| Library Guide - Information & Communication technology |
I'm your Liaison Librarian for Information and Communication Technology, David Crozier. If you need help with finding and/or accessing any of the sources mentioned in this guide, I will be happy to help. Contact me in the library or as follows:
Email: d.crozier@newman.ac.uk
Tel: 0121 476 1181 ex.1339
This subject guide is intended to help
you research the information that you will be required
to find for the Information and Communication Technology
subject area. It provides a comprehensive overview
of the best resources for your subject area.
Remember, a comprehensive literature search of the
available resources will allow you to read widely
around a subject, absorb a range of viewpoints and
reach your own conclusions on a topic based on what
you've read. Exactly the kind of behaviour your lecturers
are looking for!
The library catalogue is accessible at designated terminals in the library or online via the library homepage.
You can search the catalogue by keyword, title, author or year. The keyword option is especially useful for searching a particular subject as it performs a flexible search.
From the drop-down box on the opening screen of the catalogue, you can also opt to search a particular collection of resources. For example:
• Journals – searches the journal titles available in the library. For references to specific articles you should use the electronic bibliographic databases and online journals.
• School Experience – searches for teaching materials such as lesson plans, topic books, kits and artefacts.
An online help guide to using the catalogue is available (click on the Help tab in the library catalogue), but if you need any further help please ask a member of library staff.
Quick reference sources, which are available in the General Reference Collection in the library and online, provide a useful starting point for your research. Sources include encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, directories and yearbooks and you can use them to find:
• Explanations and definitions of particular terms or topics.
•
Contact addresses or information on people or organisations.
•
Factual and statistical information.
The examples selected for this guide will help you get to grips with
some of the terminology you will encounter while
studying Information and Communication Technology:
The library subscribes to the following services which can be accessed from the ‘Online Reference and Media Collections’ section of the Electronic Resources page of the library website:
• Britannica Online – Academic Electronic version of this authoritative encyclopedia. Also links through to full-text journal articles on topics covered in the encyclopedia.
• Oxford Reference Online - Quick reference information together with authoritative, in-depth articles. Contains the full text of over 130 dictionaries, plus an encyclopaedia, thesauri, and guides to English grammar and usage. Includes a wide range of additional material such as maps, illustrations and timelines.
You will find the following and many others in the General Reference Collection:
• Dictionary of Information Technology
• The New Walford Guide to Reference Resources: Volume 1, Science, Technology and Medicine - Points you to an expertly chosen selection of key, quality resources – accessible electronically and in print.
The Library uses the Dewey decimal system to classify and arrange its books by subject. The catalogue will give you the shelf number of the book you need, and tell you if it is in the library or out on loan. The following are some examples of shelf numbers relevant to Information and Communication Technology:
| Research methods | 001.42 |
| Computer Science | 004 |
| Computer Science - education | 004.071 |
| Personal computers | 004.16 |
| Systems analysis and design | 004.21 |
| Computer architecture | 004.22 |
| Interfacing and communications | 004.6 |
| Wide area networks | 004.67 |
| Local area networks | 004.68 |
| Peripherals for digital computers | 004.71 |
| Programming | 005.1 |
| Programming languages | 005.13 |
| Programs | 005.3 |
| Data in computer systems | 005.7 |
| Data files and databases | 005.74 |
| Computer graphics | 006.6 |
| Usability - webpages | 006.7019 |
| Mark-up languages | 006.74 |
| ICT in secondary schools | 371.334 |
| ICT in primary schools | 372.34 |
| E-commerce | 658.05 |
Some of the library’s most popular texts are now available to you electronically through our e-book service provided by Dawsonera.
Dawsonera can be accessed from the E-books section of the Electronic Resources page of the library website. You will need to be logged into Athens to access the full-text books which the library has purchased (details can be found in the ‘Athens information’ section of the Electronic Resources page on the library website). Individual titles can also be accessed via the library catalogue.
For some modules you may be required to purchase some or all of the texts from the ‘essential reading’ on your reading lists. You may find the following retailers useful:
Abebooks - Online bookshop especially useful for second hand and out of print books.
Amazon - Online books, often much cheaper than RRP!
Waterstones - Search and buy online or try their branch located on the University of Birmingham Edgbaston campus – they often have textbooks in stock that are difficult to obtain from elsewhere. Telephone them on 0121 472 3034.
Journals are an excellent source of information. They show evidence of wider reading, are important for research and help you to keep informed of any changes and developments in the study of your subject area. They are published more frequently than textbooks, so the information they hold is often more up-to-date.
You can search for journal titles on the library catalogue by selecting ‘journals’ from the drop-down collections box on the search screen. The journal collection is for reference only, so titles should always be accessible. They are shelved alphabetically by title in the Journal room.
Examples of titles that you may find useful for the Information and Communication Technology subject area are:
British Journal of Educational Technology
Educational Computing and Technology
E-learning Update (formerly E-learning Today)
MAPE Newsletter
New Scientist
Technology, Pedagogy and Education
The library subscribes to two different types of electronic journal service, both of which are accessible from the Electronic Resources page of the library website:
• Databases containing abstracts and indexes:
Education Research Complete - Full-text database for education and training
Computer Source - A comprehensive UK and international index providing journal article references and some full-text access in the field of ICT
• Online journal services containing full-text articles
Swetswise - Full-text articles from a range of journals, including titles currently held in hard copy in the library
You will need to be logged into Athens in order to be able to access most of these resources, details can be found in the ‘Athens information’ section of the Electronic Resources page on the library website.
Statistics underpin many academic debates about quality, standards, equal opportunities and the overall effectiveness of Government policy. You can use them in assignments or research to add weight to your arguments.
UK National Statistics - Oversees the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Provides links to government sites to find the statistics of your choice. Sections include Neighbourhood, Economy, Census and Population.
UNESCO Institute for Statistics - Global and internationally comparable statistics on education, science, technology, culture and communication.
Social Trends - Produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Provides a comprehensive guide to UK society, illustrating how our lives have changed over the years and also reflecting the realities of contemporary lifestyles.
Information gateways gather internet resources which are carefully selected, indexed and described by subject specialists. You may find the following gateway useful for the Information and Communication Technology subject area:
Intute - With millions of resources available on the Internet, it is difficult to find relevant and appropriate material even if you have good search skills and use advanced search engines. The Intute: Virtual Training Suite provides online tutorials on finding academic information on the internet.
Please note that from July 2011 Intute is no longer being updated
David Crozier, September 2011.