Getting Started with Research
I'm looking for information about a specific topic in mathematics.
Where should I begin searching?
You have several options:
-
Advanced Search in the Online
Catalog - If you have only a general idea of the topic you want, search the term in the "any
words", "title words," or "subject words" fields and, to avoid overwhelmingly large hit lists early
in your search process, restrict results to titles in the Mathematics Library. If a particular
title is close to but not quite what you want, click on terms listed under "Subject (LCSH)" in the
item record for other titles on those topics. You can also click on the call number to see the
other books that are shelved with that particular title.
-
I-Share Catalog - If you
do not find anything in the online catalog, search here. One useful method is to try topic phrases
in the "subject heading" field, especially if you still do not have a particular author or title in
mind.
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MathSciNet - You may search
by author, journal title, or simply names or terms "anywhere." This database includes journal,
book, and proceedings titles.
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Zentralblatt MATH - This
database is similar to MathSciNet but indexes some different titles. Search by author, title, or
source. You can limit searches to a specific publicatio date range. Clicking on "classification"
will provide you with information on different search strategies.
Don't forget about the
online mathematics journals and, of course, once you have
citations, the print journals in the Mathematics Library reading room.
Please talk to a member of the library staff if you need help or have questions at any step
in your research process.
University Library