ResearchWiki:About
From ResearchWiki
[edit] What's this Wiki for?
The purpose of this wiki is to experiment with an alternative form for delivery of library information. In the past information about research in the library has been provided through subject pages. These are often difficult to update and are not searchable. By providing this information in a wiki format we can more easily keep the pages up-to-date as well as allow a search function for easier use. The wiki also provides the ability for anyone to edit and add information.
[edit] What does it do?
This wiki will contain the same information found in the research guides mentioned above. In addition to the listings of books, databases, and websites, this wiki will contain answers to frequently asked questions, information on specific course assignments, and tutorials.
[edit] How do I use the wiki?
Browsing
There are a couple of different ways to read the wiki. You can start by browsing the subject categories on the Main Page. The main categories will link to a number of subcategories.
It is important to think broadly about your topic when browsing the categories. For example, if you are doing research on General Motors, you would probably start with the Business/Finance subject link on the Main Page. You will notice that there is not a category or a specific article for General Motors (or any other company for that matter). Rather, there will be lists of resources in each category that will point you to databases, reference books, or other resources that will most likely be useful when researching General Motors.
Searching
Using the right search terms
The Research Wiki uses a fairly simple database structure, so the search interface may not be as powerful as you are used to. You do not need to add the word "and" between terms when combining terms. Also, there is not a way to perform phrase searches. Commonly used words (and, for, of, the, and quite a few others) will be ignored by the search feature. A larger list of common stop words, or words which cannot be searched, can be found at the Meta Wiki Help page.
Adding Content
The cool thing about a wiki is that anyone can edit or add content. Such is the premise of sites like the Wikipedia, which are collaborative efforts of the community at large. While the Loyola Notre Dame Library Research and Instruction Librarians created this wiki, they are by no means the only people who can add stuff to it. It's a library resource that is meant to be used, shared, and edited by all. For example, if when you are using the Research Wiki and find something that is out of date, feel free to edit it. Should you find a dead link,please correct the problem. If you find another resource on the web that you think ought to be included in this wiki, by all means, please feel free to add it. The only thing we ask before you add content is that you read the Research Wiki Disclaimer. Should you forget where the disclaimer is, it is at the bottom of every page. That said, have fun contributing to the Research Wiki.
If you would like to edit a page, all you need to do is click the "Edit" tab on the page you would like to edit. You may login and create an account if you like, but at this time an account is not required for editing or adding to the wiki. For help in editing or adding content, please refer to the Help link in the left hand column of the wiki or the documentation at Wikipedia Help or User's Guide. Another great way to figure out how to do things in the wiki is to click "Edit" on a certain page and see how things are formatted.
How can I get more help?
This wiki was designed to get you started with your research, but odds are, somewhere along the way you might get stumped. When this happens, you can contact the Research and Instruction Librarians through any of the methods indicated at the top of all the pages under Need Help?, with your questions. Should you get stuck adding content to the Wiki, please feel free to contact the librarians with these questions as well.
**Thanks to Chad Boeninger at Ohio University for much of the information provided in this About section.
