Off Campus Students: Getting Started

If you are situated off campus you might find this guide useful for troubleshooting access, and for the step by step approach to doing your research.
 
How do I get set up and ready to use Leddy's services, journals and databases?

SET UP instructions for Distance Education Students.

Help!! I'm stuck. I want to:

  • Talk to a person: For help real time, the Research and Reference help phone number on the Contact Us page. Try the Reference email when Reference is not staffed or livechat with Ask Leddy.
  • ​​​​​Troubleshoot access: How does off-campus access to Leddy Library's licensed resources work? I'm having problems with off-campus access. Help me fix this.
OR
  • Contact your subject Librarian
  • Walk in users are usually allowed at any college or university's reference desk. Phone ahead and ask if they are able to help and to find out what they can do for you.

 

I have my research topic. What do I do next?

1. Articles

  • Find Your Subject Area's Webpage at Leddy and Search:
Navigate to Leddy's homepage and:

Choose the drop down menu titled "Learning and Research Support." Choose "Resources by Subject" to navigate to your research area and choose the option that allows you to search databases for articles.
Please remember your topic may also be related to other subject areas such as social work, politics, women's studies, etc. and you may also wish to search under those subject headings later.

Other routes of access!:

Choose the drop down menu titled "Search Our Collections." Choose the sub-heading "Find Books, Articles and More" to run a single search against the collections, then use the left column to limit to Articles.

OR, Choose the drop down menu titled "Search Our Collections." Choose "Databases" then use the Subject drop-down list to choose your subject. When on your chosen subject page, note there is a shortlist (darker background) of the most recommended databases for searching (and they do cross subject areas, in some cases) for that subject. For ALL databases for that subject just continue to scroll down the page.
 
  • To see some of the articles that your professors are publishing on your topic, check out Scholarship @ UWindsor
  • Set up Google Scholar for Off Campus Use (to link directly to Leddy's subscribed content from Google Scholar) and Search.
    • Set up Google Scholar for Off Campus use.
    • Then start searching for your topic in Google Scholar.
    • When you find an article you wish to read, choose the Find E Articles @ UWindor link.
    • A popup box appears and you enter your UWinID and password and then you will be sent to the article or sometimes the journal.


2. Books (on-campus) and E-Books:

The OMNI search box is available on the Leddy homepage. It will retrieve not just books and ebooks but everything related to your search. After you run your search, a checkbox on the left hand side allows you to reduce the results to "Books & eBooks". Only our electronic copies of books will be available off campus, no other universitity's eBooks shall be available to you. So to just find Windsor's titles, next to the search is the default for libraries searched "UWindsor Libraries + Omni Libraries" so change the drop down list to display "UWindsor Libraries".

3. Data/Data Sets:

If you wish to contact the Academic Data Centre directly to ask about data available, I recommend you start with an email (libdata@uwindsor.ca) detailing the information you are looking for, as they need to match your need with the appropriate data/data sets. Sometimes they can get you started without having to come on-campus!

Search and Research

A number of online tutorials are available for help in actually doing your Research. Includes directions on how to search for articles, newspapers, print books, electronic books, music, and videos. Also includes information on evaluating and identifying quality (scholarly) information and how to research effectively.

Keep in mind that people use different words to describe the same thing and that you may need to substitute words when searching (e.g. framework or context or model, ...) You may need to use double quotes around concepts/ideas ("critical inquiry" or "social bond"). A search for "candy crush" "business model" may be too narrow while broadening your search to "game development" "business model" may be better but "online games" "business model" may get you what you need. You will need to play with words and combinations of words. 

How Do I Order Books and Articles through Interlibrary Loan? And Why?

If you need a book, article, etc. for your research that Windsor does not have onsite, it is possible to order a copy from another university. We cannot guarantee a delivery date for these items. Delivery date depends on format and where it is coming from. I personally have received articles within a few days, and I have also received an article more than a month after ordering (eventually came from overseas).

You need to set up your account (register) to order items.

Links to requested articles are delivered to your UWindsor email account. Make sure your email account is working (Manage UWin Account) so you may access and retrieve your electronic article.

Print materials must be picked up from and returned to Leddy Library, or another Ontario University's library. If you are unable to return material in person, phone and ask for an extension on the loan period, if necessary, then send the material back by Canada Post or drop it off at your nearest Ontario University Library. They will send it back to us on your behalf. But don't forget the loan extension if you are close to the due date. We try and accommodate extensions but it isn't always possible! You are responsible for any fines.

Start Writing

Writing style guides, for help with documenting your paper and managing your references. Check out the information on what the Writing Support Desk can do for you. And, by all means avoid accidentally claiming someone's ideas as your own! Further, make sure you are using the material legally in your presentations and class by checking out the Library's information on Copyright!

Send us a message 

Your Contact

Librarian
(519) 253-3000 ext.3848
Leddy Library - 111 West Building