Using great internet research tool – ICONN

Using the best research tools on the internet - in support of your graduate work, to peruse professional journals, for scholarly research – and to keep ahead of your students

Remember the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature?  It doesn’t exist anymore.  Now anyone wishing to look up journal articles uses the internet.  But Google is not the tool that replaces the Reader’s Guide.  Rather, there are many subscription databases.  Happily, the public libraries of Connecticut have worked together to create a rich collection of such databases for all their patrons.  All those expensive databases are yours for free.  You have resources such as the New York Times, Washington Post, professional journals and magazines, historical documents, reference materials, art work …..  Interested?  Detailed information about what’s available follows the how-to-use-Iconn.

How do I use Iconn?

On the internet, go to www.iconn.org.

On the first Iconn web page, if you have your Connecticut library card, enter the long number that’s  on the back.  This identifies you and your local library; if you want to do interlibrary loan through Iconn, you’ll need this.  But you don’t have to have your library card with you; just click on “Try This.”  (If you don’t live in Connecticut, you can’t use the Interlibrary Loan features, but you can still search and use all the resources.)

Either way, you will be taken to the main Search screen:

At this point, you can either search every resource, or search specific resources.  If you search every resource, simply type in your keywords here; you will get a very lengthy listing which can be overwhelming.  I find it better to click on “Link to Individual Resources” or “Link to Additional Research Resources” which are below the main search box.  I then click on the search box offered for the specific resource I chose.

You will receive a list of resources.  When you click on individual articles, your options include the ability to print or email the article to yourself.  Each database works slightly differently, but all have a search function, allow you to print, and almost all allow you to email.   Important tip:  email individual articles; I have never been able to mark articles and email them together in a group.

If you have trouble, or aren’t sure how to do keyword searches, let me know and I’ll give you a quick personal seminar.  If you have Googled successfully, you know the basics of keyword searches.

Iconn.org Resources include:

Library catalogues

Magazines and journals

Newspapers

Subject area resources