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How To Use The Subject Guides

These guides are designed to not only provide you with some of the resources you need for a given topic, but also to help you find further resources on your own. The guides are not comprehensive, but will give you a good start in your research journey.

Reading an introductory article or book is often an excellent way to gain a basic background in a particular subject. It allows you to get a handle on your topic by giving you the general history, background, people involved, definitions and other information that make further study possible. Oftentimes, with an article or book, you will be able to find bibliographies that you can obtain for more specific and relevant information. This section in the research guide may include one or more encyclopedia or dictionary articles, journal articles, Internet articles or books (when an article is unavailable).

1. Click on the link provided --- this will take you either to the item record in the APOLIS2 catalog, or the webpage.
2. If it is a library item, there are several things to note in the record (see the example below). The "Location" section will tell you in which library or libraries the item is located. The "Call No." is what you'll need to locate the item on the shelf once you get to the appropriate library. But before you go, be sure to check the "Status" section to see if the item is available for checkout (as in the example below) --- reference materials are never available for checkout, and will always have a "Library Use Only" status.

The items listed in this area of the research guide are located in the reference collections of one or more of our APU libraries. Reference materials cannot be borrowed, so be prepared to spend some time in the library when you use them, or be prepared to make some photocopies. The reference collections in our APU libraries include dictionaries, atlases, guides, manuals, almanacs, encyclopedias, handbooks and other similar resources. Especially when you're unfamiliar with a particular topic, the reference collection of any given library is an excellent place to start your research. And since research is rarely a linear process, you may find yourself back in the reference collection along the way.

Although many reference resources are general in nature, there are often reference materials available that are subject-specific. For example, the Dictionary of Paul and His Letters is more subject-specific than IVP Dictionary of the New Testament, which is more subject-specific than Eerdmans Bible Dictionary. It's important to note that many dictionaries are much more like encyclopedias than some sort of simple listing of words and definitions. These types of dictionaries, as well as encyclopedias, are useful for many reasons. As with the introductory article or book, dictionaries and encyclopedias are intended to give you a broad overview of the subject. The more recognized and authoritative ones will give you an idea of who the experts are in the field, since these are often the authors of the articles. And once again, you will often be able to obtain further resources by taking a look at the bibliographies at the end of each article.

How Do I Use This Information?

Books and media owned by the APU University Libraries can be found by using the APOLIS online catalog.

As you have probably already noticed, all the materials in our APU libraries are organized by subject. There are a few subject classification systems used by libraries, and we use the one created by the Library of Congress (LC). The call number found on the spines of our books (the book's "address") correspond to the LC subject areas. Discovering the LC subject areas that are most relevant to your topic can be very rewarding, and will provide you with everything the library has on that particular topic.

In this area of the research guide, you will find many of the most relevant subject headings for the topic. However, it is important to understand that the lists are not exhaustive, and you may discover other useful headings on your own that are not included here. You will also find call number ranges that correspond with the subject headings.

1. You have the choice of clicking on a subject heading link, or a call number range link.

   • The subject heading link will take you to a list of subject headings in the APOLIS2 catalog. Choose the subject heading that was listed in the research guide, or choose another subject heading of interest. Once you click one of these, you will be taken to a list of all items in our libraries that are relevant to that subject heading.
   • The call number range link will take you to a list of library items in order by call number. The first item in the list will correspond to the call number at the beginning of the range.
2. Jot down the library location and call number of the items you'd like, and either go to the library to get them or request them through our online form.

Search Tip:

• Note other subject headings in the "Subject" section of the record (see above) --- click on the headings of interest to obtain a list of everything the libraries have that are relevant to that heading.

The books listed in this area of the research guide are those which are considered to be important and authoritative, and are cited often and used by experts in the field. Without considering these books, your research would be incomplete. Be sure to look through them for bibliographies and useful appendices.

How Do I Use This Information?

DVDs and other media can be helpful in both personal research, as well as enhancing a class discussion or presentation. All media items are housed in the Media Center, located in the Marshburn Library on the East Campus.

How Do I Use This Information?

1. Simply click on the subject heading of interest, and you will be taken into the APOLIS catalog to a list of media items.
2. Jot down the call number of the items you'd like, and then go to the Marshburn Library Media Center to review them and/or check them out.

Bibliographies are reference tools that refer the researcher to reference works, monographs, and other resources on a particular topic, and can be found at the end of encyclopedia articles, in syllabi, in books, and can actually be entire books themselves. This section includes the last type --- that is, entire books that are bibliographies. Most subject bibliographies will include brief annotations, and may also provide other information relevant to the subject.

Journal articles have some advantages over books. Journal articles tend to be much shorter than books. This allows you to gain information more quickly. Journal articles are usually more current than books. In the sciences, this can be especially important for research articles. Most scholarly journal articles will also have good bibliographies.

Print journals in the APU University Libraries can be found by using the APOLIS online catalog. Besides the print collection of journals, you may also obtain journal articles through many of APU Libraries' online databases.

In this section, you will find a select list of the best and most relevant journals for the particular subject. These are all journals that APU Libraries own in one format or another. You will find a choice of formats to the right of the journal title. "Print" indicates that the journal is in print and on the shelves at one of our APU Libraries. "Online" indicates that you can obtain at least some full-text articles online from one of our databases.

How Do I Use This Information?

1. If you click on the "Print" option, you will be taken into the APOLIS online catalog to the record for the journal (see below). Notice that below the publication information, you will find the information you need to locate the item. Be sure to check your citation for the exact volume and issue, and compare it to the "Holdings" information in the record --- APU Libraries may not own the entire run of the journal. If not, you should click on the "Online" link if there is one, or you should request the desired journal article through interlibrary loan.
   
   
   
2. If you click on the "Online" option, you will be taken into Periodical Finder to the listings for the journal title. Choose the database you prefer (remember to check the publication dates covered by each different database) by clicking on the link provided. You will then be taken into the database. Depending on the database, you might see a list of volume/issue links for the journal, and you would just click on the links and scroll through your results to find your article of interest. You might also see search boxes where you should enter the journal title in one, a few unique words from the article title (or the author's last name) in the second, and perform your search to get your article of interest.

Periodical indexes are reference tools that help you locate articles in journals. You will certainly find records for journals in the APOLIS library catalog, but the records are only to give you some basic information about the journals that APU Libraries own. You cannot use APOLIS to actually search inside the journals --- that's where periodical indexes come in. Periodical indexes are usually subject-specific, and will have citations for every article in hundreds of relevant journals, and are usually published annually. You will often find that the indexes will have a few different ways for you to look for articles --- listings by subject and by author are the most common.

The items listed in this section are print periodical indexes, and are located on the shelves of one of the APU Libraries. Many indexes are now available in both print and online format. Most of the online databases that APU Libraries provide are actually online periodical indexes. Many people these days prefer the convenience of online searching as opposed to coming to the library and searching through the print periodical indexes, volume by volume. However, most online periodical indexes (with very few exceptions) have only indexed the last 5-10 years of any given journal. The print versions of most indexes go back many years, and can be useful in retrieving older journal articles.

A database is simply an organized collection of "stuff." When you see the term "database," it most likely is an organized collection of information, and is usually available online. Most of the databases available through the APU Libraries are collections of journal article citations. Each database contains a different group of journals (usually by subject). For each journal, someone has gone through several years of it and made an electronic record of each article in every issue. Full-text databases not only contain the electronic record, but also contain the text of the article itself.

There are also databases that don't contain any full-text. However, these databases are still useful because they are the only means by which you can search for journal articles. APU Libraries' online library catalog, APOLIS, will tell you which journals we have on our shelves, but will not search inside the journals.

And lastly, there are databases that contain records and full-text for other types of information, such as book reviews, book citations, abstracts of articles and books, and several other things. One of our databases, the Classical Music Library, contains audio files, as well as biographical information. The annotations on the online resources page will help you to determine what each database contains.

The links provided in this section go to the databases that are most relevant for the subject guide topic.

How Do I Use This Information?

1. Click on the link for the database.
2. Enter one or more search terms and perform your search.
3. If you are using a database that contains full-text, look for links that say "full-text." After clicking on the link, you can usually either save the item to a disk, or print out the item.
4. If the item you want has no full-text link, check for full-text in a different database by using Periodical Finder (see section below). If no other database contains the article, you may request it through interlibrary loan.

Even though the APU Libraries' databases contain the full-text for thousands of journals, your searches will likely provide results lists that include at least a few articles without full-text. When this is the case, there are a couple of options to try. First, use the Periodical Finder tool. Periodical Finder "knows" if there is another database that contains at least some full-text for a particular journal. If Periodical Finder doesn't give you any other databases to try, then you may still obtain your article through interlibrary loan.

How Do I Use This Information?

1. First, click on the link for Periodical Finder. If you are using a computer on campus, you will see a search box where you will enter the title of the journal that contains your article. If you are using a compute off campus, you will not see a search box, and will need to find your journal title by clicking on the alphabetical listing of first letters.
2. If you find your journal title, you may see one of the following listings:

   in Print/Microform titles for Azusa Pacific from 09/21/1992 to present in Academic Search Premier

   • "Print/Microform titles for Azusa Pacific" indicates that one of the APU Libraries has the journal on the shelf. By clicking on this link, you will be taken into the APOLIS online library catalog and can see which issues we have, as well as where the journal is located.
   • "Academic Search Premier" is the the name of a database. You may see several databases listed --- Academic Search Premier is one of over 100 databases that APU Libraries subscribe to. By clicking on this link, you will be taken into the database. Depending on the database, you may be taken to a list of volumes/issues for the journal, or you may simply be taken to the search box for that database. It is important to note that you won't ever be taken directly to the article you want --- some browsing and/or searching will be required.
3. Before clicking on any link, be sure to note the publication date and volume/issue number. Compare this information to the years that the database covers (information to the left of the database link), or to the issues that APU owns (after clicking on the link, you will see this information in the APOLIS record).
4. If APU Libraries don't have the issue you need, or you can't get the article in full-text through any of the databases, you will need to obtain the article through interlibrary loan. Go to the interlibrary page for more information.

Websites on the Internet can provide a sometimes overwhelming amount of information for researchers. The websites listed in this section have been identified as some of the best places to start your Internet research.

In this section, you'll find links to professional organization or government agency websites. These websites can be very useful for finding authoritative and current information on a particular topic. Be sure to look through these sites for links to publications, bibliographies, and lists of websites. Most of these sites will include contact information if you'd like to call or email an "expert" for any questions you may have.

This section includes a variety of websites that are relevant to the subject guide topic. You might find links for sites that give you many more links to look at, as well as sites that are dedicated to a particular subject, and have very useful information. Be sure to evaluate websites for currency, authority, and relevancy --- check with a librarian or your instructor if you are unsure.

There can be several free online journals available for many different topics, which is what you'll find in this section. Before using these in your research, you may want to check to see if they are peer-reviewed (read and evaluated by experts in the field). You might also want to check with your instructor to see if the online journal meets his/her approval.

"Blog" is actually a shortened version of "web log." Blogs are a popular type of website where journal entries are made and displayed in reverse chronological order. Blogs can provide information on a particular subject, or just be personal diaries. There are many excellent blogs on the Internet, but it is wise to carefully evaluate these before using them in research.

RSS feeds provide web content or summaries of web content together with links to the full versions of the content. Web feeds allow a website's frequent readers to track updates on the site using an aggregator. An aggregator (or feed reader) can check a list of feeds on behalf of a user and display any updated articles that it finds. Web-based feed readers and news aggregators require no software installation and make the user's "feeds" available on any computer with Web access. Bloglines.com and google.com/reader are examples of free feed readers. Simply set up an account for yourself, and then add the URLs for the feeds in which you're interested. For more information, take a look at this article (apologies for all the ads --- the article content and addition links are useful).

While many of the feeds you'll find in this section of the subject guide are for blogs or news sites, you'll also see feeds for particular searches in one or more APU databases. When you subscribe to one of these feeds, you will see a list of article citations in your feed reader. To access these articles (if full-text is available), simply click on the article title and enter your APU username and i.d via the Cougar's Den dialog box. If there is no full-text available for the article of interest, be sure to use Periodical Finder to see if the article is available in full-text in a different database.

Written by Michelle Spomer, May 23, 2007

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