StarPlus for all - Top Tips

 








StarPlus, the Library catalogue, can be accessed from your MUSE account (under My services) or from the Library web pages at: http://www.shef.ac.uk/library.

Remember to click on the University members link at the top of the page if you are accessing StarPlus from the Library web pages (when you access StarPlus from MUSE, you will be automatically signed on to the catalogue). Signing on to StarPlus will give you full access to resources and features including the e-Shelf and your online Library account.

Search under the University Collections tab to find: books, ebooks, journals, databases, theses and multimedia.  Enter keywords into the search box then refine your results later.

Use the Articles and More tab to search for journal articles from databases.  All results shown will be available for you to access online.

Top tips

• Use quotation marks when searching for a phrase, e.g. “global warming”.
• Use an asterisk at the end of a word to represent alternative endings. For example, educat* will search for: education, educating, educational etc.
• Use the e-Shelf to organise, print, email and push your search results into reference management software. Add search results to your e-Shelf by clicking on the star icon (located on the left of each search result).
• To request a book that is out on loan, click on the Get It tab and then Request.
• Look at the Subject Guides to identify the key databases and online resources for your subject area. Link to the Subject Guides from the Guides & Tutorials box on the home page of StarPlus.
• Search for and connect to databases from the University Collections tab.
• Take a look at our StarPlus tutorial to learn more.

Searching for your research project

Need to search for literature for a research project?

Start with a search for books on the StarPlus University Collections tab.

Then move onto searching for journal articles. The Articles and More tab in StarPlus defaults to search Primo Central- a general, multidisciplinary database. This will give you quick, quality results. Make sure you have signed into StarPlus by clicking University members at the top of the page.

For a more specific search, use databases. Find the databases useful to you on your Subject Guide: http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/subjects/subjects. Subject Guides also give links to other relevant information sources.

Search tips: Make sure you think about your keywords and any alternative words or spellings that could be used. Learn more about constructing your search here: https://librarydevelopment.group.shef.ac.uk/shef-only/info_skills/successful_db.html

Use the Find It buttons in databases to check access (Print and electronic) to articles of interest.

BrowZine

The Library has recently purchased BrowZine, an app which enables users to browse and read academic journal articles on tablet devices. 

BrowZine brings together articles from our subscription and open access journals into a single ‘newsstand’ style app.   Users can save their favourite journals, view the tables of contents, and read articles as new issues are released.

Watch a short video introduction to the BrowZine app

BrowZine is designed for current awareness and browsing.  It complements the Library catalogue StarPlus, which can be used for more focused research or searching.

Access

University Of Sheffield members can download the BrowZine app, free of charge, from the iPad, Android and Amazon App Stores, or from the link below.  After downloading, users will need to select University of Sheffield from the list and enter their University of Sheffield username and password when prompted.

Download BrowZine on your tablet

Please note: the minimum OS required are iPad version 5.1.1 and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). BrowZine is currently available for tablets only. It is not compatible with smartphones at present although this development is expected in the future.

Browzine for Android tablet FAQ

Browzine for iPad FAQ

Searching for your research project

Need to search for literature for a research project?

Start with a search for books on the StarPlus University Collections tab.

Then move onto searching for journal articles. The Articles and Databases tab in StarPlus defaults to search Primo Central- a general, multidisciplinary database. This will give you quick, quality results. Make sure you have signed into StarPlus by clicking ‘University members’ at the top of the page.

For a more specific search, use databases. Find the databases useful to you on your Subject Guide: http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/subjects/subjects. Subject Guides also give links to other relevant information sources.

Search tips: Make sure you think about your keywords and any alternative words or spellings that could be used. Learn more about constructing your search here: https://librarydevelopment.group.shef.ac.uk/shef-only/info_skills/successful_db.html

Use the ‘Find it’ buttons in databases to check access (Print and electronic) to articles of interest.