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Electronic Resources FAQs


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What are electronic resources?

LINCCWeb Database FAQs:
LINCCWeb SFX FAQs:

eBook FAQs:

What are electronic resources?

LINCCWeb's electronic resources encompass a wide range of databases including: General Full-text, Subject Specific and K-12 resources, as well as ebooks. General Full-text resources cover a wide range of topics and are a good starting place for any kind of research. Subject Specific resources deal primarily with one topic and allow more thorough research into that area. Subject Specific resources may also contain full-text information. K-12 resources are aimed primarily at elementary-, middle- and high-school students, although they may also be useful for college-level research. In addition to full-text articles, any of the databases may contain full-text information from reference books (encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries, etc.), topical pamphlets, and image files (photos, graphics, maps, etc.).

Any database marked with an asterisk (*) is provided by your local community college library. The remaining databases are provided to all Florida community college students by CCLA.

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LINCCWeb Database FAQs


What journals are available in which database?

Most of the databases contain online title lists which indicate the names of available journals and newspapers, coverage dates, and full-text availability. Some of the title lists have journals broken down into subject areas. Title lists may be available in HTML, PDF (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view), or Excel spreadsheet formats.

You can also look for specific titles in JAKE (Jointly Administered Knowledge Environment). Enter a journal title and JAKE will list which databases provide access to that journal.

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What subjects are covered in each database?

General Full-text resources cover a wide range of subjects. The Subject Specific Resources usually concentrate on a narrow range of topics, identifiable from the title of the database. For example, Business Source Elite covers business topics, and also technology, finance, trends, foreign policy, news and culture -- as they relate to the business world. Biography Resource Center deals strictly with biographies of notable individuals, contemporary and historical.

For more information about the subject coverage of a particular database, you can check for database providers who may have broken their journal title lists down into subject areas (Refer to Database Provider Title Lists for more information.), or check for database providers who may have created informational sites describing the subjects covered in each database (Refer to the Database Provider Information Sites list, below.).

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What Boolean, truncation, or wildcard operators can I use?

Most databases will allow you to use the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT. Truncation, using either a question mark (?) or an asterisk (*) is also usually available. Some databases will have additional searching capabilities such as wildcard symbols and searching for words near each other or within a certain number of words.

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Where can I find online help?

Once logged in, help is available from within each database. Generally there will be an icon marked "Help" or a question mark at the top of the screen. If you need additional help, ask your library staff for assistance.

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Is an online tutorial or reference guide available?

Some database providers have created online tutorials or reference guides for their databases. In most cases, one guide will cover a variety of databases from the same provider since the interface is the same or similar.

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Have any community colleges produced their own online database guides?

Some colleges have created their own online guides to the databases. Many of these can be located through CCLA's Handout Exchange, or you may also wish to check your college's library homepage.

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How do I cite database materials?

Citation assistance is often available from within the online Help of many of the databases. Please remember that the required citation format will vary depending on the class and teacher preference. Check with the instructor to determine the correct citation format for a particular course. Below are a few examples of citation assistance that do not require logging on to the database.

The most widely used citation formats are those from the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Modern Language Association (MLA). Both have some citation assistance available on their Web sites:

  • APA Citation Guide (For citing electronic formats; provides a "General Form for Electronic References" that covers articles and abstracts from databases.)
  • MLA Citation Guide (Choose the option for "MLA Style", then FAQ, then "How do I document sources from the World Wide Web?")
  • Community College Citation Guides:
    Some colleges have produced their own citation guides which may be useful. Many of these can be located through CCLA's Handout Exchange. Once inside the Handout Exchange, click on the link for Tutorials/Citation Guides. You may also wish to check your college's library homepage. While these guides provide specific examples for materials found in many of these databases, they may not follow your instructor's guidelines.
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eBook FAQs


What are ebooks?

eBooks are electronic versions of printed books. eBooks can be viewed online on any PC connected to the Internet. You can browse ebooks for quick research and reference or check them out and read them at your leisure. The netLibrary ebooks database contains the complete electronic text of many printed books. These ebooks cover a wide range of subject areas, from literature and business to academic subjects, such as algebra.

There are over 1,150 ebooks available through LINCCWeb. Your library may have purchased additional ebooks that are also available through LINCCWeb. Check with your library staff for details.

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How do I access and search ebooks?

Once you log on to the ebook section of LINCCWeb, you'll see a link to netLibrary, the company that operates a database of ebooks. From there, you can select ebooks and search using familiar techniques such as author, title, subject, or keyword. Refer to netLibrary's "Search Tips" listed under Help.

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What Boolean, truncation, or wildcard operators can I use?

You can use the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT, truncation using an asterisk (*), and searching for words near each other or within a certain number of words. Additional searching capabilities are also available. Refer to netLibrary's "Search Tips" listed under Help.

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How do I check out an ebook?

Since ebooks are online, they're available at your convenience - anytime, anywhere. eBooks work similarly to traditional library books in that they can be "checked out" for a certain loan period. The loan period is established by each college, but is typically about two hours. You don‘t have to worry about returning them; ebooks are automatically returned at the end of your loan period.

To check out an ebook, you must first log on to the ebook section of LINCCWeb and then select the netLibrary link. Once you've found an ebook to check out, select the title from the search results list to access the ebook Summary page. Then, select "Check out and read online" to automatically check the title out. The ebook will automatically be returned once the checkout period expires.

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Where can I find online help?

Several help sources are available from within netLibrary. To locate ebook help, select the "Help" tab at the top of the netLibrary menu. If you need additional help, ask your library staff for assistance.

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How do I cite ebook materials?

eBooks are cited in very much the same way as print books, but with information at the end of the citation indicating how the ebook was accessed. The most widely used citation formats are those from the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Modern Language Association (MLA). Both have some citation assistance available on their Web sites:

  • APA Citation Guide (For citing electronic formats; has a "General Form for Electronic References" that covers with articles and abstracts from databases.)
  • MLA Citation Guide (Offers information in its FAQ -- "How do I document sources from the World Wide Web?")
  • Citation Examples:
    The following are examples of ebooks cited in APA and MLA format. Please remember that the required citation format will vary depending on the class and teacher preference. Check with the instructor to determine the correct citation format for a particular course.

    • APA Citation

      General Format:
      Last name, initials of author(s). (Year of publication).
          Title of book. Place of publication: Publisher.
          Retrieved month day, year, from source.

      Example:
      Scott, W. D. (1998). Increasing human efficiency in business.
          Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Library.
          Retrieved December 7, 2001, from netLibrary database.

    • MLA Citation

      General Format:
      Last name, First name of author. Title of Book.

          Place of publication: Publisher, Year. Name of database.

          Day month year accessed <http://address>.

      Example:
      Corrothers, James David. Blind David, Singing.

          Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Library,

          1996. netLibrary. 7 December 2001 <http://www.netlibrary.com>.
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Page updated: September 9, 2009

 

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