Library Research in Earth Sciences Education

Prepared by Anne Turhollow for Geological Sciences 412
Spring 2006

Locating What You Find

What is the PAC?

The PAC is the Library's main system for locating the books the library owns and the journals that we subscribe to. It does NOT list individual journal articles or most book chapters. Below we explain how to interpret a citation to determine if it is a book, book chapter, or journal article, and how to find it using the PAC.

Journal Articles

Greensfelder, L. 2000. Unvanquished vireo. California Wild 53(1):44-45.

Journal article citations can be identified by the fact that they end with volume and page numbers. Use the Citation Linker to find out if the Library has a copy of the article in either print or electronic form.

If you don't find your journal:

1. Check your spelling.
   
   
2. If you did not wait until the last minute, fill out an Inter-library Loan (ILL) request. This will take about one to two weeks. A copy of the article will be mailed to your home or office. The service is free for students, faculty, and staff of SDSU.
   
   
3. If there is not enough time,repeat your search at UCSD. If UCSD has the journal, you will need to drive over and make a copy of the article.

ERIC Documents

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2002). The biggest plates on Earth. Submarine ring of fire--grades 5-6. Plate tectonics. Rockville, MD. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED477325)

ERIC documents, which may be a conference talk, a school district report, or a wide variety of other unpublished materials, are identified by the ED number which should be included in their citation. These can be found in the Microforms Center (located on the first floor of Love Library). They are located in their own set of cabinets and are filed by the ED number.

Many ERIC documents are available electronically through the US Department of Education ERIC service. Currently 80% of the documents produced from 1993 to the present are included.

Books

McPhee, J.A. 1993. Assembling California. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Book citations can be identified by the fact they end not with page numbers, but with a place of publication and publisher. Book chapters are similar but have two titles instead of one. (See below.) You can search the PAC either by the book's title or by its authors .

If the book is not at SDSU, there are three options:

1. First check to see if the book is available at one of the other San Diego area university libraries by using Circuit (sometimes referred to as SD Circuit). If it is, then request the item. Circuit deliveries usually take overnight and can be picked up at the Main Circulation Desk in the Dome.
2. If it is not available through Circuit, then next check Link+, a union catalog of several CSU and private university libraries throughout the state of California. If it is available then, request the item. Delivery with Link+ generally takes 3-5 days and again you pick up the items at the Main Circulation Desk.
3. If it is not available through either of these systems, then fill out an ILL form. ILL will find out which library in the US (or the world, if necessary) has the book and borrow it from them. It usually takes one to two weeks for delivery.

You will be notified via e-mail when titles requested via Link+ or ILL are available for pickup at the Main Circulation Desk.

Book Chapters

Southerland, S.A., M.U. Smith, and C.L. Cummins. 2000. "What do you mean by that?": Using structured interviews to assess science understanding. In Assessing Science Understanding: A Human Constructivist View, ed. J.J. Mintzes, J.H. Wandersee, and J.D. Novak. San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press.

Book chapter citations can be identified by the facts that they have two sets of titles and authors. The first set refers to the chapter; the second set to the entire book. Use the second set to look up your book by either title or editor in the PAC.

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