College and Research Libraries By J O H N E. CLEMONS Teaching Bibliographic Sources and Styles to Graduate Students ARECENT A R T I C L E called attention to the movement existing in numer- ous institutions to insist " o n the for- mal study of bibliographic materials as a part of the graduate school program."1 There are evidences in library literature that bibliography is being taught to ad- vanced students in various disciplines.2 However, a cursory review of the litera- ture fails to reveal discussion of a pro- gram similar to the course that began in 1948 at Florida State University. In this course, the bibliographic sources common to research investigation in all subject areas and the bibliographic styles appropriate for the varied types of li- brary materials are presented to give stu- dents confidence in two major aspects of research: the searching and the citing of library sources. Perhaps this is a novel experiment in that all graduate students, regardless of subject specialization, at- tend the same course. T h e incentive for the development of such a course in the curriculum of the Florida State University Graduate School was the widespread belief among faculty members that graduate students needed to become familiar with: (1) the bibiographic sources which are common to all research fields, the use of which is necessary to reflect an exhaustive and 1 Katherine S. Diehl, "Formal Bibliography in the Upper Division," CRL, X V I (1955), 386. 2 An illustration of the efforts by one technological group is discussed in "Teaching of Medical Bibliog- raphy: Panel Discussion," Bulletin of the Medical Li- brary Association, X L (1952), 355-68. Mr. Clemons is instructor, Library School, Florida State University. systematic search of available literature, and (2) documentation styles, in prepa- ration for thesis writing and other sci- entific or professional research efforts. Despite constant effort by librarians and others to include adequate instruction on the use of the library in the under- graduate curriculum, the fact remains that many students finish their under- graduate work with only a vague idea of the real potential of library resources. Leaders at FSU deemed it necessary to offer the beginning graduate student an opportunity to overcome this inade- quacy. Moreover, foreign students who have not had the experiences of rich li- brary collections and American students who represent the widest possible range of undergraduate experiences, meeting in a common institution with its own requirements of competence, need some formal direction in the examination of research resources and practice in the accepted institutional documentation styles. Since 1949, L.S. 500, Library Use in Graduate Study a?id Research, has been a requirement for every student in the graduate school, and one semester hour of credit is granted. Students may satisfy this requirement by completing a de- partmental course in research methodol- ogy. For those who can demonstrate a knowledge of the basic bibliographic sources and styles, competency is recog- nized through a satisfactory completion of an exemption test. T h e low percent- age of satisfactory completions of this examination, which has been kept gen- SEPTEMBER, 1956 403 eral in recognition of the wide variety of subject specialists yet specific in requir- ing that the student know how and when to use the basic tools, is an indication of the inadequacies presented by beginning graduate students in exploring the re- search potential of the library. T h e im- portance that is attached at Florida State University to competence in conducting library research is illustrated by the ac- tion of a faculty committee which re- fused a request that students in music composition be excused from the course. It was reported by the committee that any student granted an advanced de- gree, even the concert musician who never contemplated library research, should "know his way around a library." Dr. Louis Shores, dean of the library school, gave first expression to the need for such a course, and in response to the dean of the graduate school, developed the syllabus. Dean Shores taught the course during its formative years, and even after acquiring the necessary faculty in the library school to teach it, has maintained direction through his inter- est and enthusiasm. This is not to say that the course has remained the same as in 1948. Instead, it has continually evolved in content through the influ- ences of the many people who have taught it. But the basic considerations, bibliographic sources and styles, have remained the same. Throughout the history of the course, there has been the concern with dividing students according to the major areas represented by subject specialists. It is felt that effectiveness could be increased if students from the social sciences and the natural sciences were separated. In- roads have been made in the scheduling difficulties which have prevented this, and it is expected that desirable divisions will be in effect soon. One of the major reasons for this division is the distinct difference prevailing in the documenta- tion styles of the two areas. Since its inception in 1948, the course has been completed by over 1500 stu- dents from every area of the curriculum included in the alphabetical range of Accounting to Zoology. A list of all the students who have finished the course is being compiled to show a breakdown of the students from the different subject areas. Approximately 15 class hours of in- struction are required to present the ma- terials included in the course. T h e tech- nique used for teaching has been to con- sider a basic type of bibliographic source and to coordinate it with a study and practice of bibliographic styles appro- priate for that type of material. Thus the student is able to relate source and style. An examination of book sources would give him an opportunity to prac- tice citations of books, whether he is following the Chicago style, Wister, American Geological Institute, or an- other. An assignment will require the student to locate books on his subject, copy the bibliographic entry as it ap- pears, and "convert" to the accepted style. This conversion process will en- able the student to fix in mind the basic elements common to standard biblio- graphic description and offer some prac- tice in the style he needs to know to doc- ument a thesis or dissertation. When collecting references for papers, students are encouraged to convert the biblio- graphic information immediately so that this phase of the style problem is over- come at the beginning. At present the content of the course is organized in 13 units. T h e following outline indicates the scope: 1. Bibliographic styles. A major con- sideration is the technique of document- ing a paper. Before an examination of sources begins, the basic elements of bibliographic entries are studied through presentation of an "eclectic" form. This involves illustrating the entry with the various elements in a position and with 404 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES punctuation in a manner closely fol- lowing the styles observed in two com- mon sources: the Library of Congress catalogs and the Wilson periodical in- dexes. From this middle ground of style students can fix the basic elements in mind, and adapt the form to their par- ticular needs. Concern with bibliograph- ic style is not limited to this unit. It does serve to introduce the problem and pre- pare the student for the conversion proc- ess he must use with succeeding units on books, periodicals, unpublished materi- als, government publications, etc. Foot- note citations are not introduced until it is evident that competency has been gained in listing bibliographic refer- ences. This may occur midway in the course, so that the students will have an opportunity to practice writing foot- notes in gathering references from some sources. 2. Library card catalogs and classifi- cation systems. It has been demonstrated that graduate students are frequently stymied in the use of the basic index to the collection, the library card catalog. Since this is the most important source for locating materials, a unit is devoted to the use, potential, arrangement and scope of the catalog, with consideration given to the kinds of information found on the cards and classification schemes, particularly the Dewey system used at Florida State University. 3. Commercially published book sources. Graduate students frequently need books beyond those listed in the local card catalog. In order for them to to determine what has been published in their subject, a unit is presented includ- ing the U.S. Catalog, Cumulative Book Index, Publishers' Weekly and the Pub- lishers Trade List Annual as a means of identifying books published in English since 1900. T h e uses of each are empha- sized so the student can relate their val- ues to problems of research in his own subject. 4. National bibliography. Although the catalogs of other national libraries are mentioned as sources for identifying books, primary emphasis is placed on the Library of Congress catalogs of printed cards. Important uses which graduate students may make of this series include approaching materials through subject, as provided by the sub- ject supplement; verifying bibliographic description; locating rare materials; and identifying all the works by authors— to mention only a few. Because the cata- log represents the collection of one of the world's largest libraries, and its catalog- ing is reputed to be the most accurate and most fully descriptive, it is indis- pensable for bibliographic work. 5. Periodical indexes and lists. T w o or three of the general indexes are general- ly well known. However, it is appalling that graduate students have so little knowledge of the potential of such in- dexes as the Education Index, PAIS Bul- letin, International Index, Industrial Arts Index, Quarterly Cumulative Index Medicus, Agricultural Index, Engineer- ing Index, and Poole's Index. Most of the students are vague to the point of ig- norance about the types of material in- dexed in each. For instance, many hu- manities students overlook the Art Index as a source for articles on architecture or archaeology; or the biochemist does not know the Agricultural Index; or the psy- chology student has never used Quar- terly Cumulative Index Medicus. Many students in the natural sciences have de- pended entirely on the abstract services for article references. Seldom is there evidence that the student is aware of the lists of periodicals such as Ulrich's, Union List of Serials, or the World List of Scientific Periodicals, to say nothing of the value of identifying and locating hundreds of journals dealing with his subject. 6. Abstracts, book reviews and news digests. Students in the natural sciences SEPTEMBER, 1956 405 generally make good use of the abstract journals, except for the tendency to de- pend on only one. T h e chemist fre- quently overlooks Biological Abstracts or Science Abstracts, or the physicist overlooks Nuclear Science Abstracts or the Mathematical Reviews. Students in the social sciences have not made such good use of their abstracts, perhaps part- ly because they are not as prominent nor as comprehensive. But the appearance of abstract journals in economics, history and sociology provides many students with a way to keep abreast of the litera- ture. There is a common misconception among graduate students that book re- views are limited to fiction. A study of the Book Review Digest and other re- viewing tools such as the U.S. Quarterly Book Review and the New York Times Book Review introduces sources where the student may get the reaction to a scholarly work as opposed to the de- tached summary of the abstract. Facts on File and Keesing's Contemporary Ar- chives are examined to make the stu- dents aware of sources for locating di- gests of important news items when needed for reference purposes. 7. Professional and learned societies and their publications. Some time is de- voted to this subject because of the vast amount of research activity and the re- sulting publications of many societies and organizations. Sources are examined which will list the organizations, outline descriptive information and purposes, and disclose research and publications supported by learned and professional groups. 8. Locating information on people, places and statistics. Frequently, research workers need biographical information on people whose lives are interwoven with the development of a subject. Pre- senting biographical sources which in- clude brief identification tools, who's whos, encyclopedic works, and directo- ries which list the membership of learned and professional organizations will en- able students to gather the type of bio- graphical information dictated by the needs of his particular research. Some knowledge of the more comprehensive atlases and an acquaintance with sources of statistical information, like the Statis- tical Abstract, will be helpful in gath- ering data. 9. Encyclopedias, dictionaries and yearbooks. A common oversight of the graduate student is the use of encyclo- pedias for authoritative background ma- terial and selective bibliographies which may provide a springboard for other ref- erences. T h e yearbooks and annual sur- veys published in many subjects provide authoritative summaries of the year's progress and developments. Dictionaries in the various subjects are being pub- lished in increasing numbers and are a first source for establishing definitions of terms and phrases, a necessity in many theses. 10. Theses, dissertations and other un- published materials. This is one of the most significant categories of sources for the person who contemplates writing the thesis. He must be sure that he has de- termined the originality of the problem, and he must be certain that he has ex- hausted available literature dealing with his problem as contained in other theses and ephemera, in addition to the more conventional sources such as books and journals. Students are very pleased with the results they get through examination of the Association of Research Libraries list and Dissertation Abstracts. In addi- tion, the various subject lists of theses completed and research in progress series which are characteristic of learned jour- nals are valuable aids. T h e pamphlet material listed in the Vertical File Index is not overlooked in the searching prob- lem, for much of this is of a nature and format that would not be acquired un- less a specific need for its use were ex- pressed, which often occurs when the 4 0 6 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES specialist is investigating a little known aspect of a subject. 11. Government publications. This type of material is recognized by grad- uate students to be difficult to uncover, perhaps because of the common prac- tice of organizing and servicing govern- ment documents collections separately from other materials. W e do not attempt to gain the ease in locating documents that we gain with other materials. Invit- ing the documents librarian to present a lecture to each class at the scene of the collection, explaining the indexes, and exhibiting representative publications while discussing the overall organization of federal agencies has proved very effec- tive in encouraging the use of the vast amount of publication by official govern- mental agencies. An alternative method is to discuss in class the types of publi- cations issued by the administrative, legislative, and judicial branches; the arrangement of the Congressional set by serial number, and the departmental publications by the Superintendent of Documents classification schemes; and the historical development and current status of document bibliography. This is complemented by some discussion of state government activity in publishing as identified through use of the Check- list of State Publications. With some knowledge of the organization of agen- cies doing research in his subject and facility in use of the document indexes, the student can discover pertinent ref- erences, even though he will need help to locate them. 12. Audio-visual materials and micro- photography. T h e new audio-visual media of films, slides, recordings, and others too numerous to classify here are presented through an examination of the Wilson guides and the Library of Congress supplements. Especially are these significant to the persons who are concerned with instructional aspects of their subject. A bibliographic style, based on that represented in these sources and the Dugdale manual,3 is practiced for this class of material. T h e microphotographic techniques have been one of the most arresting consider- ations. W e think the research worker needs to be aware of and concerned about the problems of acquiring and storing rare or little used materials. T h e implications of these techniques as a so- lution to the manifold problems inher- ent in the research collection must re- ceive significant emphasis in such a course. More and more, the graduate student will be required to utilize his resources in the form of microreproduc- tions. T h e various readers are demon- strated, the types of materials repro- duced by microphotography are dis- cussed, and the student is prepared to relate the significance and implications of this technique to the literature of his own subject. 13. Library resources and special col- lections. No meaningful survey of the potential of the research library can be completed without pointing to the li- braries with special resources and col- lections in the various subjects. It is a well recognized and regrettable fact that no university library can hope to acquire all materials necessary for a great research center in all subjects. It is worth while to deal with the move- ment to survey library collections, which brings to the surface their weaknesses and strengths, and to note some of the implications for scholarship of coopera- tive acquisition programs. Books which are designed to indicate special resources and collections are examined and stu- dents are encouraged to discover those which offer rich collections in their sub- ject. From the foregoing summary of the content of the course it is evident that 3 Kathleen Dugdale, A Manual of Form for Theses and Term Reports (Bloomington, Indiana, 1950), p.53. SEPTEMBER, 1956 4 0 7 in the short time allotted, all sources cannot be treated with as much concen- tration as may be desired. Students are urged to ferret out those sources which have special implications for their own subjects. At the same time, those sources that cut across all the subjects repre- sented in the curriculum are stressed in the hope that they will become common knowledge among research students. Student reaction to the course has been favorable. Some students have in- dicated it to be one of their most valu- able graduate experiences. Although they are quick to admit a lack of under- standing about the basic sources, some have questioned the value of the course when it has been delayed until near the end of their program. It is felt that this objection would be eliminated if stu- dents would include the course early in their program, as recommended. Others, whose program does not include writing a thesis, feel that it has less value for them. Generally, students have been quick to acknowledge the need for un- derstanding that will permit them to go about searching library resources with ease and confidence. In addition to teaching some sections of the course, this writer also has the re- sponsibility of editing the theses and dissertations, before acceptance by the graduate school, for style and biblio- graphic form. This dual role has perhaps resulted in a close relationship between the emphasis of the course and the needs of graduate students regarding research sources and documentation styles. More- over, it has permitted this writer to ob- serve the effectiveness of indoctrination in sources and style in improved thesis products. Frequent testimony by stu- dents indicates the value of the course in locating research materials during their studies in addition to the help it mi: rjb. • "i : ' isDm gives them in preparing the manuscript. T h e influence on the quality of thesis manuscripts is discernible through im- provement in investigating research sources and more careful documenta- tion, and perhaps provides the most valid measurement of the effectiveness of the course. Growing out of the success and gen- eral acceptance of the course has been the sharp realization that the use of li- brary resources by undergraduates is in- adequate. Graduate students have fre- quently indicated that the course would have been helpful to them as under- graduates; that such competence need not be considered the province of ad- vanced students to the exclusion of un- dergraduates. Awareness of this problem among the faculty in a professional school dealing largely with undergraduates has recently been indicated in a request for the li- brary school to develop and teach a simi- lar course as a requirement in that de- partment's curriculum. This is an en- couraging development. Perhaps the in- fluence of L.S. 500 at Florida State Uni- versity will not be limited to graduate students, but will extend into other un- dergraduate departments if this experi- ment at the undergraduate level proves successful. When this awareness becomes sufficiently widespread among other cur- riculum planners, perhaps the under- graduate can become proficient in the use of library resources. But until that awareness is reflected in the curriculum to include an examination of the basic bibliographic sources, graduate schools must remain concerned about the com- petence of their students to pursue an independent and exhaustive investiga- tion of the research sources of the li- brary, the common laboratory of all scholarship. 4 0 8 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES