MIT Libraries News

Here is my image:

photo credit: nic221

Popularity: 25% [?]

This is only a test. Let’s see how this works.
photo credit: nic221

Popularity: 25% [?]

Not sure how to find research literature?

Watch this short video as Professor Donald Sadoway demonstrates to his 3.091 class how to find a chemistry paper using the MIT Libraries’ resources and tools. He demos Vera, Inspec, SFX and also comments on the importance of primary sources and peer review.

Check out our other video tutorials that can help you save time and find the best information for your research.

Or feel free to Ask Us!

Popularity: 46% [?]

Did you know there are many ways to access the licensed copies of e-journals that we subscribe to? The methods below work from anywhere as long as you have MIT certificates installed or are using MIT’s VPN client.

1. Go to Vera and type the title in the search box.
(Our database called “Vera” has been the primary way to access e-journals since 2000).

2. Go to http://libraries.mit.edu/ejournals and type the title in the search box
(This page is part of a new version of Vera, which is currently in beta).

3. Go to our Full Text Finder: http://libraries.mit.edu/fulltext
If you have a complete citation to an article, you can enter it and go directly to the article (in most cases).

4. Search for an article using Google Scholar. Set your preferences to say that you want the MIT Libraries links. Then follow links that say “full text - MIT Libraries.” For details, see Making Google Scholar work for you. (Google Scholar does not index ALL of our licensed e-journals, so try Vera if you don’t find it in Google Scholar).

5. Go directly to the journal’s web site. Insert our proxy server string by typing it in front of the URL and then reload the page. See: Manually inserting the proxy string.

6. Install our bookmarklet in your browser toolbar. Go to the journal web site and then click on the bookmarklet, which inserts the proxy string automatically. See Inserting the proxy string with a bookmarklet.

7. In Firefox, install our LibX toolbar. Go directly to a journal’s web site. Right click on the page and select “reload this page via MIT Libraries’ proxy.” See a video of how this works. (A version of LibX for Internet Explorer is under development).

8. In Firefox, install our search toolbar widget for Vera:
see: http://mycroft.mozdev.org/download.html?name=MIT+vera
For more info, see: Search for journals in Vera with the new Firefox search bar.

9. If you install MIT’s VPN client and log in before you visit a journal’s web site, you will be able to access our subscription e-journals. (It will see you as if you are coming from ON CAMPUS). See VPN: an alternative off-campus option. With this method, #5, 6, and 7 above are not needed.

10. Within our licensed databases, such as Web of Science or SciFinder Scholar, look for buttons that say “Get this - MIT”. Those links will take you directly to our licensed copies of articles using our “open URL resolver” which is called SFX. To see a list of our licensed databases, see Vera shortcuts.

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These methods work only if you are ON CAMPUS:
1. Go to our Barton catalog and search for the title. Links in Barton work only from ON-CAMPUS . (A project to change this is in the works).

2. Go directly to the journal’s web site.
If you’re ON campus, and we have a subscription, you’ll get in (in most cases).

Popularity: 95% [?]

Looking for profiles of countries? Need information on:

• doing business in another country
• risk analysis
• economic and political conditions
• history and factual summaries

Try these databases from the MIT Libraries:

• Business Monitor: Industry sector, economic, political and company research on 175 countries. Includes political and economic risk analysis.
• CIA World Factbook: Brief factual and graphical surveys of the economic, geographic and political conditions of 267 countries, dependent areas and other entities.
• Doing Business (World Bank): Objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 178 countries and selected cities at the subnational and regional level.
• EIU Country Intelligence: Analysis of historical political, infrastructural, and economic trends; forecasts of economic and political conditions; and information on operating conditions, commercial laws, and business regulations for individual countries.
• Europa World Yearbook: Detailed country surveys containing analytical, statistical and directory data for over 250 countries, territories, and regions.
• Export.gov Market Research Library: Information on the business and economic situations of foreign countries and the politics as it affects U.S. business. (Select Market Research Library, then under Report Type pick Country Commercial Guides [CCG]).

Popularity: 69% [?]

In the latest in the series of podcasts on topics related to scholarly publication and copyright, the Executive Director of Science Commons, John Wilbanks, discusses how and why Science Commons is working to improve the flow of scientific knowledge so that complex scientific, technical, and medical problems can be solved more quickly.

Download the audio file (14:35 minutes; 13.9MB)

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Following the recorded interview, Wilbanks agreed to answer just one more question, which we did not have time to include in the recording: Ellen Duranceau: I understand you majored in Philosophy as an undergrad. Is there is particular philosopher’s work that you draw upon to support his efforts with ScienceCommons?

Wilbanks responds: “Philosophy has turned out to be directly relevant to our work at Science Commons - the principles behind the Semantic Web are essentially the same as those investigated for centuries by philosophers from Hume to Plantinga. In terms of influence, I could list a dozen philosophers that have influenced one element or another of our work. I know that Thinh Nguyen, our counsel, is deeply influenced by the work of Daniel Dennett (and everyone involved in science should read Dennett’s “Darwin’s Dangerous Idea“). But I’m probably most influenced overall by Thomas Kuhn, who wrote “Structure of Scientific Revolutions” and introduced the idea of the paradigm shift.

Now, paradigm shift is a devalued phrase today. It is justly mocked in commercials and cartoons (the Simpsons do it justice above all) as a catch phrase for managers without a clue. And “Structure” is not a thrilling read. But the core arguments about how ideas emerge in science, are beaten down by the establishment, and have to force general changes in the overall knowledge structure of science - those arguments resonate deeply with me. And a huge part of what we’re trying to do at Science Commons is enable the overall acceleration of the cycles Kuhn describes, to make it faster and faster and faster for ideas that deserve to emerge to emerge, and to let as many people into the process as want to be there.

This mix of accelerating research cycles and increasing participation in science through lowered barriers means that we get more revolutions, faster. It’s one of the only non-miraculous approaches available to us. We need theoretical breakthroughs in fields across the sciences, we need more revolutions, and Science Commons is trying to deploy the infrastructure of knowledge and that can make those revolutions easier to achieve.”

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The other episodes in the podcast series are available on the scholarly publication website.To subscribe to the MIT Libraries’ Podcasts on Scholarly Publishing, paste this link into iTunes or another podcast reader:http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/6772/.

We encourage and welcome your feedback, which you may direct to:
Ellen Finnie Duranceau / Scholarly Publishing and Licensing Consultant / efinnie@mit.edu

Popularity: 73% [?]

Watch our new video tutorial to learn how to get more out of PubMed by using the customizable tool, My NCBI. Save searches and results, set up automatic update emails, store citations, and more.

Watch and learn at your own convenience! Check out our full list of online video tutorials.

Popularity: 56% [?]

For its February Object of the Month the Institute Archives and Special Collections focuses on snow removal, exhibiting a 1948 letter from Mayor James M. Curley to MIT President Karl T. Compton, and Compton’s reply. Curley communicates his concern about snow removal and possible spring floods, makes a few tentative suggestions on methods, and expresses his hope that Institute researchers will tackle the problem.

The letters exhibited are from the Records of the Office of the President, 1930-1959 (AC 4) which span the tenures of Karl T. Compton and James R. Killian, a period of enormous change at the Institute and in the world. The subjects documented in this rich collection range from MIT administrative history, through scientific research during World War II and the postwar period, to science policy. The records are available for research in the MIT Institute Archives and Special Collections, Building 14N-118, Monday - Thursday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Popularity: 76% [?]

Check out all of the MIT Libraries IAP events for this week, from Monday, January 21 through Friday, January 25. A complete listing for all of IAP is also available.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Workshops

Rotch Film Series continues

Flavors of Citation Searching

Methods for Large-scale Statistical Computing in the Social, Behavioral & Health Sciences

PowerPoint Institute for Advanced Study

Finding & Using Historical Newspapers

Introduction to Regression Using Stata

Keeping Current: Using RSS Feeds to Stay Ahead in Your Research

Career Research: Targeting and Researching Employers

Coffee + Chocolate + Fair Trade = Delicious!

Your MIT

Popularity: 56% [?]

There has been an explosion of open source and free mapping tools. In this talk we will offer a brief look into the neogeographer’s world of online mapping.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 23, 2 -3 pm

WHERE: 4-231

Complete listing of GIS workshops

Image source: http://www.joomla.org/content/view/4410/74/

Popularity: 100% [?]

In the new episode in the series of podcasts on scholarly publication and copyright, Tracy Gabridge, Associate Head of the Barker Engineering Library (as well as a graduate of MIT), speaks about a project she is leading in which a group of librarians is determining which conferences MIT Engineering faculty publish in, whether the MIT Libraries have access to the proceedings from these conferences, and whether the digital access appears to be vulnerable.

Download the audio file. (14:35 minutes; 10.2MB)

The other episodes in the podcast series are available on the scholarly publication website.

To subscribe to the MIT Libraries’ Podcasts on Scholarly Publishing, paste this link into iTunes or another podcast reader:

http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/6772/

This is the first series of podcasts created by the Libraries specifically for this format. We encourage and welcome your feedback, which you may direct to:

Ellen Finnie Duranceau / Scholarly Publishing and Licensing Consultant / efinnie@mit.edu
Nicole Hennig / Web Manager / hennig@mit.edu

Popularity: 78% [?]

Check out all of the MIT Libraries IAP events for this week, from Monday, January 21 through Friday, January 25. A complete listing for all of IAP is also available.

Book Discussion: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

EndNote Basics

Geographic Information Systems Workshops

Introduction to DOME and Stellar Images

Introduction to R (Statistical Software)

Introduction to Stata (Statistical Software)

Little Tools with Big Impact: Firefox Extensions, Library Betas, Web Apps, and More

MIT TechTV & U

Makin’ Bacon! Sustainable Livestock Farming and You!

Making Your Own Videos for the Web & MIT TechTV

Managing your references: Overview of EndNote, RefWorks and Zotero

Patent Searching Fundamentals

Power Up! 2.0: Energy Industry Information from the MIT Libraries

PowerPoint Reform School

RefWorks Basics

Rotch Library Film Series

SciFinder Scholar - chemical properties and other new features

Where’s YOUR food from? How Your Food Choices Affect Your Community

Where’s the Money? Information Sources for Awarded Research Funding

Popularity: 66% [?]

MIT is home, school, and work place to a rich and diverse community of students, faculty and staff. Each member of this community sees MIT through their own unique lens. “YourMIT” is a compilation of photos and video clips, contributed by the community, that reflect the diversity of experience and the tapestry that is MIT. Please join us by sending in your photos and videos and then for the premier viewing of “YourMIT”. We will also discuss how this program can evolve throughout the year to reflect the changing seasons of the academic year.

WHEN: Friday, February 1, 2 -3 pm

WHERE: 9-057, LiNC Room

See http://web.mit.edu/techtv/yourmit/ for more information. Contact Kris Brewer with any questions.

Cosponsored by Academic Media Production Services.

Popularity: 64% [?]

Can we really shop our way to a better world? Sure, a Prius is easier on the Earth than a big SUV, but isn’t over-consumption itself part of the problem? Isn’t offering solutions that involve buying yet more stuff somehow delusional and counter-productive?

Rodney North – an MIT neighbor and “The Answer Man” for Equal Exchange, an organic, Fair Trade food company - will lead a debate/free-for-all discussion about the growing popularity of green and socially responsible products and the pros & cons of how this trend influences our thinking about what is needed to create a sustainable, just society.

Audience participation is encouraged, and Equal Exchange will provide free organic, Fair Trade snacks and dark chocolate for you to gorge on while you rail against the evils of consumerism.

WHEN: Friday, February 1, 2 - 3 pm

WHERE: 4-237

Contact Ryan Gray with any questions. See http://www.equalexchange.coop for further information.

Popularity: 64% [?]

Looking for prospective employers? Preparing for a job interview?

MIT Libraries can help!

First, we’ll learn how to target potential employers– established companies, start-up firms, and socially responsible corporations– by field of interest and by location. Then, we’ll use MIT Libraries’ resources to research potential employers and uncover information that can aid your career decisions and your interview preparations. This will be a hands-on workshop. Attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop if possible, as seating space exceeds the number of available PCs.

WHEN: Thursday, January 31, 12 - 1 pm

WHERE: 14N-132 (DIRC)

Enrollment is limited to 30 participants and is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Contact Alex Caracuzzo with any questions.

Popularity: 63% [?]

What’s an RSS feed? How can I use it to keep up with new information in my field? We’ll show you how RSS and other current awareness tools can help you stay up to date!

This will be a hands-on session on Windows PCs. You are also welcome to bring your own laptop.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 30, 4 - 5 pm

WHERE: 14N-132 (DIRC)

Enrollment is limited to 25 participants and is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Contact J. Darcy Duke with any questions.

Popularity: 75% [?]

This hands-on class will provide a comprehensive introduction to estimating the linear regression model using ordinary least squares in Stata. Topics covered include: multiple regression, dummy variables, interaction effects, hypothesis tests, and model diagnostics. In addition, instructors will explain the substantive interpretation of regression outputs. Join Nealia Khan, Statistical Consultant, Harvard-MIT Data Center, for this informative session.

Familiarity with both Stata and the linear regression model is required.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 30, 1 - 3 pm

WHERE: E53-220

Enrollment is limited to 20 participants. Contact Katherine McNeill-Harman to sign up or with questions. See http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/subjects/data/training/workshops.html for more information.

Popularity: 74% [?]

Whether for research or for fun, reading historical newspapers gives us a fascinating view of the past. This hands-on workshop will show you how to find and use newspapers (online and otherwise) going back as far as the 17th century. Focus will be on U.S. papers, though international papers will also be covered.

If you need to gather facts and primary sources for papers and reports, want background information for your latest short story, or are just curious how much the critics liked your favorite classic book or movie, this session is for you!

Bring your Boston Public Library card number, if you have one.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 30, 2 - 3 pm

WHERE: 14N-132, DIRC

Contact Michelle Baildon with any questions.

Popularity: 75% [?]

So you’ve got the basic PowerPoint presentation down pat. Are you ready to go beyond static bullet points? Interested in adding animations and transitions? Want to go behind the scenes and customize the default slide designs — or build your own? Do you crave sound and video? We’ll cover these topics (and more) in a hands-on workshop session. (When you sign up via email, please indicate any other topics you’d like to see covered.)

WHEN: Tuesday, January 29, 2 - 3:30 pm

WHERE: 14N-132, DIRC

Note that this class is limited to 20 participants. Please contact Craig Thomas to sign up or with any questions.

PowerPoint Reform School or experience building presentations required.

Popularity: 65% [?]

This course will help researchers performing large or complex statistical analyses to identify and analyze computational problems and thus improve performance, accuracy and reliability. Topics will include: fundamentals of computer arithmetic; computing architecture and performance; statistical benchmarking; principles of performance tuning; timing and profiling statistical codes; large database management; high-performance libraries; and distributed computing approaches.

The course is offered in a one-day mixed format. The morning portion of the class will be devoted to lecture and discussion. During the afternoon, the instructor will be available to offer one-on-one consulting on projects in either the planning or active stages. Please contact the instructor in advance to reserve a specific afternoon consulting time slot.

WHEN: Monday, January 28, 10 am - 1 pm & 1 - 4 pm (Individual consulting)

WHERE: E53-220

Please note that advance sign-up is required and participation is limited to 20 participants. We require prior familiarity with fundamentals of statistical model estimation.

Contact Micah Altman, Senior Research Scientist Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, to sign up or with any questions.

Popularity: 77% [?]