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Getting Research Assistance

Library Catalog

Catalog Tips

Databases

Database Tips

Websites

 

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Just getting started?

Start by doing some background research. Take time to engage in some brainstorming exercises that will help you identify key subject terms. Encyclopedias and other reference resources can be used to help you refine your subject terms and the citations in these sources can be used to find more information on your topic.

Consider how much time you have to complete your assignment and how hard it will be to get the resources you need for your topic. If you are finding your research difficult to manage, narrow your topic or break your research down into manageable sub-topics. If you are not finding enough information on your topic, try using broader subject terms.

Other Useful Guides

 

Guide to the Library

Using Databases

Citation Guide

 

Library Catalog: Books, Videos, e-Books and more!

 

Call number areas to browse

Subject Area	Call Number Range	Subject Area	Call Number Range	Subject Area	Call Number Range
Special Kinds of Fiction. Fiction Genres	PN 3427-3448	Collections of Fiction	PN 6120.15-6120.95

 

The books in the library are organized by subject. You can browse these call number areas to find related books. So, if you are searching the library catalog and find a book that looks interesting or particularly relevant to your research, you can search the shelves in the library in the same call number area to find related items.

 

Reference Sources

Title	Call Number
The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction	REF PN3433.4 .M36 2001
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction	REF PN3433.4 .E53 1995
Reference Guide to Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror	REF PN3433.5 .B87 2002
Science Fiction Writers: Critical Studies of the Major Authors from the Early 19th Century to the Present	REF PS374.S35 S36 1999
Find More

 

The reference collection is located at the back, right-hand side of the library. Items in this collection cannot be checked out, but a copier is conveniently located so you can make copies of the resources you find.

To search the Library Catalog for reference books abou tScience Fiction, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select "Advanced Search" on the "Catalog" tab. Enter "Science Fiction" or a related subfield into the "Subject" field and then limit your search by selecting "Collection: Reference Books" from the Collections/Media menu.

To limit your search to items located at Montgomery Library, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.

 

Circulating Books

Title	Call Number
The Road to Science Fiction	PS648.S3 R62 2002
The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction	PN3433.5 .R69 2009
The Science in Science Fiction: 83 SF Predictions that Became Scientific Reality	Q162.B65 2005
Lost in Space: Geographies of Science Fiction	PN3433.6 .L67 2002

 

 

 

To search the Library Catalog for books about Science Fiction, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select "Advanced Search" on the "Catalog" tab. Enter "Science Fiction" or a related subfield into the "Subject" field and then limit your search to items you can check-out by selecting "Collection: Circulating Books" from the Collections/Media menu.

To limit your search to items located at Montgomery Library, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.

 

E-Books

Title	E-Book Type
Science Fiction	netLibrary eBook
Technophobia!: Science Fiction Visions of Posthuman Technology	netLibrary eBook
Transrealist Fiction: Writing in the Slipstream of Science	netLibrary eBook
Classics of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature	netLibrary eBook

 

 

 

To search the Library Catalog for e-books about Science Fiction or a related subfield, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select "Advanced Search" on the "Catalog" tab. Enter "Science Fiction" or a related subfield into the "Subject" field and then limit your search to items you can check-out by selecting "Collection: Electronic Books" from the Collections/Media menu.

To limit your search to items available to Montgomery Library patrons only, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.

 

Audio/Visual Materials

Title	Call Number
Mary Shelley: The Birth of Frankenstein	PR5397.F73 M3655 2004
Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles	PS3503.R167 M378 2004
Science Fiction	PN3433.5 .S33 2002
A Century of Science Fiction	PN1995.9.S26 C46 1996

 

 

 

To search the Library Catalog for books about Science Fiction, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select "Advanced Search" on the "Catalog" tab. Enter "Science Fiction" or a related subfield into the "Subject" field and then limit your search to items you can check-out by selecting "Media: Videos, DVDs, films, slides, etc." from the Collections/Media menu.

To limit your search to items located at Montgomery Library, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.

Tips!

 

Requesting items not available at Montgomery Library:

If there is an item listed in the catalog, but it is not located at Montgomery Library, just select the “Request First Available Copy of this Item” button from the catalog record to have the item sent to Montgomery Library for pick-up. To complete your request, you need your library barcode and PIN number. Generally, your PIN number is the last 4 digits of the phone number you used to register for classes. If you have problems requesting an item, contact the Circulation Desk in person, at 936.273.7387 or email mclr@lonestar.edu

 

 

If the item is not available in the catalog:

Just select the “Requests” tab located in the upper, right-hand side of the screen. Complete and submit the Inter-Library Loan Request Form – LSCS. Contact a librarian if you need help!

 

Research Databases: Find journal, magazine, and newspaper articles

 

Recommended Databases

Bloom’s Literary Reference	Essays and criticism examining the lives of great authors and their works throughout history.
Literature Resource Center	Full-text journal articles, critical essays, work overviews & summaries, and author biographies from authoritative sources.
Gale Literary Databases	Search "Contemporary Authors," "Contemporary Literary Criticism Select," and "Dictionary of Literary Biography" together.
Project Muse	Full text of 285 journals in literature, history, international/cultural studies and other humanities and social science fields.

 

Tips!

Finding the right database:

If you’d like to explore a subject area: Access the Research Databases: www.lonestar.edu/library -> Find Articles Tab> -> Select a category that is relevant to your topic.

If you know the title of the journal you’re looking for, use the A to Z Electronic Journal Search to find out which database provides access to that journal: www.lonestar.edu/library ->Find Articles Tab -> A to Z Electronic Journal Search -> Select “Search” tab

If you know the database title: www.lonestar.edu/library -> Find Articles Tab -> Find Database by Title

If the full-text/PDF version of an article is not available, select the “Check LinkSource for more information” link to see if another database offers full-text access.

 

Accessing Databases from Home:

You can access these databases from home using your library barcode number. If you have problems accessing the databases, contact the Circulation Desk in person, at 936.273.7387 or email mclr@lonestar.edu

 

 

Interlibrary Loan (ILL):

If you are not able to find a resource that you need in the databases or in the library catalog, you can request the item via the Interlibrary Loan Form: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/interlibrary-request.htm

 

 

Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed Sources

Scholarly articles are written by an authority on the subject and are meant to share primary research with others in the field. Unlike popular sources, scholarly sources generally have a narrow audience and include a clear author or sponsoring association. These documents are very structured and usually include a literature review, methodology, and extensive citations. Many scholarly sources are also peer-reviewed which means others in the field reviewed the work before it was published. Many databases will allow you to limit your search to scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources – look for this option.

 

Websites

Occasionally the librarians at LSC - Montgomery library will find a website they consider exceptional or particularly useful for academic research.

 

Suggested Websites:

The SF Site	sfsite.com
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America	sfwa.org
The Hugo Awards	thehugoawards.org
Science Fiction Hub at the University of Liverpool	sfhub.ac.uk
Uchronia	uchronia.net
Internet Speculative Fiction Database	isfdb.org/cgi-bin/index.cgi
Science Fiction Research Association	sfra.org