Reference Transactions

Professor Johanna Kraus

I didn't visit the class, but I did a research guide for the students at Johanna's request.

The research guide located at http://library.wlu.edu/science/bio243.asp that is a "one stop shop" for students' needs throughout the term. Students are doing lab reports, which require some literature searching, as well as a research paper requiring more in-depth literature searching.

The guide includes useful reference books, databases and all that good stuff. Johanna also wanted me to have list of important journals that she wants them to focus on, so I organized them by database that indexes them. (For example, there is a list of journals you can search via JSTOR, a list to search via BioOne, etc.)

Posted by Mary Abdoney at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spanish 207: Introduccion a la Literatura Hispanoamericana
Prof. Botta
Merrill
September 25, 2006
In-class presentation and Online research guide
14 students

Project: critical evaluation of 3 works on topic, in the form of an annotated bibliography.
Research Guide

Posted by Yolanda Merrill at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Course: Econ 395 Industrial Organization
Presentation date: 9/22/06
Faculty: Smythe
Number of students: 12
Librarian: Tombarge
Research guide URL: http://library.wlu.edu/research/guides/business/econ395.asp

Assignment: Students will be writing a research paper on a topic introduced in the course.

Posted by John Tombarge at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is my yearly art thesis tutorial for seniors. They work all along on their own thesis topic, doing assignments every week. The final product is a 15-20 pp annotated bibliography on their thesis topic. Due December 4.
The class meets four times, three hours each.

Art 395
Prof. O'Mara (teaches the non-library sessions of this tutorial)
Merrill, librarian
10 students

Research guide

Posted by Yolanda Merrill at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A politics student working on a thesis wants to access polling data from an organization called Latinobarametro, based in Spain. The question is how....

The Latinobarametro Web site makes it clear that they expect to be paid for much of their data.
Fortuitously, we have access to (all?) their data through the Polling the Nations service, to which we subscribe. (One of several on this page.)

Once you get to the search screen, use the drop-down "Source" menu to select Latinobarometer .
Oddly, for what it's worth, it looks like older data (1990's) is listed under Latinobarametro .

Posted by Dick Grefe at 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

course: JOUR 296 (Discovering Early American Newspapers)
date: 9/20/06
faculty: Cumming
librarian: Grefe
students: 4
Each student has several different research assignments, including a final research paper, which involve the use of microfilm, Special Collections, Stonewall Jackson Cemetery, and more.
Here is the research guide.

Posted by Dick Grefe at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a presentation I give to students enrolled in a variety of Art History courses. About half of them are freshmen. I do one presentation in the Fall and one in the Winter. It is an overview of the research process and major resources in art.

9/18/06
55 students
Prof. Margaret Morse, coordinator
Merrill, librarian

Research guide

Posted by Yolanda Merrill at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

course: POL 227 (East Asian Politics)
date: 9/18/06
faculty: LeBlanc
librarian: Grefe
students: 14
Each student is to write 3 research papers, each one focusing on a particular policy issue in a particular East Asian country (China, Japan, South Korea).
Here is the research guide.

Posted by Dick Grefe at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Course: BUS 340 Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
Presentation date: 9/13/06
Faculty: Pirkle
Number of students: 34 (in two sections)
Librarian: Tombarge
Research guide URL: http://library.wlu.edu/research/guides/business/mgt340.asp

Assignment: Students will be preparing a business plan for a start up company.

Posted by John Tombarge at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I did a session for Wythe Whiting's Psyc 250 class, demonstrating how to use PsycINFO. Showed advanced searching and limits, as well as using WebBridge to get articles. Some students said they have trouble getting full text in PsycINFO via WebBridge, which is because we simply don't have full text access. They need to get these articles via ILL.

I didn't make a course guide, obviously, but there is a PsycINFO "more help" guide at http://library.wlu.edu/science/psycinfolinks.asp

30 students
Prof. Wythe Whiting
9-13-06

Posted by Mary Abdoney at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

course: POL 105 (Global Politics)
date: 9/13/06 (2 sections)
faculty: Dickovick
librarian: Grefe
students: about 45
Each student is to write a research paper comparing political/governmental institutions or policies in two or more countries.
Here is the research guide.

Posted by Dick Grefe at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There is no set session for Biology 111, but I have made some tutorials, located at http://library.wlu.edu/science/bio111tutorials.asp for the students.

Will update this entry as I learn more.

Posted by Mary Abdoney at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

course: HIST 369A, American Indian Ethnohistory
date: 9/12/06
faculty: Markowitz
librarian: Grefe
students: 12
Each student will write a term research paper, on a topic to be chosen. Here is the course research guide.

Posted by Dick Grefe at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the past week I have been asked several times by students about how they get into Blackboard, including how they find out what login to use.
Just to get my story straight, I e-mailed Julie Knudson and here is her response:

The username is the same as the Novell/GroupWise username. The password is the University ID number without any leading zeros, found on the university ID card.

Posted by Dick Grefe at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

English 299: Aphra Behn in Context
Prof. Braunschneider
Fall 2006
Requested a research guide only
18 students

Research Guide prepared by Yolanda Merrill

Posted by Yolanda Merrill at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A faculty member wants to know the Congressional vote counts for various pieces of legislation relating to the "war on terror."

The CQ Weekly site should be able to satisfy the request.
On the opening screen, there is an option in the left-side column headed "Search Floor Votes."

Posted by Dick Grefe at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At the request of Mark Rush, I have revised the Politics 340 research guide he and his students use for the American Supreme Court and Constitutional Law course.

Posted by Dick Grefe at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A researcher wants to statistically compare economic/agricultural conditions in Rockbridge Country in the post-Civil War period with the antebellum years.

Our humongous reprint volumes of the first ten decennial censuses may be able to answer at least some of the question.
Another approach would be the database of Virginia materials in decennial census volumes that UVa has created. (This resource is available in one of our Web site pages.)

Posted by Dick Grefe at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)