• Finding Books: Using the Library Catalog
  • Searching for Materials
• Books and Reference Sources
• Articles
  • Databases, Print Journals, and E-Journals
  • Database Search Tips
• Internet Sites
• Writing For Class (style manuals, etc.)
• Contact Information

Searching for Materials

To find materials located at any of Emory's libraries, search EUCLID, Emory's online library catalog.

The contents of books and articles are not searchable in EUCLID. Please read Finding a Journal Article in the Woodruff Library to learn more.

When searching EUCLID by subject, we recommend that you select the Browse search mode. Browsing will retrieve a list of subject headings established by the Library of Congress. A multi-volume set of Library of Congress (LC) subject headings (the "Red Books") is available at the Woodruff Library Reference desk.

Instead of browsing by subject, you may wish to try browsing by call number. This will provide you with a list of items in their order on the shelves. To browse by call number, choose the little tab marked "BROWSE SHELVES" near the upper right corner of the EUCLID search screen.

Here are some subject headings (along with LC call numbers where applicable) which might be helpful to you. The mathematical works in the QA call number range may be somewhat advanced, beyond the scope of this course; however, it might still be worth a look:

• Card games
  • GV1232-1299
  • Many specific card games are also listed as subject headings. Check the LCSH red books.
• Combinatorial analysis
  • QA164-167.2
• Gambling (Games of chance)
  • GV1301-1311
• Game theory
  • QA269
• Games of chance (Mathematics)
  • QA271
• Games of strategy (Mathematics)
  • QA270
• Permutations
  • QA164

Most materials in EUCLID labeled "held by GENERAL" are located in the Woodruff Library. See the Woodruff Library Location Guide (available in print or on the Stacks Team's website). Materials in EUCLID labeled "MATHSCI" or "MATHSCIREF" are located in the Mathematics & Science Center Library, at 400 Dowman Drive.

Sometimes, an older item will be located in the off-site Storage facility, rather than inside Woodruff or the Math & Science Center Library. However, recalling items from Storage is a simple process! When you're looking at the record for an individual title -- not a list of multiple search results -- just click on the "Request" button. (It's third from the left, up near the top of the page). Select "Storage" from the bullet-point list of options, and then fill out the form. You will need your Emory ID number; if you don't know it, go to the EUCLID User Status page and click "Help". Your requested item will be delivered to the Storage pickup area, located on the third floor lobby of the Woodruff Library (across from the Circulation desk).

Can you win?: the real odds for casino gambling, sports betting, and lotteries
Stacks GV1302 .O75 1991

This book's chapters are brief and full of examples. In addition to the topics listed in the title, it includes a chapter on the Prisoner's Dilemma, a problem from game theory.

Chance rules: an informal guide to probability, risk, and statistics
Stacks QA273 .E84 1999

Lying somewhere between reference and further reading, this book provides discussion and examples of topics in probability and statistics. The following chapters might be of particular interest: "Dice" (Ch. 3), "Gambling for Fun: Lotteries & Football Pools" (Ch. 4), and "'Serious' Gambling: Roulette, Cards, and Horse Racing" (Ch. 5).

The CRC concise encyclopedia of mathematics
Reference QA5 .W45 2003
MathSci Reference QA5 .W45 2003
Also available online, under the title World of mathematics.

ESPN sports almanac
Reference GV741 .I58 2005

Older editions are available in the Stacks. This title was called the ESPN Information Please sports almanac prior to 2004.

An introduction to mathematics
Stacks QA39.2 .Y68

The chapters on set theory (Ch. 9, "Problems with sets") and on counting and probability (Ch. 10, "Who has the same birthday?") might be of particular interest.

Luck, logic, and lies: the mathematics of games
Stacks QA269 .B39413 2005

Some sections of this introduction to game theory might be a bit advanced, but you should be alright with most of it. This work is more of a "further reading" text than a reference book.

The new complete Hoyle, revised: the complete authoritative guide to the official rules of all popular games of skill and chance
Reference GV1243 .H88 1991

Databases, Print Journals, and E-Journals

Databases

Articles are not listed in EUCLID; instead, databases can be used to find articles. It's a two-step process: first, you use a database to find out what articles are available; then, you may have to use EUCLID or eJournals@Emory to find the journal or magazine where each article was published.

As a rule, mathematics databases (such as MathSciNet) tend to contain advanced material that is beyond the scope of this course. Instead, you may wish to try some more general databases to find articles in your research topic area.

A short list of databases:

• Academic Search Premier (at EBSCOhost)
  • Indexes scholarly journals in the social sciences, business, humanities, general science, multi-cultural studies, and education as well as major daily newspapers. Abstracts and some full text.
• Access Science
  • The online version of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Provides full access to articles, dictionary terms, and hundreds of research updates in all areas of science and technology. Abstracts and some full text.
• JSTOR (The Journal Storage Project)
  • Provides searchable full-text access to backfiles of key scholarly journals in many fields in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Full text.
• MAS FullTEXT Ultra (at EBSCOhost)
  • Covers general interest and current events magazines, as well as general reference, health, and science journals. Abstracts and some full text.
• ProQuest Databases
  • Contains the following databases: ABI/Inform Global, Business Dateline, Dissertation Abstracts, National Newspapers, and Research Library. Includes newspapers, popular magazines, and some scholarly publications. Abstracts only.

To find more databases, try the Database Locator. Choose a topic from the pulldown menu and hit "Go".

If you have a particular journal in mind, use jake (short for Jointly Administered Knowledge Environment) to find databases that index or abstract that journal. Then use the Database Locator to check and see that we have access to that particular database (Jake won't check it for you).

Print Journals

Many mathematical journals contain material beyond the scope of this course. However, we do have some publications aimed towards undergraduates and/or general audiences. Here is a list of some of these titles, along with a sample of course-related articles which they have published:

The College mathematics journal
Matheson Reading Room (current issues)
Stacks QA11.A1 C64 (bound volumes)
Also available online

D. B. Agard and M. Shackleford, "A new look at the probabilities in bingo", College Math. J. 33:4 (2002), 301-306.

P. M. Sommers, "The super bowl theory: fourth and long", College Math. J. 31:3 (2000),189-192.

The journal of recreational mathematics
Matheson Reading Room (current issues)
Stacks QA95 .J6 (bound volumes)
Also available online

C. E. Fanning, K. H. Pilkington, T. A. Conrad, and P. M. Summers, "March Madness: the racket in regional brackets", J. Recreational Math. 31:3 (2002/3), 201-203.

E. Emanouilidis, "Roulette and the beastly number", J. Recreational Math. 29:4 (1998), 246.

The Mathematics Teacher
Matheson Reading Room (current issues)
Stacks QA1 .M65 (bound volumes)
Also available online

G. Talsma, "Data analysis and baseball", Mathematics Teacher 92:8 (1999), 738.

Notices of the American Mathematical Society
Matheson Reading Room (current issues)
Stacks QA1 .A524 (bound volumes)
Also available online, but free registration is required

T. Callaghan, P. J. Mucha, and M. A. Porter, "The Bowl Championship Series: a mathematical review", Notices Amer. Math. Soc. 51:8 (2004), 887-893.

E-Journals

The Emory General Libraries subscribe to many electronic journals in addition to our print resources. These resources can be located through the eJournals@Emory University Libraries site and are also included in EUCLID. Generally, mostly titles under paid subscription are included in eJournals.

Database Search Tips

• Use dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, and thesauri to learn about your topic. This is also a great method to find keywords to use for searching the catalogs and the databases.
• Try different keywords and search terms using different databases and catalogs. Different databases may require slightly different search techniques and keywords.
• Break your topic down into phrases and single words. Unlike Web search engines (e.g. Yahoo or Google), many databases don't work well with natural language (full sentences, prepositions, etc.)
• Include synonyms and plural/singular forms of keywords. Separate synonyms by OR. Separate the synonyms from the rest of the words by using parentheses. For example: search for librarians AND (eyeglasses OR spectacles).
• Some databases allow wildcard characters, such as an asterisk (*). For example, if a wildcard is allowable, searching for wom*n will retrieve records with "woman" or "women".
• Keep a record of your searches. This way, if a particular search works really well, you can try slight variations and hopefully get more results; likewise, if something doesn't work, you can avoid repeating an unsuccessful search.
• Look at the books and articles you've already found and use their cited references (a.k.a. bibliography, end notes, footnotes) to find similar articles.
• Read the "Help" screens for instructions and tips specific to each database; and above all, don't hesitate to ask a reference librarian for help!

To learn more about finding articles, please read Finding Articles at Woodruff Library.

Because Web sites aren't subject to the same editorial process as books and published articles, it's up to the reader (you!) to sort the wheat from the chaff: you should evaluate websites carefully before including them in your research.

Jim Kapoun's article Teaching undergrads WEB evaluation: A guide for library instruction, published in College and Research Libraries News (vol. 59 no. 7, July/August 1998), offers some tips on evaluating websites. Additionally, the Emory General Libraries are offering some workshops on "Internet Critical Evaluation Skills". Please see the Classes and Workshops page for more information.

A list of selected websites

The following websites may be helpful to you:

• www.mlb.com (Major League Baseball's official website)
• NCAAsports.com
  • Official website for NCAA college sports; includes "up-to-date coverage, statistics, and rankings" for college athletics in Divisions I, II, and III
• www.NFL.com (National Football League's official website)
• Probability (from www.cut-the-knot.org, a website of "Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles")
  • Includes discussion of such probability problems as the Monty Hall problem, the Birthday Coincidence, and the Unreliable Witness. Some pages include Javascript simulators.
  • See also the "Combinatorics" and "Combinatorial Games" listings (under "Interactive Activities").
• Quarterback Rating Calculator from www.primecomputing.com
  • Includes formulas for NCAA, NFL, and AFL quarterback ratings

This is a mathematics seminar, but writing still counts. Mathematicians must present their work clearly so that readers, colleagues, and students can understand it. They must also cite their sources. Not only is citing one's sources a matter of academic honesty; it is also how mathematicians and other scholars show that their sources are of a high quality. A Guide to Writing in Mathematics Classes, by Dr. Annalisa Crannell of Franklin & Marshall College, provides an excellent discussion of why and how to write mathematics well. Style manuals can also help show you proper techniques for writing and for citing sources.

A selection of style manuals

Chicago Manual of Style
Reference Desk Z253 .U69 1993

Chicago Manual of Style Documentation (PDF format) and links to other Style Guides online
(from the Florida State University Library)

Chicago Manual of Style FAQ and Tools
(from the Chicago Manual of Style website)

A Guide to Writing in Mathematics Classes

A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations [Turabian]
Ref-Desk LB2369 .T8 1996

MLA (Modern Language Association)
NOTE: choose "MLA Style" from the menu column in the lower right part of the page

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing
Reference Desk PN147 .G444 1998

Online!: a reference guide to using Internet sources
Reference TK5105.875 .I57 H364 2000

The companion website for this book features excerpts from the book, including much of the material related to the formatting used when citing Internet sources. Includes citation guides for MLA, Chicago, CBE, and APA styles.

Scientific style and format: the CBE manual for authors, editors, and publishers (6th ed.)
Reference T11 .S386 1994 (2 copies)
MathSciRef T11 .S386 1994

UW-Madison Writing Center Writer's Handbook

Includes APSA (American Political Science Association), APA (American Psychological Association), Chicago/Turabian, CBE (Council of Biology Editors), and MLA (Modern Language Association) styles.

This list is not exhaustive! For more style manuals, use "Search Everything" in EUCLID with the keywords style manual.

For further assistance in how to cite your research, in using Endnote (a citation/bibliography manager), and in avoiding plagiarism, please see: Citation Styles, Style Manuals, and Plagiarism. Additionally, the Emory General Libraries are offering some workshops on these topics and on related ones. Please see the Classes and Workshops page for more information.

This library course guide was compiled for Professor Ron Gould's Math 190: Games, Sports, and Gambling course taught in Fall 2005. Please feel free to contact Laura, your Math and Computer Science librarian, with questions, comments, or requests for assistance.

Laura Kane McElfresh, Serials Cataloger, Mathematics/Computer Science Librarian, and Dance Librarian, Emory University General Libraries