Searching With DiscoveRoux

Getting Started

In this tutorial you will learn how to effectively search across Roux Library's resources using DiscoveRoux, our web scale discovery tool that works much like a general internet search on Google does. In DiscoveRoux, you type in your search terms and DiscoveRoux searches nearly all of our databases, our print catalog, Roux Library research guides, and outside sources to return a list of academically rigorous, curated resources that you can use in answering your research question.

There are a couple of different ways to access DiscoveRoux. For this tutorial we are starting on the library's home page. On this page, scroll down to find the DiscoveRoux search box. 

Basic and Advanced Searching with DiscoveRoux

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Let's learn how to perform a basic search using DiscoveRoux.

For this search, we will imagine that your general Biology professor is asking you to write an informational paper exploring a current issue of your choice. You decide that you would like to know more about endangered organisms and decide to look for information on conserving and preserving Kemp's Ridley sea turtles.

In the search box, type in Kemp's Ridley and click the Search button. If this is the first time today you have used any Roux Library resources, you will be asked to authenticate with Open Athens. Enter your Engage username and password.

Basic and Advanced Searching with DiscoveRoux

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Since your paper is only supposed to be three pages, 1000+ resources is probably too many. Let's try to narrow it down to information about efforts to preserve the species. We can do this by adding keywords to our search.

Basic and Advanced Searching with DiscoveRoux

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Under the basic search box at the top of your screen, click on the advanced search link. Notice that Kemp's Ridley remains in the first box.

We'll put the keywords you identified in the second box.

In the second box, type the following:

preservation OR conservation

The "OR" tells the database to search for articles with either of the terms.

Before you click the Search button, notice the Choose a discipline to search option below the search boxes.

Basic and Advanced Searching with DiscoveRoux

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Select the Biology, Environmental Sciences, and Oceanography boxes, then click Search.

You should now have around 200 results.

In the next section, you will learn how to narrow your results even further.

Narrowing Results: Using Limiters in DiscoveRoux

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DiscoveRoux makes narrowing your results list very easy. On the left-hand side of your results screen, you will see a Refine Results heading. (If this column is not expanded, click on the >> symbol to open it up.)

The box just below the Refine Results heading tells you what search terms, expanders, disciplines, etc., have been applied to your search.

In your search, the Biology discipline box you checked is pretty general. Let's see what happens if you limit your search to just Environmental Sciences and Oceanography. Click the X next to Biology.

This should leave you with around 175 results.

Narrowing Results: Using Limiters in DiscoveRoux

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Your professor would like you to consult recent articles. Find the date slider in the Refine Results column.

Use the date slider to show only articles published between 2012 and 2020.

Narrowing Results: Using Limiters in DiscoveRoux

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Other limiters under the Refine Results heading can be very useful when you need to narrow the results.

Click on the Subject option and then click the Show More link.

For your paper, you are concentrating on methods researchers are using to preserve the species. Look at the list of subjects and determine which you might click to find that kind of information.

Narrowing Results: Using Limiters in DiscoveRoux

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Select wildlife conservation, conservation, and sea turtle conservation, then click Update.

You should now have between 15 and 20 articles to use for your paper.

Working with records in DiscoveRoux

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Now that you have narrowed your results to a good number for your research, DiscoveRoux provides other tools you can use to access, cite, and organize your research. In this part of the tutorial, we will explore these different tools.

Working with records in DiscoveRoux

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Find the article by Caillouet, Gallaway, Putman, and Chelonian. Notice the PDF Full Text icon under the citation:

This icon tells you that Roux Library has access to the actual article. Clicking on that icon will download/open up a PDF of the article.

If you want to look more closely at the information about the article you should click on the title of the article.

Click the title link for "Kemp's ridley sea turtle saga and setback: Novel analyses of cumulative hatchlings released and time-lagged annual nests in Tamaulipas, Mexico."

Working with records in DiscoveRoux

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On the new page you will see all of the metadata for the article; that is, the information that indexers enter into the database to help researchers find articles.

Let's take a look at some of this information.

Working with records in DiscoveRoux

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Source refers to the journal or publication that the article comes from.

Subject Terms, Geographic Terms, and Author-Supplied Keywords, all refer to major concepts addressed in the article and any geographic locations that are central to the piece. If you click on the links, those will take you to other articles that deal with that subject. This can be a good way to expand your research if you need more articles.

Author Affiliations let you know where the authors work and do their research. This is important in helping you understand just why you should trust them as a source.

Working with records in DiscoveRoux

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If you see it in the metadata, the DOI is an important piece of information.

DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier and it serves as a permanent link to the article, as opposed to a traditional URL, which is not always permanent. With a DOI, you will always be able to find the article.

When a DOI is available, it should be used in place of the URL when you cite the article.

Working with records in DiscoveRoux

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Speaking of citations, DiscoveRoux (and most of Roux Library's online databases) makes citing your sources easy.

On the right side of the screen, you will see a column with the heading, Tools. (If you don't see the column, click on the left-pointing arrows, <<, to open the column.)

In that column, about half-way down, you should see an icon that looks like a printed piece of paper labeled Cite. If you click on this, it will open a window that provides the citation of the article in a number of different styles.

Click on the Cite link.

From the options, you can copy and paste the style that your professor wants you to use into your references page. HOWEVER, always double check capitalization, punctuation, etc. to make sure everything is correct. DiscoveRoux is NOT perfect.

Working with records in DiscoveRoux

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Staying focused on the Tools column, note also that you can print the metadata page and email the information (and full text article when available) to yourself by clicking on the appropriate icons.

In the next section, you will learn how to create an account so that you can save your research results to come back to any time you have access to the internet.

Creating Accounts in DiscoveRoux

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Creating accounts in DiscoveRoux allows you to save and organize the research you do for many different classes. It is free to do this, and you will have access to it as long as you have access to any EBSCO database.

Staying on the metadata page for the article by Caillouet, Gallaway, and Putman, find the Sign In link in the red bar at the top of the page (or from the menu if you are using a mobile device).

Click on that link.

Creating Accounts in DiscoveRoux

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To create your account, click on the Create a new Account link under the Password box.

Click the link now and fill in the required information to create your account. Click the Save Changes button. Be sure to choose a username and password that you will remember!

Now that you have an account (or if you already have an account), go ahead and sign in.

Creating Accounts in DiscoveRoux

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You should now be back on the article's metadata page. In the red bar at the top, the Sign In link should have changed to read Sign Out.

In the tools column on the right, click the Add to folder link and select the My Folder option.

Once you have selected My Folder, navigate to the red bar at the top of the page and click the Folder link. You will see that the article is saved in the folder.

You can create new folders for multiple topics and even share folders with other people by going to the options in the lower left-hand corner of the folder screen and working with the buttons there.

You can delete files or copy and move files from folder to folder by checking boxes next to the files and using the options at the top of the file list.

Thank you!

This completes your tutorial on using DiscoveRoux to locate and work with articles. The tools and skills you used here can be applied to any of the database resources Roux Library makes available to the Florida Southern College Community.

Please return to the Canvas module and complete the quiz. To receive your badge as proof of completing the tutorial, you will need to receive a minimum score of 80%. You may attempt the quiz multiple times. The highest score will be used to award the badge.

If you have a moment, we would also like your feedback to the question on the next page.

If you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule a research consultation with one of the Instruction librarians, you can reach us at:

Julie Hornick
jhornick@flsouthern.edu

Steven Wade
swade@flsouthern.edu

To call Roux Library directly, please call:

863-680-4164

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