Staying Current

How do you stay current with the literature in your field of study or research?  If you find this a challenging prospect, our librarians have the tools to help.

Staying up-to-date with what is happening in your area of research may take several forms.  Are you interested in having browsing access to the most current volume of a favorite journal or magazine?  Or, would you prefer to receive an email message or RSS feed to newly-published research on a topic of interest?  In similar fashion, would you like to know when your published article is cited by other researchers?  Or, do your enjoy reading blogs and current news from News sites and the popular press?

If any and all of these apply to the information you would like to retrieve and your workflow (more on that question of management, below), note that there are open Web resources and library-licensed tools that can serve this process of keeping current.  A selection of these tools and assists are listed, below, by approach or form.

Table of Contents (your favorite or essential journals)

• Browzine (see our previous post)
• Journal TOCs (free, scholarly journal TOCs)
• Database Alerts (via email or RSS)
• Publisher Websites (some offer free TOCs)

Search and Citation Alerts (your area of research interest or by publication)

• Database Alerts (via email or RSS)
• Google Scholar Alerts (via email with Google Account--either to "My Citations" or to a topic search)
• Google Book Alerts (an option as from the Result Type menu)

Blogs, News Media, Website Updates

• Subscribe to feeds using feed readers or Web browser.

Library Guides, Liaisons and Workshops
You do not need to do this alone.  Speak to your librarians for assistance and customization.  Attend a drop-in workshop or do-it-yourself by reading our Web guides.

• Research Guide to Keeping Current in the Literature
• MyUW, Research Tab (Create a customized, browsing access list of your "Favorite Library E-Resources")

Managing the Information you Retrieve
Campus Libraries provide support for several software products for managing your citations and formatting your reference list.  Evaluate these tools and attend a drop-in workshop to explore their features.  The beauty of these tools is that they can communicate well with library-licensed databases making it relatively easy and efficient to move records from database to manager. 

Have any tips and resources to share?  If so, please reply to this post.

Your Librarians @ Steenbock

Have you met your liaison (aka subject librarian)? Summer session can be a good time to get acquainted. Steenbock Library liaisons serve as principal contacts for each department and program the library supports.

Our Steenbock librarians can provide the following services:

• Provide in-depth orientation for new faculty, staff, graduate students, and project and research assistants 
• Assist with library services and policies (e.g., Interlibrary Loan, faculty runner cards, UW System search and retrieval…etc.) 
• Help customize email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria or with tables of contents to your favorite journals 
• Provide in-depth reference consultations--at our office or yours--(e.g., help with searching strategy and making database choices, etc.) 
• Supply customized instructional sessions and course Web pages for your students 
• Consult on questions related to publishing your research (e.g., identify target journals, measure research impact, etc.)

Find library liaisons by Department/Program/Center (Libraries-wide list)

Find library liaisons by Name

Bibliometrics & Citation Analysis

Are people discovering and reading the research I have published? 
Will publishing in a particular journal be advantageous to me as I move forward in my career? 
How can I determine whether the buzz of the social Web has impact?  

If these questions concern you, we invite you to learn more about measuring the impact of your work by reviewing the Libraries’ research guide to Bibliometrics & Citation Analysis.

This guide supplies information and links to both library-licensed and freely-available tools for journal, author and article-level metrics or, in other words, tools that enable researchers and librarians to identify core journals and to assess the visibility and influence of authors and articles published within them. 

There is also growing interest in what we have come to call "altmetrics" that look to measure how social media informs scholarship via formats in which references to research can be tabulated (be they "likes", "shares", "bookmarks", or other).  Visit the tab to "Alternative Metrics" should you wish to explore how these interesting measures may tell a more comprehensive story of your research endeavors.

Librarians are happy to assist you with using these bibliometric tools.  We invite you to schedule an opportunity to consult with us.

Get Acquainted; Plan an Orientation

Are you new to campus or do you have new staff or incoming graduate students? If so, you may wish to consult with your Steenbock library liaison to plan an orientation to library collections and services.

Steenbock librarians are happy to meet with new staff and students--be it for an individual consultation, small-group workshop, or as participant in a department welcome event. Complete a request form.

Additionally, library liaisons can provide the following services:

• Assist with library services and policies (e.g., Interlibrary Loan, UW System search and retrieval…etc.),
• Assist with customizing email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria or with tables of contents to your favorite journals,
• Provide in-depth reference consultations--at our office or yours--(e.g., help with strategy and database choices, work with your citation management product…etc.),
• Supply customized instructional sessions and course Web pages for your students,
• Consult on questions related to publishing your research (e.g., identify target journals, manage copyright, measure research impact, or investigate open-access publishing options).

Watch for our Steenbock Drop-In Workshops and Tours | August/September Tours

Or see the campus-wide libraries’ Workshops/Classes/Tours calendar.

Plan an Orientation

Are you new to campus or do you have new staff or incoming graduate students? If so, you may wish to consult with your Steenbock library liaison to plan an orientation to library collections and services.

Steenbock librarians are happy to meet with new staff and students--be it for an individual consultation, small-group workshop, or as participant in a department welcome event. Complete a request form.

Additionally, library liaisons can provide the following services:

• Assist with library services and policies (e.g., Interlibrary Loan, faculty runner cards, UW System search and retrieval…etc.)

• Customize email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria or with tables of contents to your favorite journals

• Provide in-depth reference consultations--at our office or yours--(e.g., help with strategy and database choices, customize your own alerts…etc.)

• Supply customized instructional sessions and course Webpages for your students

• Consult on questions related to publishing your research (e.g., identify target journals, manage copyright, measure research impact, open access publishing options)

Watch for our Steenbock Drop-In Workshops & Tours (fall schedule to be posted soon!)

Or see the campus-wide libraries’ Workshops/Classes/Tours | September Tours

Liaison Services @ Steenbock Library

Have you met your liaison? Summer session can be a good time to get acquainted. Steenbock liaisons serve as principal contacts for each department and program the library supports.

Library liaisons can provide the following services:

• Provide in-depth orientation for new faculty, staff, graduate students, and project and research assistants

• Assist with library services and policies (e.g., Interlibrary Loan, faculty runner cards, UW System search and retrieval…etc.)

• Customize email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria or with tables of contents to your favorite journals

• Provide in-depth reference consultations--at our office or yours--(e.g., help with strategy and database choices, customize your own alerts…etc.)

• Supply customized instructional sessions and course Web pages for your students

• Consult on questions related to publishing your research (e.g., identify target journals, manage copyright, measure research impact, open access publishing options)

Find liaisons by Department/Program/Center

Find liaisons by Name

Plan Your Orientation

Are you new to campus or do you have new staff or incoming graduate students? If so, you may wish to consult with your Steenbock library liaison to plan an orientation to library collections and services.

Steenbock librarians are happy to meet with new staff and students--be it an individual consultation, small-group workshop, or participant in a department welcome event.

Additionally, library liaisons can provide the following services:

• Assist with understanding library services and policies (e.g., Library Express, faculty runner cards, UW System search and retrieval…),

• Customize email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria and tables of contents of your favorite journals,

• Provide in-depth reference consultations--our office or yours--(e.g., help with strategy and database choices, customize your own alerts…),

• Supply customized instructional sessions and course web pages for students (e.g, hands-on training in using specific databases in your subject area, cited reference searching, evaluating websites)

Steenbock Drop-In Workshops & Tours | Tours Flyer

Workshops/Classes/Tours (libraries, campus-wide)

Liaison Services

Have you met your liaison? Summer session can be a good time to get acquainted. Steenbock liaisons serve as principal contacts for each department and program the library supports.

Library liaisons can provide the following services:

• Provide in-depth orientation for new faculty, staff, graduate students, and project and research assistants.

• Assist with library services and policies (e.g., Library Express, faculty runner cards, UW System search and retrieval…),

• Customize email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria and tables of contents of your favorite journals,

• Provide in-depth reference consultations—at our office or yours--(e.g., help with strategy and database choices, customize your own alerts…),

• Supply customized instructional sessions and course web pages for your students,

• Consult on questions related to publishing your research (e.g., identifying target journals, managing copyright, measuring research impact, open access publishing),

Find liaisons by Department/Program/Center

Find liaisons by Name

Liaison Services @ Your Library

Have you met your liaison? The winter intersession can be a good time to get acquainted. Steenbock liaisons work as principal contacts for each department and program the library serves.

Find liaisons by Department/Program/Center; Find liaisons by Name

Library liaisons can provide the following services:

• Assist with library services and policies (e.g., Library Express, faculty runner cards, UW System search and retrieval…),

• Customize email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria and tables of contents of your favorite journals,

• Provide in-depth reference consultations—our office or yours--(e.g., help with strategy and database choices, customize your own alerts…),

• Supply customized instructional sessions and course web pages for students (e.g, hands-on training in using specific databases in your subject area, cited reference searching, evaluating websites),

• Verify citations,

• Assist with purchase requests or recommendations,

• Consult on questions related to publishing your research (e.g., identifying target journals, managing copyright, measuring research impact, open access publishing),

• Provide in-depth orientation for new faculty, staff, graduate students, and project and research assistants.

New Blog! CALS Plant & Insect Science Librarian

Steenbock librarian Amanda Werhane has launched a blog for plant and insect science researchers where you can also keep-up on the latest news by e-mail or RSS feed subscription.

Examples of recent posts include:
Open access journals via Wiley-Blackwell,
Top-ranked Journals in Ecology and Environmental Sciences,
Organic vs. Conventional Production: Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial, and
Try it: Conference Proceedings Citation Index, Springer E-books.

Amanda has a B.S. in Biological Aspects of Conservation, an M.A. in Library & Information Studies, and is the library's liaison to the departments of Agronomy, Entomology, Horticulture, and Plant Pathology, plus related programs and centers.

She welcomes your feedback on the blog, phone (608) 890-2684, email, or IM: AmandaAtSteen.

Plan an Orientation

Do you have new staff or incoming graduate students? If so, you may wish to consult with your Steenbock library liaison to plan an orientation to library collections and services.

Steenbock librarians are happy to meet with your new staff and students--be it an individual consultation, small-group workshop, or participant in a department welcome event.

Additionally, your library liaison can provide the following services:

• Assist with understanding library services and policies (e.g., Library Express, faculty runner cards, UW System search and retrieval…),
  
  
• Customize email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria and tables of contents of your favorite journals,
  
  
• Provide in-depth reference consultations—our office or yours--(e.g., help with strategy and database choices, customize your own alerts…),
  
  
• Supply customized instructional sessions and course web pages for students (e.g, hands-on training in using specific databases in your subject area, cited reference searching, evaluating websites),
  
  
• Verify citations,
  
  
• Assist with purchase requests or recommendations,
  
  
• Consult on questions related to publishing your research (e.g., identifying target journals, managing copyright, measuring research impact, open access publishing).
  
  

Simple Green Tip

Use your library! Saves space, funds and trees. Or so suggests Re-Nest, a pleasant blog I follow for its refreshing take on home life and interior design. Of course, as someone engaged with libraries personally and professionally, I couldn’t agree more that using the library is a good thing.

Get acquainted with your library today—contact us to schedule a tour or meet with your library liaison.

Library Liaisons

Have you met your liaison? Summer is a good time to get acquainted. A Steenbock liaison works as a principal contact for each department and program the library serves.

Library liaisons can provide the following services:

• Assist with library services and policies (e.g., Library Express, faculty runner cards, UW System search and retrieval…),
  
  
• Customize email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria and tables of contents of your favorite journals,
  
  
• Provide in-depth reference consultations—our office or yours--(e.g., help with strategy and database choices, customize your own alerts…),
  
  
• Supply customized instructional sessions and course web pages for students (e.g, hands-on training in using specific databases in your subject area, cited reference searching, evaluating websites),
  
  
• Verify citations,
  
  
• Assist with purchase requests or recommendations,
  
  
• Consult on questions related to publishing your research (e.g., identifying target journals, managing copyright, measuring research impact, open access publishing),
  
  
• Provide in-depth orientation for new faculty, staff, graduate students, and project and research assistants.

Find Your Steenbock Liaison!

Faculty Senate Endorses Author's Addendum

Do you have a legal right to post copies of your previously published work on your Website? Your right to do so will depend on the contract you signed with a publisher for your work. The Faculty Senate encourages academic authors to append a special Authors’ Addendum to contracts signed with publishers. Use of the addendum is intended “to ensure that academic authors retain certain intellectual property rights that facilitate archiving, instructional use, and sharing with colleagues to advance discourse and discovery.”

The addendum is available online.

Complete the Addendum online, print and sign it, or print or save a blank copy for later use. The UW Author's Addendum is a variation on a similar document endorsed by the CIC Provosts earlier this year.

But what about contracts you may have signed in the past? While the actual contract is the definitive document that determines your rights, a Website called “SHERPA/RoMEO” is an excellent source of information about the terms of different publishers’ standard contracts. You can consult it to determine the rights you (probably) have to items you previously published, or to find out more about the standard contract terms of journals where you are considering submitting your work for publication.

Additional information:

Office of Scholarly Communication and Publishing, UW-Madison Library System

Your Liaison Librarian can also help with resources and information related to scholarly publishing and archiving, including information about using the university's digital archive, MINDS@UW.

With thanks to librarian, Bev P, for this blog post.

Do you know your Library Liaison?!

August is a good time to get acquainted. Steenbock liaisons work as principal contacts for each department and program the library serves.

Library liaisons can provide the following services:

Assist with library services and policies (e.g., Library Express, faculty runner cards, UW System search and retrieval…)

Customize email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria and tables of contents of your favorite journals

Provide in-depth reference consultations—our office or yours (e.g., help with strategy and database choices, customize your email alerts…)

Supply customized instructional sessions and course web pages for students (e.g, hands-on training in using specific databases in your subject area, cited reference searching, website evaluation)

Verify citations

Assist with purchase requests or recommendations

Consult on questions related to publishing your research (e.g., identifying target journals, managing copyright, measuring research impact, open access publishing)

Provide in-depth orientation for new faculty, staff, graduate students, and project and research assistants

Find Your Steenbock Liaison

Other campus library liaisons