Background
Mann, Thomas was born on February 21, 1948 in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
(In this age of information explosion, job hunters, studen...)
In this age of information explosion, job hunters, students, professionals and researchers have long needed a comprehensive yet user-friendly handbook to guide them through the bewildering maze of resources now available. This book, written by a reference librarian at the Library of Congress, introduces a distinctive, new approach to the fact-finding process. It provides an exceptional overview not only of the range of materials that exist, but, more importantly, of the several conceptual options that individuals have in using them. Dr. Mann's problem-solving technique emphasizes seven different research methods that can be applied to any inquiry. These can be used as a set of easily remembered "mental pegs" that enables individuals to get further into a subject more quickly, and with less wasted effort. While using the more conventional research models that categorise sources by type-of-literature (dictionaries, almanacs, etc.) and by subject discipline (Business, English, Psychology, etc.), the author's approach enables individuals to pursue their inquiries in a cross-disciplinary and more thorough fashion. The seven research methods described include computer searches, subject heading inquiries, bibliographies, systematic browsing, key word searches and citation searches, and more. Mann discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the several methods (for example, the pitfalls of relying exclusively on computer searches), the use of unique sources like the National Union Catalog, and the treasures to be found in frequently neglected sources like special collections, microform sets, and government documents. An invaluable feature of the book is its provision of numerous examples of actual searches, including examples of the mistakes and omissions that most people (even university professors) are guilty of, without ever realizing that they have gone off the best track. Library Research Methods should be required reading for every individual--whether scholar or journalist, law student or scientist--who has ever asked, "Where should I start to find out about this?"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195049438/?tag=2022091-20
(Most researchers, even with computers, find only a fracti...)
Most researchers, even with computers, find only a fraction of the sources available to them. As Library of Congress reference librarian Thomas Mann explains, researchers tend to work within one or another mental framework that limits their basic perception of the universe of knowledge available to them. Some, for example, use a subject-disciplinary method which leads them to a specific list of sources on a particular subject. But, Mann points out, while this method allows students and researchers to find more specialized sources, it is also limiting--they may not realize that works of interest to their own subject appear within the literature of many other disciplines. A researcher looking through anthropology journals, for example, might not discover that the MLA International Bibliography provides the best coverage of folklore journals. In Library Research Models, Mann examines the several alternative mental models people use to approach the task of research, and demonstrates new, more effective ways of finding information. Drawing on actual examples gleaned from 15 years' experience in helping thousands of researchers, he not only shows the full range of search options possible, but also illuminates the inevitable tradeoffs and losses of access that occur when researchers limit themselves to a specific method. In two chapters devoted to computers he examines the use of electronic resources and reveals their value in providing access to a wide range of sources as well as their disadvantages: what people are not getting when they rely solely on computer searches; why many sources will probably never be in databases; and what the options are for searching beyond computers. Thomas Mann's A Guide to Library Research Methods was widely praised as a definitive manual of library research. Ronald Gross, author of The Independent Scholar's Handbook called it "the savviest such guide I have ever seen--bracingly irreverent and brimming with wisdom." The perfect companion volume, Library Research Models goes even further to provide a fascinating look at the ways in which we can most efficiently gain access to our vast storehouses of knowledge.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/019509395X/?tag=2022091-20
(The information world has undergone drastic changes since...)
The information world has undergone drastic changes since the publication of the 3rd edition of The Oxford Guide to Library Research in 2005, and Thomas Mann, a veteran reference librarian at the Library of Congress, has extensively revised his text to reflect those changes. This book will answer two basic questions: First, what is the extent of the significant research resources you will you miss if you confine your research entirely, or even primarily, to sources available on the open Internet? Second, if you are trying to get a reasonably good overview of the literature on a particular topic, rather than just "something quickly" on it, what are the several alternative methods of subject searching--which are not available on the Web--that are usually much more efficient for that purpose than typing keywords into a blank search box, with the results displayed by relevance-ranking computer algorithms? This book shows researchers how to do comprehensive research on any topic. It explains the variety of search mechanisms available, so that the researcher can have the reasonable confidence that s/he has not overlooked something important. This includes not just lists of resources, but discussions of the ways to search within them: how to find the best search terms, how to combine the terms, and how to make the databases (and other sources) show relevant material even when you don't know how to specify the best search terms in advance. The book's overall structuring by nine methods of searching that are applicable in any subject area, rather than by subjects or by types of literature, is unique among guides to research. Also unique is the range and variety of concrete examples of what to do--and of what not to do. The book is not "about" the Internet: it is about the best alternatives to the Internet--the sources that are not on the open Web to begin with, that can be found only through research libraries and that are more than ever necessary for any kind of substantive scholarly research. More than any other research guide available, this book directly addresses and provides solutions to the serious problems outlined in recent studies documenting the profound lack of research skills possessed by today's "digital natives."
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199931062/?tag=2022091-20
(With all of the new developments in information storage a...)
With all of the new developments in information storage and retrieval, researchers today need a clear and comprehensive overview of the full range of their options, both online and offline, for finding the best information quickly. In this third edition of The Oxford Guide to Library Research, Thomas Mann maps out an array not just of important databases and print sources, but of several specific search techniques that can be applied profitably in any area of research. From academic resources to government documents to manuscripts in archives to business Web sites, Mann shows readers how best to exploit controlled subject headings, explains why browsing library shelves is still important in an online age, demonstrates how citation searching and related record searching produce results far beyond keyword inquiries, and offers practical tips on making personal contacts with knowledgeable people. Against the trendy but mistaken assumption that "everything" can be found on the Internet, Mann shows the lasting value of physical libraries and the unexpected power of traditional search mechanisms, while also providing the best overview of the new capabilities of computer indexing. Throughout the book Mann enlivens his advice with real-world examples derived from his experience of having helped thousands of researchers, with interests in all subjects areas, over a quarter century. Along the way he provides striking demonstrations and powerful arguments against those theorists who have mistakenly announced the demise of print. Essential reading for students, scholars, professional researchers, and laypersons, The Oxford Guide to Library Research offers a rich, inclusive overview of the information field, one that can save researchers countless hours of frustration in the search for the best sources on their topics.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195189981/?tag=2022091-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008PM3L0G/?tag=2022091-20
Mann, Thomas was born on February 21, 1948 in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Bachelor, St. Louis University, 1966. Master of Library Science, Louisiana State University, 1979. Doctor of Philosophy, Loyola University, Chicago, 1975.
Private investigator B & L Associates, Baton Rouge, 1976—1977. Reference library Louisiana State University Library., 1979—1980, Mullen Library., Catholic University American, Washington, 1980—1981, Library. Congress, Washington, since 1981.
(The information world has undergone drastic changes since...)
(With all of the new developments in information storage a...)
(In this age of information explosion, job hunters, studen...)
(Most researchers, even with computers, find only a fracti...)
(The Oxford Guide to Library Research [Paperback]Thomas Ma...)
Member of Cosmos Club.