Reference & Research FAQs
Where can I get help with my Research?
Spiva Library's Reference department provides
library instruction to classes (as scheduled by the instructor),
at the Reference desk, by telephone (417-625-9729), email (LibrRef@mssu.edu)
and even Facebook.
Librarians are happy to work with students on an individual basis and can
schedule appointments as needed.
What's Ready Reference?
Ready Reference books are Reference books that are commonly used by staff to answer brief factual
questions. The Ready Reference collection is located behind the Reference desk. If a patron needs to view a
Ready Reference book, they should ask at the Reference desk and return the item to that desk.
Where’s the card catalog?
Since 1987 the “card catalog” has been in electronic format.
SWAN can be
accessed over the Internet at the following address: http://swan.missouri.edu/search~S3.
No password or user ID is required.
How are books, etc. shelved in Spiva Library?
Spiva Library uses the Library of Congress Classification System for items
located in the main collection, reference collection, audiovisual
collection, etc.
Spiva is a selective depository for documents of the federal government and
these are shelved using the SUDOC (Superintendent of Documents)
classification system.
Periodicals(journals/magazines/newspapers) housed in Spiva Library
do not have a call number. They are filed in alphabetical order
by their title.
For assistance locating items in the library, please stop at
a help desk on any floor.
How do I know if Spiva Library owns a particular newspaper or periodical?
Use SWAN and
select the 'Journal, Magazine and Newspaper Titles' search. To
begin the search, type in the title of the newspaper or periodical
and click on the “submit search” button. If the publication is
in our collection, the title will appear on the screen. In extended
display, below the title will be information detailing what format
the publication is in (loose, bound, microfilm or microfiche).
Periodicals that are listed as microfilm or microfiche are stored
in cabinets located on the 4th floor. There are readers and reader/printers,
to view and make copies from the microforms located in the same
area. Assistance in locating the film or fiche and operating the
reader or reader/printers is available at the AVC/Government Documents
Desk on the 4th floor.
How do I find articles from newspapers or periodicals on a topic?
Depending upon the age of the article you are seeking there are
several places to check. If you’re looking for information from
the current year or perhaps as far back as the mid 80s you might
look in one or more of the electronic indexes we subscribe to
here in the library such as: Academic Search Premier, Lexis/Nexis
or NewsBank..
If the article(s) you’re looking for is older then that you will
probably have to use a print index. For example, we have bound
indexes for the New York Times newspaper for the years
1851-1990. We also have the magazine index, Reader’s Guide
to Periodical Literature from 1900 to the present year. A
staff member from the reference desk will assist you in using
these indexes, if needed.
What's the difference between a magazine, journal, and periodical?
A magazine is usually thought of as a “general interest” publication. It
will contain advertising, but not article abstracts or bibliographies. Examples
of magazines: Sports Illustrated, People, and Newsweek.
A journal is scholarly in content and is often published by a
professional society or organization. Articles tend to be lengthy,
are preceded by an abstract and followed by a bibliography. Examples
of journals: Historian, JAMA, and Science.
For more information see Evaluating
Journals Page.
What does it mean when my professor asks for a scholarly or peer-reviewed
article?
The professor wants an article that has gone through a strict
editing process. When an article has been submitted for publication
in a scholarly or peer-reviewed journal, it is sent to one or
more persons who are knowledgeable in the subject area that has
been written about. This is supposed to ensure a higher degree
of accuracy in the article content.
Where are the newspapers, periodicals, ERIC documents and other materials
on microform located? Is it possible to copy them? How much are copies?
All microform materials are located on the 4th floor across from
the Government Documents/Audio Visuals help desk. Newspapers &
journals are in alphabetical order by their titles. ERIC documents
are in numerical order by their “ED number.” A staff member at
the Government Documents/Audio Visuals help desk can assist you
in locating the material and in demonstrating how to use a reader
or reader/printer to view or make photocopies of microforms.
There are reader/printers for both microfilm (on reels) and microfiche
(cards). The cost is 10˘ per page. There are machines that are
coin operated and machines that use Copicards. Change and Copicards
are available at the Main Circulation Desk (3rd floor). Copicards
may be purchased in amounts of either $2 or $5.
What is ERIC?
ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) is a collection
of education and related documents that have been compiled for
use primarily by educators. Anyone may use ERIC. It is actually
a very good database to use for almost any subject area.
Where can I access ERIC?
ERIC may be accessed through our
article databases as well as the ERIC web portal at:
http://www.eric.ed.gov/
What is the difference between an ERIC document (ED) and an ERIC journal (EJ)?
An ERIC document (ED) is part of a collection of documents dating
back to 1966. We have the ERIC document collection on microfiche
from 1966-2004. Any ERIC document published after 2004 is available
full-text online on the ERIC
web portal.
An ERIC journal is an education or education related journal that
has been indexed by ERIC.
What is an online index/database?
An online index or database is an index that is accessed using
the Internet. It can either be one that is produced by a commercial
source, governmental source, educational source or even an individual.
The main requirement is Internet access in order to reach it and
then utilize it.
Usually when Spiva library staff refers to an online index (electronic
index/database) they are referring to one of the commercial databases
that we have subscribed to through vendors such as: Ebsco, ProQuest,
H.W.Wilson, etc. and can be found on our
article databases page. Access to them requires you either
use an on-campus computer or entry of your Missouri Southern Username
and Password from off campus.
Can I access the library’s online databases from home?
YES! It is possible for MSSU students, faculty & staff to access
these databases over the Internet from off campus. You simply
need to enter your Missouri Sourthern Username (1st half of University
email) and Password (Missouri Southern PIN) when prompted.
What's the difference between articles found in an online database and
those found on the Internet?
Potentially, quite a bit in terms of accuracy. If the article is found on
a database produced by: a commercial source (ex. EBSCO, ProQuest), governmental
source (ex. CIA, the census bureau, etc.), or educational source (ex. University
of Illinois) the researcher is getting material from a "known"
source. Articles located on the Internet through a "search engine"
may or may not be accurate or even true. Often it's difficult and sometimes
impossible to determine the validity of information posted on the Internet
and the expertise or bias of the organization or individual who posted it.
Library staff recommends, and a growing number of faculty members
require, that you verify the validity of materials obtained through
websites located through search engines before using it in your
paper(s). Students should review the Evaluating
Websites web page and discuss the site with their professor.
How do I cite a print or electronic source?
Depending upon the class or professor, you may use one of the following style
manuals:
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- Chicago
- Modern Language Association (MLA)
- Turabian
Copies of each of these style manuals are kept on reserve at the Main Circulation
desk.
Many of the online databases available via our
article databases page (Academic Search Premier, Lexis-Nexis)
contain examples on how to cite articles obtained through them.
Look in the “help” section on the page or ask for assistance at
the reference desk.
Also, be sure to view the Library's Citation
Manuals pages for some online information about each of these
format styles.