Turning a Spotlight on Transformational Leadership

By Bahman (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Many Brandman students are on the leadership path, so here is a searchlight focus on how to search for information about transformational leadership.

1. Start on the library homepage. Type transformational leadership into the Discover! search box and click on “Search”
2. The first result you receive should be a Research Starter.

Research Starters are a great way to get some background information as well as some suggested search terms and a bibliography. Getting this type of basic information can deepen your understanding and provide a clearer vision of how you want to approach the topic. Discover! has many Research Starters covering a myriad of topics.

Now that you have that background information, you can narrow your topic in many ways.

1. Add the Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals limiter
2. Place the term in quotation marks: “transformational leadership”
3. Change the dropdown limiter from Select a Field to SU Subject Terms
4. Change the date range
5. Add additional terms

As always, when you need assistance, ask a librarian. We’re here to help.

Searchlight on Transformational Leadership

By Bahman (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Many Brandman students are on the leadership path, so here is a searchlight focus on how to search for information about transformational leadership.

1. Start on the library homepage. Type transformational leadership into the Discover! search box and click on “Search”
2. The first result you receive should be a Research Starter.

Research Starters are a great way to get some background information as well as some suggested search terms and a bibliography. Getting this type of basic information can deepen your understanding and provide a clearer vision of how you want to approach the topic. Discover! has many Research Starters covering a myriad of topics.

Now that you have that background information, you can narrow your topic in many ways.

1. Add the Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals limiter
2. Place the term in quotation marks: “transformational leadership”
3. Change the dropdown limiter from Select a Field to SU Subject Terms
4. Change the date range
5. Add additional terms

As always, when you need assistance, ask a librarian. We’re here to help.

Accessing the APA Style Guide to Electronic References

By Stuart Pilbrow [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Have you ever found yourself pulling your hair out, trying to figure out how to properly cite the electronic media sources you used on the References page of your paper? Here’s the good news. The Leatherby Libraies has acquired the APA Style Guide to Electronic References, 6th edition, and it is available to view or print from the library website. It includes the basic information on how references are constructed; provides a DOI and URL flowchart to help illuminate how and when to use DOIs, URLs, and database information; and consists of a substantial section of various examples for electronic references. Here is how to access it:

1. Begin at the Library’s Citation/Style Guides page
2. Scroll down to locate the APA section and click on the link for “APA Style Guide to Electronic References, Sixth Edition” (the last link)
3. You will be taken to the cataloging record of this document
4. Click on “View or Print: APA Style Guide to Electronic References”
5. You will be prompted to login with your full name and your Brandman student ID.

We also have a handy video tutorial to walk you through the process:

Please note that the APA Style Guide to Electronic References is a PDF document, and you may print copies only for personal use.

As always, Ask a Librarian if you need further assistance!

Mining Your Sources

See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Much like prospectors from days past, today’s students are also seeking the mother lode. The mother lode of information that is. Too often, we hear from students that they can only locate one or two really good sources when they are writing a research paper. What many don’t know is that those two articles can open up a whole new vein of discovery if they just take the time to mine the references cited. Here’s what we mean.

Let’s say that you have found a great article titled “Academic Zombies: A Failure of Resistance or a Means of Survival?” You really love what it has to say about educational reform using zombies as a metaphor and want to find similar articles. Now what? This is where your mining skills come into play. A quick glance at the references used for this article shows that the author cited 60 sources. That’s 60 sources that you can take a look at to see if they can shed more light on your topic. Why should you start from scratch when someone has already found a list of articles that can help you further your own research? Since you want to work smarter, not harder, mining good articles for the ore of more makes sense. Once you have a great list of references to work from, you can use the Journal Finder or call one of the Brandman librarians to help you find the mother lode. We are here to help you stake your claim on solid research. Eureka!

The Empir(ical) Article Strikes Back

By Michael Neel from Knoxville, TN, USA (Star Wars) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

We all love Star Wars. Although your Brandman librarians would definitely side with the rebel alliance, we know that the empire has its place, too.

As college writers and researchers, you have probable been asked to use empirical articles to support your work. Sometimes, that can be frustrating. Before you go full Vader on the library, let us Yoda your way through knowing what an empirical article is and how to search for one. We have created a simple tutorial–Empirical Articles: What You Need To Know.

Empirical Articles Video Tutorial

Once you know how to recognize an empirical article, you will no longer be haunted by, “Do or do not. There is no try.” As always, if you are unsure, ask your Brandman librarians. May the force be with you.

Researching Gem of the Ocean

By T. Charles Erickson [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

In your ENGU 104 class, you are asked to read two dramas: Much Ado About Nothing and Gem of the Ocean. Both of them are fantastic, but you might have chosen to focus on the more modern of the two. You read the play carefully and start to perform some research in the Leatherby Libraries. Alas. You find that there are few scholarly sources to use, so you call your Brandman librarian. Well, here are some tips to help you find material for your paper.

First of all, as a modern drama, there has not been much written about Gem. Don’t despair. This gives the opportunity to do your own critical thinking rather than just reciting someone else’s. To access the few articles of literary criticism or analysis about the play, start with an Advanced Search in Discover. Use the search terms below.

Since there are few articles, another way to approach the play is to perform research on themes such as slavery, redemption, atonement, abolition, or feminism. After learning about these concepts, you can write about how they are revealed in the play. This takes some critical thinking, so be sure to start your research early.

As always, if you need further assistance, ask a librarian. We’re here to help.

Using Dissertations: The Overlooked Resource

Léon Bakst [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
{{PD-1996}} – public domain in a source country on January 1, 1996 and in the US.

Many students forget to consider dissertations and theses as sources for their research. These are great tools to use, not only for the dissertation itself, but for the research gathered to create it. Where do you start? Begin by selecting General Databases at the bottom of the library homepage. This will take you to the General Databases Electronic Resources page. From there, select Connect under Dissertations & Theses: Full Text – ProQuest. Perform your search.

You found a great dissertation that supports your research. Now what? Why, you should mine the references! At the end of the dissertation, examine the references used. If these is a useful journal article, use the Journal Finder to see if we have access. If there is an interesting book, check our Library catalog.

Remember. There is no need for you to scramble for sources. If someone has already done the work, why not save some time?

As always, please keep your Brandman library staff in mind if you need assistance. We are here to help!

Helpful Video for LBSU 302: Accessing Academic Search Premier

By _sarchi from maidstone kent, uk (tool box) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

In LBSU 302, students need to access a multidisciplinary database, and Academic Search Premier is the required portal. To help you find and navigate Academic Search Premier, we created a new video. Simply click below to view it.

Remember, if you need any further assistance, your Brandman librarians are here to help.

Searchlight on Business Ethics

By Bahman (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

For Brandman students who study in the field of business, business ethics might be a research topic of interest to you. Here is a searchlight focus on how to search for information about business ethics.

1. Start on the library homepage. Type business ethics into the Discover! search box and click on “Search”
2. The first result you receive should be a Research Starter on the Ethical Responsibilities of Business, which provides background information on business ethics as well as overview of its applications. Additionally, the bibliography and suggested reading offer a wealth of resources.
   

1. Aside from the Research Starter, you will see many books and e-books that the library owns on the topic of business ethics.
2. To refine your search results, select the Advanced Search link below the search box and consider the following options:
   • Add the Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals limiter
   • Place the term in quotation marks: “business ethics”
   • Change the dropdown limiter from Select a Field to SU Subject Terms
   • Change the date range
   • Add additional terms

As always, Ask a Librarian if you need further assistance.

Interlibrary Loan Tip: Book or Book Chapter?

Jan van Eyck (circa 1390–1441) [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
{{PD-1923}} – published before 1923 and public domain in the US.

Here at the library, we’ve noticed that students are a bit confused with the results from EBSCOhost when it comes to books. Books and book chapters use the same icon:

To solve this dilemma, we created a great new video: Book or Book Chapter: Recognizing the Difference in EBSCO Databases:

Just click on the arrow to view the video. As always, if you need some help, just ask a librarian.