The following steps outline a simple and
effective strategy for finding information for research papers and class
assignments and for evaluating and documenting the resources you use.
(click on the links to see the next page; to return to this
page, click on the "back" button)
Academic libraries the world over use the Library of Congress Subject
Headings to shelve resources
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco.html. Notice that class
"P" is the classification for Language & Literature
in which
there are the following subclassess with further divisions to help
you focus even more narrowly for English:
Library of Congress Subject Headings for
Class P Language & Literature
P1-1091 Philology. Linguistics
P1-85 General
P87-96 Communication. Mass media
P94.7 Interpersonal communication
P95-95.6 Oral communication. Speech
P98-98.5 Computational linguistics. Natural language processing
P99-99.4 Semiotics
P99.5-99.6 Nonverbal communication
P101-410 Language. Linguistic theory. Comparative grammar
P118-118.7 Language acquisition
P121-149 Science of language (Linguistics)
P201-299 Comparative grammar
P301-301.5 Style. Composition. Rhetoric
P302-302.87 Discourse analysis
P306-310 Translating and interpreting
P321-324.5 Etymology
P325-325.5 Semantics
P326-326.5 Lexicology
P327-327.5 Lexicography
P375-381 Linguistic geography
P501-769 Indo-European (Indo-Germanic) philology
P901-1091 Extinct ancient or medieval languages |
Subdivision PE is for English
PE1-3729 English
PE101-(458) Anglo-Saxon. Old English
PE501-(693) Middle English
PE(814)-896 Early Modern English
PE1001-1693 Modern English
PE1700-3602 Dialects. Provincialisms, etc.
PE3701-3729 Slang. Argot, etc.
|
2. FIND AND EVALUATE THE INFORMATION: The alpha and numeric
elements are the codes, or call numbers, that
are placed on a book, media, etc.that identifies an item's location
on library shelves. Example of a section of shelved
resources
in correct order follow:
PE
75
E 62
F38
1972
v. 65
|
PE
75.5
B 12
G7
1964
v. 1 |
PE
106
A11
L34
1711
v. 1 |
PE
195
V2
L34
2004
. |
PE
274
G64
1956
|
PE
812
L5
1869-
1889
|
Resources listed in a library catalog
are shelved in various locations. Examples: Media
for Media Dept, Ref for Reference Room, Doc
for Government Documents Room, Atlas for Atlases/Maps
Room, Thesis for Thesis/ Dissertations Room.
|
In addition to resources you find on the McKee Library's shelves,
there are databases with fulltext books and journal articles
that you can access from your computer anywhere in the world you happen
to be. Remember to use your southern.edu login and password
since hotmail and other .com e-mails will not work. (The
library also has wireless access if you are in one of the "bubbles"
on campus.) Just bookmark http://library.southern.edu/research
to access and download electronic data. Once you are on the
research page, click on the varied links to learn of the resources.
"English" in the "Subject Resources" section retrieves
a page
with fulltext links to books,
journal articles, and websites that librarians and faculty have chosen
for students. See the search input screen of a fulltext journal/magazine
database where you need to click
the "fulltext" box when you type search terms. The Reserves
link retrieves electronic resources, or refers you to other information,
if your class instructor has set any Reserves aside for you to study.
The
Tutorial link routes you to specific instructions if you need
more details than this brief tutorial offers. Other tutorials relating
to English
specific search terms, the reliability
of information found on the Internet, and the citing
of information for a paper are available for you. Also,
Ask-a-Librarian is a link when you need personalized assistance.