Pathfinder Guide

INLS 111: INFORMATION RESOURCES AND SERVICES I

School of Information and Library Science

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPILING PATHFINDERS

This guide describes how to compile and format pathfinders. Librarians and other information specialists have long used similar tools to introduce clients to the literature of subject areas. During the 1960s, M.I.T. librarians created a specific structure for these tools and established corresponding guidelines. This work was part of the Model Library Project of Project Intrex with funding from the Council of Library Resources. Since the publication of these guidelines in 1972, librarians have eagerly adopted the practice of creating pathfinders for their clients.

While examples of these tools may be found in most library and information centers, academic libraries usually produce the greatest number. Initially developed to aid with retrospective searching, librarians have modified the original structure so as to develop a bibliographic aid that also helps in locating current sources of information. Pathfinders have become a popular form of bibliographic instruction.

The newest development in library pathfinders is web accessibility. Libraries are now creating guides to resources and mounting them on the library web site. This is what you will be doing this semester.

This guide is based upon the original M.I.T. guidelines (see Marie P. Canfield, "Library Pathfinders," Drexel Library Quarterly 8/3 (July 1972): 287-300), but includes some modifications which are applicable to the social sciences and humanities. This guide is concerned with content, compilation process, and citation format, not multimedia elements seen in today’s web-based pathfinders. Start with the guidelines given below and embellish them as you think best given your stated audience for the web world.

1. Introduction.

1.1. Definition.

A pathfinder is a bibliographic guide that is designed to introduce a client to the literature of a specific subject area or topic. Its arrangement deliberately reflects the usual questions asked during a literature search and the introductory steps of the research process. A pathfinder is not intended to be an exhaustive bibliography, but rather, an introduction to the various types of information and information sources for a particular topic. Pathfinders are not limited to reference sources and usually contain a listing of key journals and standard monographs in a subject area. Pathfinders may be 2-10 pages long or even longer depending on the audience and available materials. This project involves compilation of a 6-8 page pathfinder for clients with complex information needs. Usually, a pathfinder only lists materials found in one library or library system such as the campus libraries at UNC. Exceptions can be made to this for the purpose of selecting the best sources for this exercise.

1.2. Structure.

Based upon the M.I.T. model, most pathfinders are arranged according to the instructions in this guide and Canfield's article. They usually contain the following sections:

· Scope of pathfinder

· Introduction to field - provide a paragraph or two describing the field and providing context for the works you list

· LC subject headings

· Frequently mentioned texts

· Browsing areas

· Guides, encyclopedias and dictionaries

· Bibliographies

· Abstracts and indexes

· Journals

· Reviews.

Each section should begin with a brief introduction that discusses the nature of the material contained in that section.

1.3. Information sources for the social sciences and humanities.

In addition to the general formats listed above, the following types of information sources are generally important for most pathfinders in the social sciences and humanities. This is not to say that these sources are not/should not be included in science and technical literature pathfinders.

The sources listed above may either be included in special categories of their own or subsumed under one of the broader form headings given in 1.2. *NOTE: Not all of the source types given in 1.2 and 1.3 may be applicable to your subject area. Adapt these guidelines to your materials. Be flexible, purposeful, and ever mindful of your intended audience!

2. Principles of Compilation.

2.1. Selection.

2.1.1. Examine materials before including them on a pathfinder.

2.1.2. Don't include too much and burden the novice in a subject area if the pathfinder is intended as an introductory guide. Only highly useful sources that help to present the "lay of the land" should be included in this type of pathfinder. Don't contribute to information overload. Of course, the number of items on a pathfinder will vary from one subject to the next depending on the density and availability of the literature in that area and the specific target audience. You are to aim at a knowledgeable clientele.

2.1.3. Unless you are dealing with a foreign language topic, use only English-language materials. Very few exceptions should be made.

2.1.4. Just because you are creating a web-based tool, does not mean that your pathfinder must (or should) be dominated by Web-based resources. Select the best/most appropriate sources for your intended users, but certainly include networked resources among them.

2.2. Introduction.

Compose the introduction to reflect the subject matter, the literature available on the topic, and the sources you have included in the body of the pathfinder.

2.3. Style.

You may follow any standard style manual with regard to formatting bibliographic information, but be consistent throughout the pathfinder. Respected style manuals include: The Chicago Manual of Style (make sure you use most recent edition), Turabian's guide based of the University of Chicago's guidelines, the American Psychological Association's Manual for Authors, and the Modern Language Association's (MLA) Style Sheet. I don’t care what you use, just be consistent, make it attractive, and make it easy to use.

2.4. Form of Entry.

2.4.1 The entry for each monographic item on a pathfinder should be the main entry established by the Library of Congress. This helps people find the entries again in the online catalog.

Personal Author Entry:

Katz, William A. Introduction to Reference Work. (1997)

Corporate Author Entry:

Modern Language Association of America. 1987. MLA International Bibliography of Books and Articles on the Modern Languages and Literatures. 4 vols. New York: MLA, 1988.

Title Entry:

Magazine Index. Los Altos, CA: Information Access Corporation, 1977- .

2.4.2. Citations to journal articles or essays in books are always entered under the author's name:

Engeldinger, Eugene A. "Bibliographic Instruction and Critical Thinking: The Contribution of the Annotated Bibliography." RQ 28/2 (Winter 1988): 195-202.

Stueart, Robert D. "Reviews and Reviewing." In Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science, v. 25, edited by Allen Kent, Harold Lancour, and Jay Daily, 314-30. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1978. [Z1006.E57]

2.4.3. For an author citation, use surname, first name, and middle initial. For two authors use both complete names, inverting the first but not the second. For three or more authors, use the full name of the primary contributor and "et al." to stand for the other writers.

Tibbo, Helen R. .... [one author]

Tibbo, Helen R., Mary K. Brown, and Susan G. Fox .... [two or three authors]

Tibbo, Helen R., et al. [four or more authors]

2.5. Description.

2.5.1. Provide as complete and accurate information for each source listed as possible.

2.5.2. Always include a call number or location code for materials listed. Include information as to physical location as well, such as 6th floor stacks, ready reference section, or Index Table 2, for items physically located within a library and accurate web links for Internet materials. The point here is to make it easy for clients to find the materials you either list or point to.

2.5.3. When listing a reprint item, give both the original and reprint bibliographic data, making clear the original publication date as well as the date and source of the reprint.

2.5.4. When listing an English translation, provide the publication data for both the original and the English-language edition.

2.5.5. Cite pertinent chapters or pages if an entire text is not relevant.

2.5.6. Provide series information as patrons frequently will recognize this information even when a title is not known to them.

2.5.7. Include any report numbers along with the standard bibliographic data so as to provide easier access to a document. Include, for example, ERIC numbers (ED 063 592)

2.5.8. Include beginning publication date for a serial only when it was first published after 1970.

3. Annotations.

Although Canfield does not include these in her instructions, annotations for each item highlighting content, arrangement, significance and/or relationship to other items, are most useful. They clarify why you included particular items.

4. Length.

For this assignment, your pathfinder should probably include no more that 6-7 items in any category and generally less for several categories depending on your subject, purpose, and clients.

5. Physical Arrangement of Pathfinder.

Following good web design principles, make your pathfinder visually pleasing and easy to use.