Now that you’ve looked the the library’s Research by Subject guides, you probably noticed the search bar at the top of most guides.  That’s WorldCat, the library’s catalog.  Use WorldCat to find books, ebooks, and other resources in Bertrand Library and beyond.  If you come across something not held by Bertrand Library, click the red “Get it” button to request it through our interlibrary loan (ILL) system, free to Bucknell students, faculty, and staff.

While the basic search screen in WorldCat and databases enables you to enter some words and start searching, advanced search screens are more powerful, offering numerous ways to streamline your search.  Common search limits include publication type, language, date, etc.  Ask a librarian if you need help!

Remember – a book doesn’t need to be read cover-to-cover to be used in your research.  Use the table of contents or index to find useful sections. Books can be excellent sources of information, for in-depth coverage of a subject, an overview or background information on a topic, and in some cases, historical context.

Watch: Finding a Book in the Bertrand Library

ConsultResearch by Subject guide(s) related to your topic for suggested databases, to search for articles and in some cases, book chapters.   Searching databases to explore the journal literature about your topic is part of being a thorough researcher.  Often you’ll be accessing the most current information about a particular topic.

Journal articles are the basic means of communicating research findings in the academic, scholarly community.   In some fields, like the sciences, where experimentation and discovery require rapid dissemination of results, journal articles are often preferred.  Not all ideas result in book-length studies, and some research is better suited to publication within articles.

More information is available through the library’s DIY Research Process guide. “Find” © 2020 Bucknell University. All rights reserved.
“DIY Research” © 2020 Bucknell University. All rights reserved.