LIBRARY TUTORIAL AND RESEARCH PROCESS

  • A. Identifying and Developing a Research Topic
  • B. Finding Background Information
  • C. Using the Boğaziçi University Library Catalog
    • 1. Accessing the Online Catalog
    • 2. Conducting a Search on the Catalog
    • 3. Making Sense of the Catalog
      • a. Location
        • i. Collections at Boğaziçi University Library
        • ii. Finding What You Are Looking for in the Collections
      • b. Call Number
        • i. Dissecting the Call Number
        • ii. Library of Congress
      • c. Status
    • 4. Finding Journals, Indexes, Abstracts, and Newspapers
  • D. Finding Internet Sources
  • E. Evaluating What You Find
  • F. Citing What You Find Using a Standard Format

A. Identifying and Developing a Research Topic

State your topic as a question. For example, if you are interested in finding out about the effects of global warming, you might pose the following questions:

“How Does Global Warming Affect Wildlife?" or

“How Does Economic Aspects of Global Warming Affect Development Aid?”.

Before embarking on your research you should identify the main concepts or keywords in your question.
If you are finding too much information and too many sources, you may need to use more specific keywords to narrow the focus or narrow your topic down by using the Boolean operators. Finding too little information may indicate that you need to broaden your topic. It may be necessary to think of synonyms or similar words for your keywords to find more information.

B. Finding Background Information

Boğaziçi University Library has a computerized catalog system called Sierra. You can search the library catalog through a networked computer from anywhere on the BU campus or, for that matter, from anywhere in the world. The library’s catalog provides access to details of books and other publications held by the library. Millennium enables users to carry out either a general search by subject or to find the exact details of where an item is classified in the library depending on the amount of information a user has to begin with.

C. Using the Boğaziçi University Library Catalog

The electronic catalog system in the library, called Sierra, provides access to the library catalog both on campus and from any corner of the world. Thanks to this catalogue, details of the books and other publications in the library can be veiwed. Depending on the scarcity or abundance of data obtained on the subject under investigation, a general research can only be carried out in line with the subject headings, or all classification and bibliographic details of any work cataloged in detail by the library can be accessed.

1. Accessing the online catalog

The catalog can be accessed from any public terminal in the Library. The main group of online public access catalog terminals is located in the hall on the ground floor near the Circulation Desk. 

2. Conducting a search on the catalog

Sierra is a software package that allows users to look specifically for a particular item where the author’s name or the title of the work is known. On the other hand, where the user does not have specific details to begin with, it is possible to carry out a general search for materials in a given subject area.

Example: Let’s assume that you are looking for a novel entitled Puslu Kıtalar Atlası by İhsan Oktay Anar, a Turkish author.
If as in the above case you happen to know the author’s name as well as the title of the book, you have the option of either carrying out a search by title or by the author’s name. A search under the author’s name will reveal details about both the above book and also possibly other books that may have been written by the same author. Let’s assume that you are to carry out your search by the author’s name.

You will see the following screen listing books by this author in the BU library.

Click on any item to see the full information about the item you have selected (the location, call number and whether or not the book is checked out). Below is a full record display of a selected item (Item number 8; the 2006 edition of the book, Puslu Kıtalar Atlası).

3. Making sense of the catalog

The most critical information needed to locate the book in the Library is provided on the bar which is situated in the middle of the screen where 3 pieces of vital information are listed: the book’s location i.e. where it is kept in the library, its call number i.e. the unique code which identifies the book and its exact place on the shelf in the stacks, its status i.e. whether the book is in the library or borrowed by another user for use outside the library.

LOCATION
General Collection

CALL #
PL248.A525 P87 2006

STATUS
DUE 24-04-08 +1 HOLD

a. Location

In the example above, we saw the book we were looking for in the General Collection. These users can request the works included in the General Collection in the Library by logging into their library accounts and requesting the works they are looking for. Users can change the wide range of this collection at the desired distance from the Lending Section (Borrowing Desk).

All materials in the library, including books, are located under different collections. Each collection consists of books, magazines and other materials placed in different halls and floors within the library according to their subject, usage and characteristics. For example, Reference parts are not allowed to be removed from their location, but can be used. The reason for this is that the products are generally not works that users may want to read in order, but rather contain works that are referenced for more purposes.

i. Collections at Boğaziçi University Library

Materials at BU Library are kept in several different collections. Not every library will have the same type or number of collections. For instance, one of the unique features of BU Library is its extensive Near-East collection. On the other hand, certain collections will be found in almost every library such as the general collection or the reference collection.
An abbreviated location indicator such as “ref” or “near” identifies the collection which the item belongs to. Below is the list of location indicators used in B.U. Library.
ref: Reference Collection
near: Near East collection
gen: General Collection
auvi: Audio-Visual Collection

ii. Finding what you are looking for in the collection

Going back to the example scan we gave above, you now know that the book you are looking for is classified under General Collection and can be found on the 1st or 2nd floor according to the open shelving system. While this is a very good start in finding the book under investigation, you will need more detail to pinpoint the book's exact location within the works of the General Collection. At this stage, the location number comes to your aid.

b. Call number

The location number is extremely important as it shows exactly which shelf and in which order the work we are looking for is located, thus allowing the work to be found easily. As mentioned above, this very important information about the work is located in the center of the horizontal area in the middle of the page.
CALL # PL248.A525 P87 2006

i.Dissecting the call number

The spine of the book by İhsan Oktay Anar, which we are trying to find in the library, will bear the same call number as that displayed on the online catalog. Learning how to read a call number is an extremely valuable skill since the better you are at interpreting it, the quicker and more efficient you will be in finding the precise location of a book on the shelf.
According to The Library of Congress Classification System, each subject is assigned a particular letter of the alphabet. For instance, D is for history, H for social sciences, K for law, and P for Language and Literature. These letters are called classmarks or classification marks. Books that deal with a particular subject are then shelved together under that particular classmark.
All the collections in the BU Library are arranged according to the Library of Congress Classification System. You should therefore be aware of the fact that certain books, despite being classified under classmark P, such as a literature related book, may be located in a section other than under the General Collection.
The letter P is used by the Library of Congress System to cover a wide range of subjects that come under the general heading of Language and Literature. Each subclass that is created by the addition of another letter narrows down the subject further. Several subclasses exist under the classmark P which cover a variety of subjects ranging from general philology and linguistics to fiction. Languages of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Turkish language as well as literature books are found in subclasses PL. You should therefore be familiar with these classmarks and know the subjects that are covered by them.
The letters and numbers assigned to the work describe its subject matter and may be likened to its “address” on the shelf. When using the catalog you will see the call number in the middle of the bar where details are displayed for the book. The spine of the book will have the same call number as that shown on the catalog.

The books on Book Shelf #1, above, are shelved in the correct order. Notice that books are shelved alphabetically by the first letter in the call number.

The books on Book Shelf # 2 are also in correct order. Notice that within a single letter, or classification, such as "H", alphabetical order is still used. "H" comes before "HD", which comes before "HL", etc.
 

On Book Shelf #3, above, three of the books are within the classification, "HA". (Notice how "HA" would follow the plain "H" designation.) When books have the same first line in a call number, as on Book Shelf #3, they are shelved in numerical order, looking at the second line.
 

If the first two lines of a call number are the same, books are shelved by the third line of the call number, which is a decimal arrangement. A decimal arrangement is shelved number by number. Remember that all .A6 numbers (whether .A6, .A65 or .A652 will come before .A7 numbers, as in the call numbers above, on Book Shelf #4.

Now, let’s go back to our example and examine the call number, PL248.A525 P87 2006 for Anar’s book which is made up essentially of 2 parts: a classification and book number.

  • Classification Number: PL248. is the classification number, for that particular subject, which is made up of the following components:
    • "PL": P, the classmark, which indicates the general subject matter: language and literature. PL, the subclassmark, which indicates further that the book is classified as one coming under the subject of Languages and Literatures of Eastern Asia Indian, Africa, Oceania and also Turkish Language and Literature.
    • "248.": 248. is the additional code number which distinguishes the book from every other book in the library i.e. it is analogous to the book’s identity card (248 = Turkish fiction)
  • Book Number: The second code, “A525 P87 2006” is the book number. The number that relates to the author and the title of the book is formed of the following:
    • The first letter of the author’s last name: “A” for author last name Anar’s A, and
    • The number “525” is again assigned to author last name according to LC cutter rules.
    • The letter P in the second cod is the first letter of Anar’s novel Puslu Kıtalar Atlası,
    • The number: “87” again assigned the book according to LC cutter rules.
    • Another number: “2006” indicates the year of publication. Many call numbers will end with the date of publication.

This section will explain what the various letters refer to in the classification system. In the Library of Congress Classification System all areas of knowledge are organized in categories beginning with letters: A through Z (note that the letters W, X, and Y are not currently used, being reserved for future expansion of the system; I and O are not used for clarity sake). The arrangement of works in the LC System is as follows:

A -- General Works
B – Philosophy, Psychology, Religion
C -- Auxiliary Sciences of History
D -- World History and History of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, etc.
E -- History of the Americas
F -- History of the Americas
G – Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
H -- Social Sciences
J -- Political Science
K -- Law
L -- Education
M -- Music and Books on Music
N -- Fine Arts
P -- Language and Literature
Q -- Science
R -- Medicine
S -- Agriculture
T -- Technology
U -- Military Science
V -- Naval Science
Z – Bibliography, Library Science, Information Resources (General)
 

c. Status

The status of the book indicates simply whether the book is available in the library or not. For instance, in our example, the catalog search reveals that the book has been borrowed by another user and is not due to be returned until the 24th of April and after that date another user will borrow the book. Since you know that the book is out, you would not bother to go up to the 1st floor and to look for it on the shelves.
You could, however, if you are keen on borrowing this book, place, what is called a “hold” on the book through the online system. The system will prompt you to enter your name and library identification number. Once the book is returned, you will have priority over other users who may wish to borrow the same book and you will be alerted by an email message to the fact that the book is being held in the library for you.

4.Journals, Indexes, Abstracts and Newspapers

At this stage, we have learned how to determine the location of books in the library through the catalog and how to find books classified according to the LC system. But unfortunately, books often do not always contain the latest information. Therefore, if you are doing research on a current topic, journals, especially academic ones, are a good choice. How can we find printed or electronic journals related to our research topic in the library? Just as you used the catalog to locate books, you can also use the journal index through the catalog to locate journals. When searching for popular magazines such as National Geographic and Atlas or academic journals such as Journal of Turkish Studies or Türk Dili: Language and Literature Magazine, you can benefit from different journal directories depending on their subject.

Boğaziçi University Library provides access to a large collection of thousands of academic electronic journals and books as it subscribes to many databases put into service by international companies. These databases are called aggregated databases and the services they offer include many different independent packages such as article or book summaries and full texts of articles.

You can use journal indexes to find citations to articles, as well as access article abstracts. Indexes and abstracts are available in either print, electronic, or both formats. You can choose the most appropriate directories and formats according to the subject of your research. You can browse journal articles under the journal index via the catalogue, using the author's name, title or keyword. All users with a valid library ID card can access the available electronic services both inside and outside the library. If you have difficulty accessing the full text of the book or article through the index you are using, note the citation information and search by entering the title of the journal in the catalog. Printed and electronic publications in the library, as well as microfilms, CDs, DVDs and all other materials can be scanned through the catalogue.

Newspapers are an excellent source to follow the latest political developments, local political news, natural disasters and social problems. Again, online access to many current newspapers is provided in the Boğaziçi University Library Pressreader database. In addition, microfilms of Milliyet from 1970 and Cumhuriyet from 1924 are available to users.

D. Finding Internet Sources

Use search engines to find information on the internet. There is a wealth of information on the Web - primary sources, specialized directories and databases, statistical information, educational sites on many levels, policy, opinion of all kinds, and so much more - and tools for finding it are steadily improving. You can also find tutorials that explain the essentials for conducting an effective search on the internet. You can access one such site via the following link:

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html

E. Evaluating What You Find

Evaluating the authority, usefulness, and reliability of the information you find is a crucial step in the process of research. The questions you ask about books, periodical articles, multimedia titles, or Web pages are similar whether you're looking at a citation to the item, a physical item in hand, or an electronic version on a computer. For more information you can access the following link:
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/evaluate.html

F. Citing What You Find Using a Standard Format

Give credit where credit is due; cite your sources.
Citing or documenting the sources used in your research serves two purposes, it gives proper credit to the authors of the materials used, and it allows those who are reading your work to verify your research and locate the sources that you have listed as references. Knowingly representing the work of others as your own is plagiarism. For citing sources you should use one of the styles that are required or approved by your instructor.

Some style guides in print (book) format that are available in the Boğaziçi University Library:

  • MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Gibaldi, Joseph, 6th ed., New York: MLA, 2003.
    Referans Bölümü LB2369 .G53 2003
  • The Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
    Referans Bölümü Z253 .U69 2003
  • Concise Rules of APA Style [American Psychological Association]. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, c2005.
    Referans Bölümü BF76.7 .C66 2005