Marriage & Family therapy – Research & Library resources

Marriage & Family therapy – Research & Library resources Megan Lowe, MFT Liaison Librarian/Assoc. Prof.

Session Overview • Research skills refresher • Databases (for MFT) • Off-campus access of databases • Interlibrary Loan (ILL) • Q & A

Research Skills Refresher • A broad topic is a bad topic – it only makes the process more difficult for you • Generating a list of keywords BEFORE you start researching is a good way to stay on task – it can also function as a brainstorming tool • Outlining never goes out of style – creating an outline of your research paper or project can help you break the process into steps, which keeps you from feeling overwhelmed • Organization is key – find a ‘system’ that works for you, and use it!

Research Skills Refresher • Procrastination is NOT an option in the research process –good research takes time; otherwise, you’ll just take what you can find, and that makes for bad research products • Do not multitask in the research process • Remember that preparation makes everything easier • And perhaps most importantly of all: if you need help at any stage in the process, you have a dedicated librarian (ME!) who is willing and able to help you!                  

Research Skills Refresher • Do YOU have any tips that you find help with research? • Do YOU have any habits that help you in the research process? • What slows you down? • What makes things easier? • What’s your secret weapon for research?

Databases (for MFT) • The benefit of using the Library’s resources is that our resources are vetted before you access them – you know you’ll be getting reliable, professional, scholarly resources if you use the Library’s resources • MOST of our resources are available off-campus/remotely, but more on how that works later – just know that you don’t have to be *IN* the Library to conduct productive research • Databases are a much more efficient way of locating articles on your topic/thesis

Databases (for MFT) • If you are looking for a SPECIFIC journal title, you can consult the ULM Library Catalog - OR - the ULM Electronic Journals (which we’ll look at shortly) • But if you just want a selection of articles on a topic, the Databases are your best bet – databases are basically just searchable collections of articles • We have a world of resources available for Marriage & Family Therapy – let’s take a look….

Accessing eJournals and Databases To get to all the great resources the Library has to offer, you simply start with the Library’s website http://www.ulm.edu/library Let’s take a look! We’re going to look at ULM Electronic Journals, Ebscohost, and JSTOR.

Accessing the Databases • Once you start using the databases and becoming more familiar with them, you can skip the “Databases by Subject” listings… • And go right to the “Databases by Name” listing • Just like on the subject listings, make note of the legend which indicates which databases are available ONLY on campus; which are free scholarly resources available on the Web (meaning: if they stop working, we have no control over them); and which ones require the creation of an account ON CAMPUS for OFF-CAMPUS use

Remote Access: Doin’ It From Home • MOST of our databases are available remotely – that is, off-campus • All the databases I have shown you today can be accessed off-campus • But remember: not all can – the legend will indicate which ones CANNOT be accessed off-campus; you’ll HAVE to come to the library to use those • When you attempt to access our electronic resources from off-campus, you’ll be intercepted by a login screen…

Remote Login Screen

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) • ILL is a free service whereby we borrow or obtain copies of materials from other libraries that the ULM Library does not have • We borrow them, then lend them to you • Most materials will have to be returned, and their lending period is not the same as the regular lending period • Photocopies/electronic copies of articles or essays/book chapters do NOT have to be returned

ILL • Fees for overdue ILL materials are higher than regular materials - $5 per day • We have a librarian dedicated to ILL – her name is Melinda Matthews (matthews@ulm.edu) • Please note: receiving items via ILL can take time; books can take 1-4 weeks (depending on where they’re coming from), though articles can sometimes arrive same day (via email or fax) or within a couple of days • In order to request an item through ILL, you need an ILL account, which you must set up…

ILL – Account and Use In order to set up an account, and then to access the system once your account is set up, you’ll need to visit the Library’s website http://www.ulm.edu/library It doesn’t take much time, and it’s a very useful resource to use – especially since our databases don’t always have the full-text of a resource you might need.

Any Questions?

Remember: If you need help, all you have to do is ask! Thanks for coming (and laughing at my bad jokes)!

Marriage & Family therapy – Research & Library resources