ACM Digital Library. LIBRARY SERVICES

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1 ACM Digital Library The ACM Digital Library is a comprehensive database of full-text articles in computing and information technology. It provides access to the complete collection of ACM publications including a wide range of journals, conference proceedings, magazines, technical newsletters and multimedia titles. The database is also integrated with the ACM Guide to Computing Literature which is one of the largest bibliographic databases in the field of computing. This database is available on and off campus and may be accessed from Databases A-Z in the Electronic Library at 1. Searching On the main search screen there are a range of options which you can use to search for fulltext information or access special features e.g. Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Enter your search terms into the quick search box at the top of the screen and click Search to find full-text articles on your topic. An Advanced Search option is also available for more complex searches. You can choose where and how to search for your keywords/phrases. LIBRARY SERVICES

2 2. Search Tips 2.1. Boolean Operators Boolean search operators AND, OR and NOT link your keywords together and enable you to search more effectively. AND Narrows a search to only find records which contain all search terms: e.g. game AND design OR Widens a search to find records containing any of your alternative search terms, but not necessarily all: e.g. WiFi OR wireless NOT Excludes part of a topic or specific terms from a search: e.g. animation NOT 3D 2.2. Phrases You can search for an exact phrase of two or more words by surrounding it with quotation marks e.g. digital media. This will ensure that the database or search engine only retrieves records where these words appear together as a phrase Truncation An asterisk * is a truncation symbol that can be used after the first few characters of a word to include all varying endings of that word in a search. e.g. comput* will find computer, computers, computing, computerised, computation 2.4. Wildcards A wildcard symbol such as? $ or * can be used within a word as a substitute for one or more characters to account for differences in spelling. e.g. organi?ation will find organization (American spelling) and organisation (British spelling) 2.5. Alternative Search Terms If you are struggling to find information on a given topic try changing your search terms to include alternative keywords e.g. a mobile device could also be referred to as smartphone or tablet.

3 2.6. Search Limits You can limit your searches by Publication Year, Publication Name, Publication Type or Content Formats using the refinement options on the search results page. This will help you to find the most relevant research quickly and easily, filtering out any results which are not fully focused on your search topic. 3. The ACM Guide to Computing Literature You can widen the range of your search to include bibliographic citations from major publishers in computing by clicking on the option to Expand your search to The ACM Guide to Computing Literature at the top of the search results page. 4. Displaying Results The search results list can be sorted by Relevance, Publication Date, Citation Count or the number of Downloads. To move through the result pages, click on the Next >> and << Previous arrows at the top of the screen.

4 Clicking on the title of a reference will open the full record. You will have access to the article Abstract (summary), Index Terms, Reviews and References along with a range of Tools and Resources to help you manage your research. The ACM Digital Library is primarily a full-text resource click on the PDF or HTML link to open the article. The ACM Guide to Computing Literature only provides access to the abstract of a record. Click on the DOI link to go to the publication source and check if full-text is available. 5. /Print/Save You can save relevant records to your personal storage area using the Save to Binder option in the Tools and Resources box. This features requires that you register for a free personal account with the ACM Digital Library. You can yourself a link to the article record from the Tools and Resources box by clicking on the Envelope icon in the Share list. From a PDF document you can use the icons at the top of the screen to Print, Save or a copy of the article. From a HTML document you can print or save a copy of the article by selecting the relevant option from the File Menu in your internet browser.

5 6. Export Citations You can export records from the ACM Digital Library to EndNote bibliographic software to manage your research and aid with referencing. To export records click EndNote in the Tools and Resources box. The Export Format window will open displaying bibliographic details for the record ready for export. Click download at the bottom of the window (you may need to scroll down to see it). Internet Explorer a toolbar will appear prompting to Open or Save the record. Click Open. Chrome an export option will appear at the bottom of your internet browser, click on the ^ arrow to open the File Menu. Click Open. Your EndNote Library will open and the item record will be downloaded into your EndNote Library. You may view the reference in your chosen referencing style i.e. Harvard UL from the Preview pane. ACM Digital Library will only send the bibliographic details for each item record into EndNote e.g. author, title, source, abstract. You can check if full-text is available within EndNote and also store full-text PDF documents in your EndNote Library.

6 Click on a specific reference or select all references in the library (press Ctrl and A), choose References on the menu bar and then Find Full Text. EndNote will search online and download any available full-text. The full-text PDF will be automatically attached and a paper clip will appear next to the reference to indicate that there is an attachment. You may use the references you have downloaded into EndNote to cite while you write. EndNote enables you to easily insert references into the body of the text and create a full reference list for your assignments using icons on the toolbar. 7. Table of Contents (TOC) Service You can set-up an alert to send you the Table of Contents (TOC) for recurring publications. This feature requires an ACM personal account. To set-up an alert, click on the or RSS option within in the Tools and Resources box. The Table of Contents Service window will appear. Enter your university address and click Submit to activate your alert. TOC Service alerts will stay active until you delete them. You can manage your alerts or make changes by clicking on Manage all of your TOC Services. 8. Additional Resources The ACM Digital Library also provides access to Special Interest Groups (SIGs) which you might find useful. You can browse all Special Interest Groups from the main search page or access those relevant to your search by clicking on Related SIGs on the search results page.

7 9. Further Help In the ACM Digital Library databases further guidance is available using the HELP button on the toolbar. Advanced help on searching the database and improving your digital skills is also available. Please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian to book a one-to-one appointment at: You can view a useful range of online tutorials, videos and guides from our LibrarySkills@LJMU webpage. Guide Updated: July 2017 By: Donna M. Crookall