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PHYS 499 : Library Resources Guide

Resources & Tips for Physics Research for Seniors & Juniors

Welcome to the PHYS 499 Library Resources Guide

Welcome to the PHYS 499 course guide.  This guide covers resources available to you for researching information that will help you complete your course projects.  Some tabs also give some tips for searching library databases, and resources for specific projects.

Prior to our in-class Library Research Session: complete the activities below so you will get the most out of the in-class activities.

 

Need help figuring out what you're looking for, coming up with a research strategy, knowing which database to search, or finding something you need?  Ask me, Tracy Bicknell-Holmes, your librarian!

  • Contact info - under left navigation menu of this page
  • Fall consultation hours
    • Tuesdays 12noon-2:00pm & Thursdays 10:00am - 12:00 noon; Bronco Learning Commons, Library 1st floor
    • By appointment (in person or via zoom)

I know you're very busy! I'm available to meet evenings, weekends or early mornings if that works best for your schedule

 

Go to Albertsons Library button

Your Launch Point - the Library's Website @ https://boisestate.edu/library

What is Endnote and Why Should I Use It?

What is EndNote and Why Should I Use It?

EndNote Online is citation management software that allows you to:

  • Easily cite your sources
  • Create a personal library references and citations by importing citation information from indexes, databases, the Library's Catalog, and websites
  • Organize your references and share them with other researchers
  • Insert citations from EndNote directly into your Microsoft Word documents (Cite While You Write) and easily create bibliographies
  • EndNote is compatible with thousands of citation styles if you register for EndNote through the Web of Science (WOS) database. Go to EndNote's Output Styles page for a complete list.

Once you have registered, set up EndNote Online, and become familiar with how it works, it can save you a lot of time and headache citing resources when you're writing, and creating a bibliography of sources or references in you papers.

There are several different free online citation managers. Each has features that differ and unique challenges in use, so if you don't like EndNote, try Zotero or Mendeley.

 

See how it works in the 7-minute video: EndNote Basics

 

NOTE Linux Operating Systems:  There are currently no versions of EndNote that work with the Linux OS. If you are using a devise that runs on Linux, you'll need to use another citation manager like Zotero or Mendeley.

Get Ready to Use EndNote

Register for EndNote Online

If you will be citing sources using a unique journal or professional association citation style, register for EndNote Online via the Web of Science (WOS) database.  That way you will have access to all of the available citation styles

 

Step 1 : Register for Web of Science (WOS) (Already registered? Skip to Step 2)

EndNote Online is produced by the same vendor that creates and maintains WOS. Registering for EndNote Online from within WOS gives you access to more citation styles than registering for an EndNote Web account directly from the EndNote webpage.

If you haven't already registered (created an account) for WOS, you'll need to do so. Registering allows you to save searches and create alerts in WOS, and sign up for EndNote Online.

1. Go to the Library's Main Page (http://boisestate.edu/library/) click the Articles & Databases panel

2. Scroll down to Articles and Databases A to Z, and search for Web of Science

3. Click the link for the Web of Science database

NOTE:  If off-campus, you will need to authenticate using your my.boisestate.edu username and password before you can get into WOS

4. Have an WOS account? Sign in.  If not Register to use WOS - upper right corner

Web of Science Register Icon circled

 

STEP 2 - Create an EndNote Online Account

1. Click the Products icon in the upper right corner of WOS

Web of Science Products menu circled

2. Select EndNote from the menu

Web of Science Products menu with EndNote circled

 

3. Click the Register Button

4. Follow the instructions to create your free EndNote account

Use any email address you like, it needn't be your Boise State email address

After creating an account in EndNote Online, download the Cite While You Write plug-in so you can access EndNote from within Microsoft Word to insert citations into your Word documents as you write.

To download the Cite While You Write plug-in following these steps:

  1. Go to http://my.endnote.com/ and sign into your account if you aren't already signed in
  2. Click on the Format 
  3. Click on Cite While You Write™ Plug-In.
  4. Click the Download Windows or Download Macintosh link as appropriate.
  5. Follow the prompts

Using "Cite While You Write"

Cite While You Write, instantly inserts citations, and formats references and bibliographies automatically while you write your papers.

Cite While You Write is:

  • An add-in for Microsoft Word
  • Available for Windows and MAC/IOS operating systems
  • Downloadable in EndNote under the Download tab

See how it works in the 7-minute video: EndNote Basics

You will first need to register for an Endnote account and login to access the Download tab. Once you install the Cite While You Write plug-in, it will appear when you open Microsoft Word.  

To Access Cite While You Write in Endnote Web:

  1. Log on to EndNote
  2. In your Word document, put your cursor where you want the the citation to be
  3. Click the Endnote tab on the toolbar. If the toolbar is not there, make sure you have first installed the  “Cite While You Write” add-on from EndNote.
  4. Type a word to search your EndNote Web references.
  5. Choose the desired citation(s) and click on the Insert button.

 

CiteWhileYouWrite

Getting Help - Tutorials and Resources

EndNote is a powerful citation tool, but it can be tricky to use.  Contact Your Librarian (I'm on the first page page of this guide! left navigation) or these resources might help:

Pro Tips: Preparing to do Research

Get Organized

Before you start your research, spend some time preparing and getting organized:

Identify the parameters of the topic such as scope, depth, purpose:

  • What is the purpose of the research?
  • Who is the audience?
  • What is the perspective (e.g. experimental, applied, exploratory)?
  • What is the expected end product?
  • How much time and money can be allocated to this project?

Clearly Define your Topic: Make a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables of interest. Make sure to list synonyms and related terms. As you search and discover new terminology, added it to your list.

Take Good Notes as you Research. This will help you develop your literature review later, and will help you keep track of which sources relate to your research and how. You may want to make note of:

  • The main ideas of the source
  • Questions or comments about the argument’s or author’s credibility
  • Key points or quotes that you might include in your paper with page numbers to locate them
  • Whether or not the source will be useful in your research paper and how

It can be helpful to Keep a search log. Think of this like a research notebook, but one that tracks your search strategy and results. Report the date, database, search string and filters, relevance of results and any other notes that might be useful if you get ideas later or can't remember what you found where.

Track your sources. Using citation manger software like EndNote Web, Zotero and Mendeley can help, and your notes can go right into the software with the citation attached.

  • Books: author, title, publisher, place of publication, date of publication, call number and other location information, content notes
  • Print Journal Articles:  author, title of article, journal title, volume and issue number, inclusive page numbers of article, date of issue, location information
  • Electronic Full-Text Articles: same information as for periodicals plus URL or DOI if available, date you accessed the article, producer (publisher or aggregator), library where or through which the database was accessed
  • Web sites: URL, date, producer, title or name, and the date you accessed the web page

Are you Off Campus? Log into my.boisestate.edu first

Many Library resources are paid for by the Library on your behalf, and come with strict licensing agreements. To use them, you will need to go through the Library's proxy server to authenticate you as a BSU affiliate. If you're using Google Scholar and have it set up to help you Find full text in the BSU Library's collection, you won't have access to the full text without authentication.

Log into myboiseState.edu before you start your research and single sign-on will take care of the authentication for you. By doing this you'll avoid the interruptions that come with authentication requests to put in your BSU user name and password to get to materials.

Set up Google Scholar, InterLibrary Loan and a Citation Manager

Before you start your research, take time to do the following if you haven't already done so:

  1. Set up Google Scholar to show Albertsons Library's collections. This makes it easier to find full text articles and reduces searching to find the books, documents, etc. available at BSU
  2. Set up your Interlibrary Loan account, so you can easily request articles and books that BSU's Library doesn't own 
  3. Set up a citation manager account for EndNote Online, Zotero, or Mendeley, so you can manage your citations and references

All of these options are free, and will reduce the interruptions you face you do your research. You'll find resources in the pages of this guide to help you accomplish these things.