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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
- Become familiar with:
- Course Reserves
- Research Guides
- Your library account (login on the library website)
- Research Capture tools
- Research can be captured by using software tools. The University of Waterloo Library provides support to one such tool, Zotero.
- Alternatively, capture your research quickly and easily by looking for a cite button in Omni or other databases. Before using a citation supplied in this way, check the formatting for accuracy. Below is an image of the research capture tools available in Omni:
Chicago Citation
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Chicago Manual of Style Quick Citation GuideThese examples show citations using the notes and bibliography style and the author-date style.
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Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, 2024This detailed manual is over 1,000 pages in length. Try the quick guides first if you are looking for common examples.
Using and Citing Generative AI
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Chicago Manual of Style: AI and Chatbots (PDF)This infographic from the UWaterloo Libraries demonstrates how to cite your use of Gen AI tools.
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Checklist for AI Use in Assignments (PDF)This checklist from the UWaterloo Libraries lists questions to ask when using Gen AI for research.
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Documenting and Citing AIThis webpage from the UWaterloo Writing and Communications Centre demonstrates how to keep a record of your Gen AI use during the research process.
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. Both broad and narrow searches can be useful. Here are some examples:
- Very broad search: health AND peace
- Broad search: pharmacists AND peace
- Narrower search: 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 facets (filters) to narrow your search
- Facets offer many suggestions for narrowing searches (eg. date, type of material)
- Facets offer many suggestions for narrowing searches (eg. date, type of material)
- More tips are available in the Omni research guide