Hi everyone,
We now have a subscription to the Reference Universe database. It's a master index to reference books. Users can search article titles and back-of-the-book indexes of subject encyclopedias and other reference works. For items owned by the University Libraries, it links to the full text of articles in e-books and Minerva records for print books.
Jane
Here's some information about searching Reference Universe from the Help file:
Reference Universe helps you find the right article--the authoritative article--to begin your research, whether it's on your shelves in a reference work or in an online reference database.
OK, what do I do first?
Simply type your term or phrase of interest in the search box and and click Submit this Search.
The Reference Universe search software presumes exact words or phrases unless you select other qualifiers, e.g., "any of the words." "word variants," etc.
While you are free to limit your search to terms in article titles or index terms only, it is recommend that you select the default "Keyword" search to facilitate the broadest search parameters.
What about wildcard searching?
Reference Universe supports wildcards, * [asterisk] for multiple characters and ? for single characters, e.g. automat* or Rom?
How does the checkbox "Restrict Search to Titles in your Library" work?
This feature only shows those titles which your owln library holds.
However, it is recommended initially that you view the entire hit results set first, to see how many works are published in your area of interest.
What happens then?
The Reference Universe displays the results of your search according to the Title of the reference work(s). Works are displayed in the following order:
• The Search term in the title of a Reference Work itself.
• The search term in the article tItles or Index of a Reference Work, in descending order based on the number of hits.
Hits can then be SORTED by date of publication and by title
What do I do now?
The system has verified that your local library holds this title.
Click on the Open Book icon to open up the bibliographic record in your own library's catalog for location information.
Other options from your search:
Clicking on the Title of the Work.
This function links to a wealth of data about this title including:
• Links to scholarly reviews of this work in ARBA Online, Book News Online and Choice Online (separate library subscription required.)
• Links to the publisher's site to learn more about availability, pricing and other options.
• Links to view the entire list of articles or the entire back-of-the-book index
• Links to view the material in MARC bibliographic format.
View Article Titles from your search.(See the list of article titles with your search term)
View Index Terms from your search(See the index terms, with precise volume and page numbers too!. )
View electronic editions of the title (subscriptions required for most titles.)
RU Hint: The icon only appears in listings of article titles or index terms, and links you directly to the article in e-form if your library subscribes to the electronic edition.
Can I see an entire list of article or index terms in a work?
Yes. To view the entire index of a work simply click on the underlined Title of the work and follow the link to "View Index for this title"
Can I save and export Reference Universe data?
Of course, here's how:
1. Identify the works by checking each box left of the titles.
2. Click "Save Checked Items"
3. Click "Display Saved Items"
4. Click "Download"
You can export citations in Brief, RefWorks or Endnotes formats.
Browsing Reference Universe:
If you are uncertain of a search term, or wish to simply scan the contents in a more detailed way, use the Browse feature. This permits you to explore Reference Universe by:
• Publisher
• Title
• Subject Headings
• Index or Article Terms
• Library of Congress Call Number
RU Hint:
While you may know the search term you wish to search on, don't hesitate to browse and search a variety of terms.
The value of Reference Universe is not simply to identify obvious titles, but also to reveal authoritative articles in works one might not consider initially. The serendipitous searches are often the most fruitful.