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Peace and Conflict Studies: PACS 101

Library hints

  • Your WatCard is your library card
  • Omni, the library catalogue, provides access to:
    • All books in the University of Waterloo libraries plus libraries in the Omni network (most university libraries in Ontario)
    • Many (but not all) of the articles in the academic databases the University of Waterloo subscribes to
  • To get a book, locate it in the library yourself, or order through the library catalogue to have books sent to the library of your choice
  • Your WatIAM is your password to order books and access articles
  • Be aware of:
    • Course Reserves
    • Research Guides
    • Your library account
    • Research Capture tools
      • Research can be captured by using software tools such as Zotero. The University of Waterloo Library provides support to Zotero.
      • Alternatively, capture your research quickly and easily by looking for a cite button (often represented by a " mark) in Omni and other databases. Before using a citation supplied in this way in a note or bibliography, check the formatting using the quick guide. Example:

Chicago Citation

Library Catalogue and Database Search Tips

  • Experiment with language
    Think of searching a university library catalogue as trying to tune in to an academic or professional conversation.
    Very broad search

    law AND peace

    health AND peace
    Broad search

    "family law" AND peace

    pharmacists AND peace
    Narrower search

    "family law" AND "restorative justice"

    pharmacists AND "social justice"

     

  • Determine if a source is "academic"
    Items in a university library catalogue are not necessarily scholarly or academic, however many are. Ways to check:
    • For books: Is the book published by a university press or professional association? Are the author(s) identified as scholars?
    • For journal articles: Once you have done a search, a series of "facets" will appear to the left of the results list. Choose "peer reviewed journals" to narrow your search to academic articles.

       
  • Use other "facets" (filters) to narrow your search
    • Facets offer many suggestions for narrowing searches (eg. date, type of material)

Permanent links

DOI stands for "digital object identifier." It is a unique URL assigned to an article, sometimes also referred to as a stable link or link resolver. It is usually easily found in database articles as part of the article title information. Example:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To obtain a permanent link to any title in the library catalogue, look for the permalink icon.