basic search option. This type will not return as many entries, but will probably be more specific to exactly what you are looking for. However, before you do it, you must know exactly what you are looking for, so subject searches are best after you have formulated the thesis. The advanced search option will help you once you are well into your research and are looking for a certain type of resource. You can search for a source in a certain language, within a certain time period, from a specific library on campus, or by a specific collection or format.
Second, it is important to know where to find different types of resources. For example, you can search for just reference books as opposed to search the entire university collection of any type of resource. However, when searching for reference books, make sure you select certain options such as the "local only" option if you want to retrieve a book we have here at the university or the "print only" option if you want a reference book that is not in some other type of media. Finally, in selecting the type of resource material you want, be sure to remember that journal articles cannot be found on minerva. You must go to the databases to find journal articles.
Posted by: Jillian Egan | November 17, 2009 11:11 AM
First you need to identify certain terms that are key for searching about your topic. Then, you need to choose what kind of search you would like to use; there is a basic search, an advanced search, and an expert search. For example, the advanced search gives an option to search using the terms, "and, or, not". "Or" broadens a search, "and" narrows a search, and "not" excludes certain terms out of your search inquiries. Once you find the right terms to search for your desired topic, you need to filter through the results and find ones that actually pertain to your topic. This is important because you can't just pick whichever comes up first, it may not be relevant. Another key part of Minerva you need to understand is that how to look for different kinds of sources. There are online journals, books, video collections, and so on and so forth. If you know you need a reference book, it may be worth your while to go to Reference University. This helps limit your results by only giving respsonses that are reference books. Another example of this is if you need a government document. You can choose this option from the drop-down menu of "search only". These are two things that will really help you when searching things through the Minerva system.
Posted by: Jamie Bocchino | November 17, 2009 08:34 PM