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Advanced Information Research Skills

Introduction

Once you have found literature relevant to your research question and established its authority, you may need help locating, downloading and storing the documents. This section will consider how to find books, use ebooks, find the full-text of an article, and if Notre Dame does not hold an item submit a request through document delivery (research degree students only) to obtain the item.

Video: Using FiNDit

Retrieving documents

For physical items including books, a call number is used to locate the item on the library shelves.

Use FiNDit to search for your book. Use the “Books & ebooks” resource type limit, and the Library Location limit on the left of the screen to narrow the results to books held at your campus. Read the “Available at” information to see the call number for your location. Use that call number to locate the book on the shelf. Books are organised by Dewey, Moys, or NLM classification schemes.

If you can’t find an item on the shelf, ask staff at the service points. If the item you require is at another campus or on loan to someone else, then place a request through FiNDit for the item. The item will be delivered to you at the campus of your choice. You will receive an email when it is ready for collection.

Many library eBooks can be "borrowed" or downloaded to your mobile device, tablet or computer for a specified period of time.

Note:

  • loan periods vary - please check the interface before downloading
  • some eBooks have limited simultaneous downloads (e.g. only one person can download at a time)
  • some eBook collections require you to register for an individual account before downloading (e.g. EBSCOhost eBooks), however in most cases you can still read the eBook online without registration
     
To enhance your eBook experiences download the necessary software onto your computer and mobile devices. See our eBooks guide for more help.

 

 

Activity - Successfully access an eBook                                        

                        
  • Go to FiNDit               
  • Enter your search            
  • Filter by Resource Type. You may need to click Show More to find the relevant filter. Select Books & eBooks            
  • Add the Full Text Online filter to show only eBooks in the results list (no print books).             
  • Click the Available online link under the book record to access the eBook.              
  • Read or download according to the Notre Dame Library eBook topic guide.          
            

Many library databases include a majority of articles in full text.

In the FiNDit result page look for a ‘download PDF’ link to access the PDF directly, some databases will need you to click on ‘available online’ to be taken to the database page, and then you will need to look for a full text or PDF icon to download. You will have to authenticate using your Notre Dame username and password to access full text journal articles.
 

If full text is not available for a journal article, and you are a research student you can use the Document delivery service to request it.

Notre Dame may not have a digital or physical copy of the item you require.

As a researcher, academic staff member, research student, or remote user, you may have access to the Notre Dame Library Document Delivery Service, which sources articles, conference papers, book chapters, books, theses and other formats of documents currently unavailable in the Notre Dame Library collection.

The service provides PDF versions via email sourced from other libraries. Document Delivery also supplies books, videos and other formats of literature to postgraduate students and researchers.

It is good practice to look at other theses, and Document Delivery can help you locate these, but note:

  • non digitised theses might take up to 6 weeks to obtain
  • some theses have author embargoes and we cannot supply them

If you need to use a resource that Notre Dame Library doesn’t hold for an extended period of time, rather than borrowing it from another library you can request the Library purchase the resource.