Shakespeare / Much Ado About Nothing / Criticism / Feminism /

Where to Start?

WWW vs Subscription Databases & Books

• To Google or Not to Google?
  • In a study that reviewed 500 sites used by students for research, only 27% of the sites were judged to be reliable for academic research!*

You Have Options!

Ohlone College Library Website
http://www.ohlone.edu/org/library provides access to countless resources of interest to students and faculty. Explore the following links on the homepage for information and excellent resources.

• HANS—The Ohlone Library Online Catalog
  • Search HANS to find books, e-books, reserve items, CDs, and other materials the Library owns, where they are shelved, and whether or not they are checked out.
• Library Guides
  • Useful guides & tutorials on HANS, style sheets, Internet searching, & more.
• Search for Articles
  General Search Tips:
  • If searching from home, enter your Ohlone College student or staff ID and last name at the log-in to be granted access to subscription databases.
  • Like Web search engines, each database will support a different set of rules for searching. Become efficient at two or three databases and you should see good results.
  • A “subject” search will always retrieve more precise results. If you find a good article, check to see the assigned Subject Headings, then use those terms to search for more articles. If not getting enough results, try a “keyword” search.
    • Ebscohost Academic Search Elite: Full-text or citations for articles on academic or general interest topics.
      Sample Search:
      • Start with a Basic Search. Enter Shakespeare. Click on the Full-Text box. Notice how many hits are retrieved (too many). Check the Narrow Results by Subject on the left-side toolbar. Notice the subject term Criticism. Note that both Shakespeare & Criticism are subject terms.
      • Find & click on Advanced Search tab. Enter Shakespeare in the top field. In the drop-down menu to the right, click on SU Subject Terms. Enter Criticism in the next field. Find SU Subject Terms to the right.
      • Don’t forget the Full-Text box. Click Search. Notice hits retrieved (better!)
      • Check Narrow Results by Subject again.
      • Notice subject term SHAKESPEARE, William, 1564-1616 -- Criticism & interpretation. Click on the link.
      • Notice the number of hits retrieved. (fewer hits, more precise results!)
      • Now try other terms in similar ways.
    • SIRS Knowledge Source: Includes full-text articles on social issues and topics in the Arts and Humanities.
      • Search Tips: Click on Advanced Search. Enter terms such as Shakespeare in one field, feminism in the next. Review results. Start a new search, entering Shakespeare in one field, Much Ado About Nothing in the next.
    • LexisNexis Academic: A selection of full-text publications periodicals, including The New York Times back to June 1, 1930.
      • Search Tip: Good for news and reviews of past theatrical productions!
    • JSTOR: An archive of important scholarly journals spanning many disciplines. It is not a current article database; JSTOR offers backfiles!
• Links to Internet Resources
  • Scroll down to Other Libraries
    • Use your public library card for access to the databases subscribed to by the public library system near you or for Interlibrary Loan options, such as Link +.
  • Continue to scroll down this page for list of excellent Reference Sources and Librarian evaluated Web links arranged by discipline.

Any Questions?
Ask a Librarian!
• Telephone: (510) 659-6171
• Email: librarians@ohlone.edu

*Colhoun, Alexander. “But—I Found it on the Internet!” Christian Science Monitor. 25 April 
     2000. <http://www.csmonitor.com/2000/0425/p16s1.html>. Accessed September 25, 2007.