Research Tools - Library Orientation - New Faculty Cohort - Library Guides at Oral Roberts University

Key to Effective Library Research: Using the Right Tool at the Right Time

The Library has a virtual toolbox of power tools to help you find the information you need for your coursework and research projects. This guide is designed to introduce these major research tools to you and suggest when and how you can make the best use of them. The search boxes on the Home Page are the best place to start.

The major research tools are:

EagleSearch This link opens in a new window
A global search of many of the Library's resources including books, articles and other resources
EBSCO's discovery service (EDS) is called EagleSearch at ORU. This interface provides access to the majority of ORU resources through a single entry point.
Quick overview of EBSCO's Discovery Service (EDS)
Catalog This link opens in a new window
Search the Library catalog to find books and ebooks.
ORU's online listing of books, ebooks, audiobooks, reference materials, faculty reserves, special collections, subscription journal titles, etc. to which ORU users have access. Entries contain bibliographic information about each entry on the Sierra system.
Search tips(Also, other tabs offer information regarding how to: navigate the catalog, renew books, perform other searches)
Journal Finder + This link opens in a new window
Use if you are looking for a link to a specific title of a journal. Do not use for search for articles.
A finding tool for journals and other publications by title (i.e. journal titles, not article titles), by subject, by publisher, or by ISSN/ISBN.
Basic Searching (Also: tips for Advanced Search; Discipline Limited Searching; Browsing features)
Overview tutorial on how to use Journal Finder + (Publication Finder)

Research by Subject
Database List
Find a particular article database. Atla Religion Database with AtlaSerials PLUS Database is recommended for theology.

Digital Showcase Oral Roberts University This link opens in a new window
Search ORU's online archival primary resources.
Digital Showcase offers a growing collection of scholarly, creative, and historical works from the breadth of activity at Oral Roberts University. Most items are available freely, some require ORU login, and all reserve copyright to their holders.
WorldCat.org This link opens in a new window
Use to find titles of books at other libraries that you could Interlibrary Loan.
Bibliographic records from libraries worldwide; enables researchers to locate libraries where desired materials are held. Search for books, music, videos, conference proceedings and more.

Librarians
Chat, email, phone, or make an appointment to meet with a librarian.

4 Kinds of Library Guides

Library guides help users learn about resources related to various disciplines and types of information. They are created by ORU librarians specifically with the research needs of the faculty and students in mind. They provide 24/7 for research help.

By posting links to a course or research guide in D2L, you enable your students to see recommended library resources relevant to the course. If you don't see a library guide that covers your subject, ask your opens new windowlibrary liaison to create a custom guide to support the needs of your students.

The ORU Library provides four kinds of Library Guides:

opens new windowSubject Guides: Use a subject guide to find resources related to a particular subject or discipline. The guide will direct you to relevant databases, ebooks, online journals, reference works, and more, as well as provide sample searches and give other tips.
opens new windowCourse Guides: Use a course guide to find resources related to assignments in a specific course.
opens new windowHow to ... Guides: Use a how-to-find guide for tips on locating a particular type of information, such as articles, reviews, books, journals, multimedia, newspapers, statistics, and dissertations and theses.