Engl 3323 Fall 06

Information Sources for
English 3323:
Technical Writing
Kevin Drees
Engineering Librarian
Created June 2004
Updated March 2005
drees@okstate.edu
Edmon Low Library
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK
KD 6/04
Content of this instruction:
Critical thinking skills

Keyword vs. subject search
Information Cycle: scholarly vs. non-scholarly
material
Primary vs. secondary sources
Subscription databases from Library via the
web vs Web search engines
Knowledge base of the library

Discipline/Subject Specific Databases
Format
Article,
technical reports
government documents
Availability (Print/Electronic)
Subject experts
Disciplines
Business/Financial
Engineering
Agriculture
Formats
Articles
Technical
Reports
Government Documents
Availability
Electronic
Print
Note:
using both the print and electronic

will increase the odds of finding useful
information and better composite
sketch of the topic, company, or
industry
Critical Thinking deciding about

how to search and what types of
sources to use driven by
audience analysis.
1.

2. Information Cycle: scholarly vs. nonscholarly material
3. Primary vs. secondary sources
4. Subscription databases from Library
via the web vs Web search engines
Critical Thinking
1.
keyword
search
Synonyms: targeted, exact, specific

Example:
company name
search use when

keyword fails.
Synonyms for subject search:
classification, category, broadened
searching
subject
Example:
industry, product type
Critical Thinking
2.
Information Cycle:
Analysis increases along the
cycle
scholarly vs. non-scholarly
material
Web (scholarly/non-scholarly) vs
subscription database (scholarly
except for news accounts)
Critical Thinking
3. Primary vs. secondary sources
preference of primary source materials
over secondary
Primary source material:
the article, speech, etc., verbatim
a good approach to get exactly
what was said
Secondary source material
A summary someone wrote by
looking at the primary source.
May contain an analysis in the
context of the discipline.
Critical Thinking
4.
Subscription databases from Library

via the web vs Web search engines
Understanding
the distinction
Knowledge Base
Subject Specific Databases

Business/Financial
Engineering
Agriculture
Format
article,
technical reports
government documents
Availability (Print/Electronic)
Business/Financial
Goal:
to increase your searching ability

in business and financial sources
keyword search
company name
search
Industry
Product type
Subject
Electronic
Hoovers
Factiva
Business
Source Elite
ProQuest Direct
Edgar
Print
& B Million Dollar Directory
NAICS (North American Industrl Class.
System) 2000
SIC (Standard Industrial Class.) Manual
Standard and Poors Register
Corporations
International Directory of Company
Histories
D
Print cont. definitely consult:

Value
line investment survey.

Stand & Poors Industry Surveys
Oklahoma Manufacturers Register
Oklahoma Directory of Manufacturers
and Processors
D & B Regional Business Directory
Summary - Business/Financial
keyword (specific) vs subject (category)

searching
Subject searching
Value line investment survey composite stats

S&P Industry Survey many tables and graphs
Articles description of the industry or

the company itself
Further assistance Librarians, reference
desk.
Engineering
Electronic
Compendex
EBSCO
Acad Search Elite

ASTA (Applied Science and Technology)
Biological Abstracts (multiple years)
Medline
INSPEC
IEL (IEEE Electronic Library)
Science Direct
Web of Science
Agriculture
Electronic
ASAE (American Society of Agricultural
Engineers)
CAB Abstracts
EBSCO
Agricola - compiled by the U.S. National Agricultural

Library (NAL)
Biological Abstracts (multiple years)
Biological & Agricultural Index
USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

www.usda.gov
Technical Reports - defined
Are written to convey new developments or

final results of scientific and technical
research.
Are usually funded by government
departments or corporate bodies.
Deliver technical information to the funding
organization.
Provide a forum for peer information
exchange.
Anne Graham, Barker Engineering Library, MIT, grahama@mit.edu,
http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/types/techreports/definition.html, Accessed August 14, 2004
Tech Reports - locating
The most important resources for locating

tech reports and other info produced by the
Government for this technical writing course.
Library Catalog
Science.gov
Regular search
Limited to gov docs
site searches 30 Government agency databases and
makes use of 1700 agency selected websites pertaining
to science.
May not be able to pull the full text from this source.
Contact Gov Docs
Gov Docs Dept 5th Floor of Library
Gov Docs Librarians

Print vs electronic over date ranges
Identify agencies relevant to your topic
Tech Reports - locating

NTIS http://www.ntis.gov/
All (nearly) government publications are

available from NTIS (National Technical
Information Service)
OSU Gov Docs will request the item in

Microfiche take the NTIS record
(abstract and other data) to Gov Docs- 2
weeks- patron photocopy the mf copy
Government documents - defined
record of activities of governments

numerous agencies, regulatory bodies,
and departments
content ranging from agriculture to
zoology and impact on all academic
disciplines.
Authorship by agency, a unique
classification system, and a variety of
output formats often confound users,
Primary source materials readily
available from government sources
include verbatim testimony obtained
from congressional hearings and
environmental impact statements.
identifying relevant materials
Search the following in this order
Library Catalog
Regular search
Limited to gov docs
GPO Access
GPO Monthly Catalog
from the OSU Library Indexes and Databases Page

Google UncleSam

Gov Docs Dept 5th Floor of Library
Gov Docs Librarians

Print vs electronic over date ranges
Identify agencies relevant to your topic
Primary source material:
Example: Congressional hearings appear
Congressional LexisNexis via Indexes and Databases

page.
Science.gov www.science.gov
Thomas - (legistative information on the Internet
http://thomas.loc.gov/
Secondary source material
Example: search for Congressional hearings in a

source with major newspapers like New York
Times
ProQuest
How can I tell it is a Gov Doc
A government agency: EPA, etc

Found the publication in the GPO Monthly
(Catalog of US Gov Pubs)
Call numbers in Gov Docs 5th floor Libr
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cgp/index.html
SuDocs (slashes and colons)
Jackson numbers (3 letters)
OSU catalog limited to Gov Docs on the limit

tab
_____________________________
Exception to the above sometimes non-Gov
publisher items are placed in Gov Docs _
Government websites via

agency or service
Thomas http://thomas.loc.gov/
Catalog of US Gov Pubs
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cgp/index.html
EPA www.epa.gov
Science.gov www.science.gov
NTIS (National Technical Information Service)
www.ntis.gov/
USDA (US Dept of Agriculture)
www.usda.gov
Dept of Labor http://www.dol.gov/
Business stats
Summary
Search
respective databases & print

sources
subject (category) searching as well as
Keyword (specific)
Locate primary sources as needed
Visit Gov Docs Library, 5th Floor

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Information Sources for

Oklahoma State University

Content of this instruction:

Critical thinking skills

Knowledge base of the library

using both the print and electronic

Critical Thinking deciding about

Keyword vs. subject search

Keyword vs. subject search

Synonyms: targeted, exact, specific

search use when

Subscription databases from Library

Subject Specific Databases

to increase your searching ability

Print cont. definitely consult:

line investment survey.

keyword (specific) vs subject (category)

Value line investment survey composite stats

Articles description of the industry or

Acad Search Elite

Agricola - compiled by the U.S. National Agricultural

USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Technical Reports - defined

Are written to convey new developments or

Tech Reports - locating

The most important resources for locating

Gov Docs Dept 5th Floor of Library

Gov Docs Librarians

Tech Reports - locating

All (nearly) government publications are

OSU Gov Docs will request the item in

Government documents - defined

record of activities of governments

Search the following in this order

GPO Monthly Catalog

from the OSU Library Indexes and Databases Page

from the OSU Library Indexes and Databases Page

Gov Docs Librarians

Primary source material:

Example: Congressional hearings appear

Congressional LexisNexis via Indexes and Databases

Secondary source material

Example: search for Congressional hearings in a

How can I tell it is a Gov Doc

A government agency: EPA, etc

Call numbers in Gov Docs 5th floor Libr

OSU catalog limited to Gov Docs on the limit

Government websites via

respective databases & print

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