MCS385: Artificial Intelligence

Professor: David Wolfe (x7469, wolfe@gac.edu)
Librarian: Michelle Twait (x7563, mtwait@gac.edu)

Definitional Dilemmas / Searching Suggestions / Finding Articles / Citing Your Sources

Definitional Dilemmas

Reference works are helpful at two points in your research: when starting out (by offering an overview of a topic) or when nailing down unfamiliar terms, concepts, and topics that turn up during your research. Many reference book articles are written by experts and offer not only information but excellent bibliographies for further research.

Encyclopedia of artificial intelligence (REF Q335 .E53 1987) Although it's a bit dated, this will still give you definitions and overviews of core topics.
Encyclopedia of computer science (REF QA76.15 .E48 2000)
Webster's computer dictionary (REF QA76.15 .P395 2001)

Searching Suggestions

Synonyms. Brainstorm for keywords and phrases that relate to your topic. Pay attention to how your search results change with the different combinations.
See http://www.bartleby.com for searchable thesauri
Boolean Operators. AND, OR, and NOT / AND NOT (depends on the database).
Truncation. Look for truncation options -- in some databases, typing "friend*" will pick up friends, friendship, friendly, friendliness, etc.
Browsing. If you find a book that sounds good, look around it. In our library, books are grouped by subject -- most likely you will find other good books nearby.
"Pearl-growing." Let's say that you read an article that is perfect for your topic. Look for a bibliography at the end. Search for the books/articles that were used to write the article. (This, of course, true for encyclopedia entries, book chapters, etc. - anything with a bibliography.)
Keeping Track. Record where you've been and what you've found. Jot down a complete citation for everything you find; you never know when you may need it again.

Finding Articles

Databases for articles and other materials offer references to publications that may or may not be in this library; some databases offer full text of articles and others simply references. There are in-depth databases that cover publications in a particular field and others that are interdisciplinary. Databases can be accessed from a drop-down list on the library's main page; descriptions can be found here.

Computer Database
Use this InfoTrac database to find computer-related product introductions, news and reviews in areas such as hardware, software, electronics, engineering, communications and the application of technology. LOTS of information on artificial intelligence - many full-text articles.

MathSciNet
I tried a quick title search for "artificial intelligence" and yielded 300+ articles. Needless to say, this is also a good database to use.

ScienceDirect: Computer Science
This particular segment of ScienceDirect contains many computer science journals (lots of them offer full-text articles) and includes at least a few journals that cover artificial intelligence specifically.

Citing Your Sources

Documentation Guide -- Includes models for APA and MLA style, plus links to examples of Chicago and CBE style.

mlt
Feb. 2003