This guide is your introduction to the resources at Auraria Library. It points to the best tools to find books and journal articles on your topic. Keep in mind that the reference librarians are here to help. If you can't find what you need, just ask for help!

Getting started - the research topic

Your research question is the key to reducing frustration and stress. It needs to be well focused and specific. The topic, Chinese medicine would be too broad. Looking at Chinese medicinal plants that would grow in Colorado would be easier to research and more interesting to write about! You can use the library to come up with your research problem. Search Skyline for subject encyclopedias and browse the current periodicals area to see what other researchers are doing.

Tip: in the discussion section of many research articles the author proposes further areas of inquiry. This means they are giving you ideas!

Quick help

Background info on your topic

Reference books such as specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries are great for finding out just what you need to support your thesis or collect background material for your research. You can search Skyline using your term and combine it with terms like encyclopedias or handbooks to pull up specialized encyclopedias (example: alternative medicine and encyclopedias). This also applies to "dictionaries" and "video".

• The American Heritage® Dictionary, 4th Edition, or in the Library at REF PE1628 .A6227 2002
• Merriam-Webster Online, or in the Library at REF PE1628 .M36 1998b
• InfoPlease.com, at the Desk Reference in the Library at REF HF5003 .I5

Auraria Library's Online Resources and Databases

Article Databases and Indexes You can search for articles using databases or indexes. Many provide the full text of the article while some databases display a link to library holdings or a full text search.

• Alternative Medicine databases. Look for CAM on PubMed.
• Psychology databases. PsycInfo is the primary index to scholarly research in psychology. ScienceDirect is also excellent, and provides much full text.
• Multidisciplinary databases: There are two general databases, Academic Search Premier and Expanded Academic Index ASAP, that provide coverage of psychology journals. Many articles are full text. You may need to limit to "peer reviewed" or "refereed publications" when searching for psychology research articles.

Finding articles that are not full text online Many scholarly journal articles are not full text online. Others may be available full text, but not through PsycInfo. Use Goldrush and Skyline to determine availability of the article. Some journals are only available online, these will be indicated in Skyline (example). Other journals are only available in the library. These are on the first floor Periodicals area.

• Goldrush - provides links to databases that index or have full text of the journal.
• Periodical Title search in Skyline - local journal holdings and online links if available.
• interlibrary loan - If the library does not have access to the article, use InterLibrary Loan (ILL) to request a copy. The article will be mailed to you.

Some specifics

1. Identify the title of the journal. Be sure not to confuse this with the title of the article.
2. Search Skyline by Periodical Title (see the left column of the Library homepage). If Auraria Library has the journal, a record will appear that shows complete information (status, location, call number, format). If we don't have it, go to the next step.
3. Search Gold Rush by 'Journal Title'. If Auraria Library owns a database that has full text from the journal, a record will appear that shows complete information (database name and a link to the database). If we don't have it, go to the next step.
4. Request the article through interlibrary loan form (ILLiad). This works really well, they mail you the article for free to your home. The downside is that it might take a week or two. So, give yourself time. If you don't have the time, go to Prospector and determine which library, if any, owns the journal locally. You can go to that library and make a copy of that article. Remember there are two excellent special collections in Denver that cover alternative medicine.

eBooks Electronic books that you can read on your computer. Find eBooks owned by Auraria Library by using Skyline. (To read NetLibrary books from off-campus: sign up for a NetLibrary account from anywhere on campus. If you live outside the Metro area email the the distance education librarian: .) Use the eBooks subject guide to locate other sources of eBooks. Here are a few relevant eBooks found through Skyline (available in NetLibrary).

• Incorporating Herbal Medicine Into Clinical Practice. Angella Bascom. Philadelphia, Penn.: F.A. Davis Company, 2002.
• Herbal Medicine, Healing & Cancer. Donald R. Yance. Los Angeles, Calif. : NTC Contemporary, 1999.
• Becoming An Aromatherapist. Rhiannon Harris. Oxford, U.K. : How To Books, Ltd., 1999.

Non-Auraria Library Resources

In any library Look for information on holistic medicine in your local university, special or public library. Try browsing in the following sections of the library.

• GN296 (anthropological medicine)
• QK99 (herbal medicine)
• R733 (alternative medicine)
• RS164 (folk or traditional medicine)

Local Denver Resources There are two libraries in De nver that have good collections in alternative and herbal medicine. You may use either one for a membership fee. Look for similar libraries in your area. Try a botanical libraries list or a libraries directory. Try a search on "medic* OR health".

• Denver Botanic Gardens Helen Fowler Resource Center (909 York Street, Denver CO 80206, phone: 720-865-3570 ) - A large library only on plants. Any visitor may use the materials searchable on their website Library database. Any DBG member may check out materials. Remember: most cities have a botanic garden with a library, check it out.
• University of Colorado Health Science Center Denison Memorial Library (4200 East 9th, Denver, CO 80262, phone: 303-315-7460) - A major medical library on 9th Street just east of Colorado Boulevard. It has an extensive special collection, Florence G. Strauss Complementary and Indigenous Medicine Collection, on this topic. Individuals may use the materials there or purchase a short term use pass that will allow them to check out materials.

Tip: If you are searching on the Internet, remember the Library search tips and think about the reliability and accuracy of the information.

Associations

• American Holistic Medical Association
• American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
• American Holistic Health Association

Government Information and Regulators

• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
• Colorado Department of Health Care Policy information
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Electronic Journals

E-journals are usually paperless journals that may or may not be freely available and may or may not be peer-reviewed. Try the Electronic Journal Miner.

Other Useful Resource Lists

• Alternative Medicine Directory
• University of Washington's topic page
• Alternative Medicine Homepage

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is very easy to avoid but just as easy to do! "Plagiarism: What It Is and How To Avoid It" created by the Indiana University Campus Writing Center provides a clear explanation of the subject.

Citation styles

Style manuals are tools for giving credit to the original authors. Use this QUICK ONLINE GUIDE to citing styles (B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library at Long Island University). The two main citing styles in use for your subject are MLA an APA. Check your sylabus for the preferred style.

• MLA - MLA handbook for writers of research papers / Joseph Gibaldi. New York : Modern Language Association of America, 1999. REF LB2369 .G53 1999
  • Purdue University Online Writing Lab
  • Long Island University
• APA - Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, 1994. REF DESK BF 76.7 P82 1994
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center
  • Purdue University Online Writing Lab