Research: Library Sources
Believe it or not, for several years now Virginia Tech has possessed an actual library right on campus! Located between the Virginia Tech Bookstore and the state-of-the-art Torgersen Building, the Newman Library can provide you with a variety of research facilitiesâas long as youâre willing to tear yourself away from your computer and go inside.
Despite the fact that researching in the library means you are removed from the comfort zone of your dorm or apartment, you will find that some materials can be found nowhere else.
What if youâve heard that libraries are old-fashioned, that they donât keep up-to-date materials, that your friend really needed this book for her project but our library didnât have it?
Common Indexes and Databases
Business
ABI/Inform, Business Periodicals Index, Business & Economics, Business & Industry, EconLibrary.com, General BusinessFile ASAP, Reuters Business Insight
Education
Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), Education Index
Engineering
INSPEC, Aerospace & High Technology Database, ANTE: Abstracts in New Technologies and Engineering, ASCE Civil Engineering Database, ASCE Research Library, Compendex, Computer & Information Systems Abstracts, Engineering & Technology
Psychology
Psychological Abstracts, PsycLit, PsycINFO
Sciences
General Science Index, General Science Abstracts, BioEngineering Abstracts, GeoScience World, Wiley InterScience Reference Works, AgBiotechNet, Biological & Medical Sciences, Biological Abstracts
Social Sciences
Social Science & Humanities Index, ASSIA: Applied Social Science Index and Abstracts, Communication and Mass Media Complete, Communication Studies, CSA Social Sciences, Historical Abstracts
General
LEXIS-NEXIS, Expanded Academic Index
In fact, libraries possess the most stable catalog of research materials in the world. Before they are printed, books must undergo a rigorous research process. Same goes for scholarly articles. So when you consult one of them, you can bet you are using material that has been proven accurate. And as for the old âthe library didnât have the bookâ argument? A lovely invention called Interlibrary Loan makes that obsolete. If you have to borrow materials from another library, though, you must begin your research early, as the delivery process can take anywhere from several days to a week or more.
In addition, in the library you might very well find one of the most effective research tools: the bibliography. If you like your research fast and efficient, then youâll love the bibliography, which compiles lists of books, articles, and other sources on particular subjects. Itâs your one-stop research shop. Just be careful, though, because due to the nature of publication, while some bibliographies are updated annually, some are not.