Linguistics/ TESOL

You can find information on your subject by using the Mississippi State University Libraries Online Catalog & available databases.  The searching strategies will work in the catalog and databases.

Two types of searches will help locate books:  the "SUBJECT" and "KEYWORD" searches. 

The Subject Search

Use this search when looking for books about a subject, such as phonetics.  If you are looking for information on an author, you will enter the author's name (last name, first name). 

The Keyword Search

Use this search when looking for resources that you do not know the subject heading for. Keyword searching will search the entire text.   

 

Example: 

If you are searching for Agglutinative Language -  the catalog will search for the words Agglutinative and Language anywhere in the document.  To get the results you need, put the two words in quotation marks - "Agglutinative Language."

 

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Phrases:

You will need to add quotation marks at the beginning and end of phrase. 

 

Example: 

"Figure of Speech"

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Boolean Searching (AND, OR, & NOT) to find information:

Boolean searching is used to show the relationship between words. 

 

Example:

Phonetics AND Phonology = results will have everything that has those two words, but not appearing in a resource individually. Morphology OR Syntax = results will include everything that includes the words together or individually in a resource

"Linguistic Philosophy" NOT Externalists = results will include all Linguistic Philosophies, but not The Externalists.

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Truncation:

By adding an asterisk (*) to find resources containing all spelled variations of a word or other endings to the root of a word.

 

Example:

Phon* = results will include phonograph, phoneme, phonations, phonetics, etc.

Mitchell Memorial Library. Digital ID_62.  Digital Collections: University Archives

Serendipitous Browsing leads to great finds in the library!  You can do this without a computer, just take your self to the circulating collection and look to see what you can find!  Use the Library of Congress (LOC) Call Numbers given below to search the Research Services Reference Collection, as well as the circulating collection. 

Areas to browse for Linguistic resources include the 3rd floor P - S room & 2nd floor Research Services. Use the LOC classification pre-fixes to browse in both locations in the Mitchell Memorial Library.  The LOC classification system is Alpha-Numeric, meaning you will see letters and numbers to locate a book.  Specifically, browse the P section, PA – PD, PF – PM for non-English languages. These LOC prefixes will also work in Reference, located in Research Services.  Browse these other areas for information on your subject as well.  

(Classification table by the Library of Congress and UC San Diego Libguide for Linguistics)

If you would like more information on each letter and specific break down of corresponding letters for the rest of the LOC Classification System, follow the link below.