How to Use Sage

• What is Sage?
• How do I search Sage?
• What are those tags?
• What are those types?

What is Sage?

Sage is the UCSD Library's gateway to the Web. It is a database of electronic resources licensed for UCSD as well as many freely available on the Internet. These resources have been selected by our library subject specialists as being valuable for research by students, faculty and staff. Sage includes websites, article databases, electronic journals, electronic books and reports, primary sources, audio, image and video collections, and databases of all types.

Sage helps you find appropriate sites and databases for your research topic, but doesn't actually search them. If you are looking for articles on a topic, this search engine does NOT give you references to articles. It will give a good selection of databases where you can go and do the search yourself.

Think of Sage as a resource like Google Scholar or Yahoo, with quality control added by librarians familiar with UCSD's scholarly and scientific programs

How do I search Sage?

You may browse by academic subject (art, biology, physics, theatre, etc.) and view a list of Web resources for that subject.

The first page you see for each subject is a selected list of "Featured" resources. A menu on the right lets you expand into more resources for that subject, arranged by more than 50 different "types" (article databases, audio, encyclopedias, e-journals, news, pictures, primary sources ... even "fun things". (Jump to a list of types).

Each list is in alphabetical order, but those marked "KEY" move to the top of the list.

You can also search Sage by keywords, to discover resources that fit the search words you use. Results of a keyword search are ranked in order of relevance based on the words you entered

• REMINDER: Sage will not actually search within those sites. Don't focus your search on a specific research topic. For example, don't search for "impact of global warming on island populations". Use a broad search like "global warming".

What are those Sage Tags?

• [UCSD Only] - Anyone can use in the library, but our license limits off-campus use to our students, faculty and staff. See the page Remote Access on how to set up proxy or VPN for off-campus access.
• [Library Only] - Can only be used in campus libraries
• [Starters] - Basic resources that might be helpful when you start research on a topic

What are those Sage Types?

Types are categories that resources are placed in according to their format, medium, or source. If you know what kind of resource you're looking for, but aren't sure what subject it will be in, types can help you narrow the list down to a manageable size to browse through. You can also browse for everything with one type, though the results can be longer than you expect.

Types Used In Sage

Article Databases

Citations/abstracts of articles in journals, magazines, newspapers, etc., which may also include full text of some of those articles. See also Journals (Individual titles) and Journals (Collections).

Audio

Sound files.

Awards and Prizes

Nominations and awards given to individuals or groups for best (or worst) in their categories.

Bibliographies

Lists of materials in any format (books, articles, videos, websites, etc.) organized around a common theme or topic. See also Research Guides, Pathfinders and Tutorials.

Biography

Biographies or collections of biographies, biographical dictionaries, profiles of people or "Who's Whos", personal narratives, and other sites with significant biographical information. See also Directories.

Blogs

Blogs

Book Databases

Databases for locating printed and electronic books.

Book Reviews

Full text of and/or citations to book reviews in all fields. See also Literary Criticism.

Companies

Information about companies, including annual reports, directories of companies and company websites. See also Market Research.

Creative/Performing Artists (Official sites)

Sites created or authorized by, and maintained to present the work of, contemporary individuals or groups in the arts: artists, musicians, writers, theatre companies, motion picture productions, etc.

Conferences and Proceedings

Announcements and programs of upcoming conferences and proceedings of conferences that have already occurred.

Data (Numeric Properties)

Any numeric data collections that include scientific or property data. But not social science data; for that use Data Sets instead.

Data Sets

Numeric data collections including census and other demographic data, economic time-series, social surveys and public opinion polls, scientific data, and geographic data. See also Data Visualization.

Data Visualization

Information or software that aids in the visualization of information, e.g., GIS or programs to model chemical structures. See also Data Sets.

Directories

Alphabetical or subject listings containing names, addresses, and identifying data of persons or organizations. Includes registers and telephone/email directories.

Dictionaries

General and subject dictionaries in any language, dual language dictionaries, thesauri, dictionaries of quotations, acronym lists, and gazetteers (place name indexes).

Discussion Groups

Internet newsgroups or other electronic discussion forums (USENET, Listserv, etc.), including directories and search pages.

Dissertations

Lists, abstracts, or full text of doctoral dissertations or masters theses.

Electronic Journals

Individual electronic journals and magazines, in all subjects and disciplines.

Electronic Journals (Collections)

Collections of electronic journals, grouped by subject or publisher.

Electronic Texts

Electronic versions or equivalents of individual books, documents or manuscripts, including works of literature, religious texts, historical documents, government reports, etc. See also more specific types such as Dictionaries, Encyclopedias or Electronic Journals.

Electronic Texts (Collections)

Collections of electronic books, reports, documents or manuscripts, as well as manuscripts or other unpublished materials. See also more specific types such as Dictionaries. Encyclopedias or Electronic Journals.

Encyclopedias

General or subject specific encyclopedias.

Expeditions and Historical Sites

Web resources documenting expeditions, especially scientific, and a variety of historical sites, including archaeological digs.

Experiments

Experiments

Film Criticism

Full text of and/or citations to reviews and critiques of films.

Film Databases

Databases of citations to film media including DVD's, film prints and video formats.

Finding Aids to Manuscripts and Archives

Directories and guides to manuscripts, personal papers, and archives (e.g., Online Archive of California)

Fun Things

Considered entertaining, recreational, etc. – possibly even fun.

Government Resources

Web sites maintained by or containing substantial information about a government agency and its activities. Also found under more specific jurisdictions: San Diego area, California, United States or International.

Government Resources, California

Web sites maintained by or containing substantial information about a California state government agency and its activities. See also UCSD Sites.

Government Resources, International

Web sites maintained by or containing substantial information about a national government other than the United States, or an intergovernmental agency such as the United Nations.

Government Resources, San Diego

Web sites maintained by or containing substantial information about a government agency and its activities in the San Diego region. See also San Diego Area and UCSD Sites.,

Government Resources, United States

Web sites maintained by or containing substantial information about a U.S. federal government agency, or of a U.S. state or territory other than California.

Grants and Scholarships

Resources for identifying and applying for educational and research grants and scholarships.

Jobs

Job listings and/or career planning resources.

Libraries, Archives and Historical Societies

Official pages of and other web resources about libraries, museums, archives, galleries, local historical societies and similar institutions.

Literary Criticism

Full text of and/or citations to critiques of literary works, writers, and themes. See also Book Reviews.

Maps/Atlases

Maps and atlases. See also Data Visualizations (for GIS map displays) or Pictures/Images (for aerial photographs).

Market Research

Resources on company performance, product development and forecasts, as well as on industry sectors, market trends, etc. See also Companies.

Museums and Galleries

Official pages and other web resources by and about museums and galleries, and directories of such institutions.

News

Full text of or indexes to newspapers, newsmagazines, broadcast news transcripts or wire services, websites of these media, or directories of such sites.

Patents

Full text of patents as well as resources about them.

Performing Arts Review

Full text of or citations to reviews of theatrical, musical, motion pictures or other performances.

Pictures (Still Images)

Still images, including art, photography, illustrations, etc. See also Data Visualization and Video.

Podcasts

Podcasts

Preprints/Working Papers

Prepublication versions of articles and research findings, as well as resources for finding them. See also Conferences and Proceedings.

Primary Sources

Original first-hand accounts or documentary sources on a subject, person, event or issue, as well as guides to finding such sources. See also Finding Aids to Manuscripts and Archives, and News.

Product Catalogs

Buyers guides which list or describe products offered for sale or distribution. See also Publishers for publishers catalogs.

Publishers

Websites or directories of publishers. May include publishers catalogs.

Regulations/Laws

Full text of or citations to laws, ordinances, regulations, rulings by regulatory agencies, and decision by appellate courts. See also Standards/Guidelines

Research Guides, Pathfinders and Tutorials

Strategies or instructions for doing research or using information resources. See also Bibliographies.

San Diego Area

Resources about, or websites specific to, the San Diego region. See also Government Resources, San Diego and UCSD Sites.

Societies/Associations

Websites of academic, professional, political or nonprofit groups, or directories of such groups.

Software

Indexes to and instances of computer programs (executables or source code).

Standards/Specifications

Detailed instructions, which may have an official status, about how something is to be manufactured, managed, designed, or otherwise handled. See also Regulations/Laws.

Style Manuals

Guidelines or instruction on writing resumes, bibliographies, essays, etc.

Teaching Aids

Resources for teaching and developing instructional material. See also Research Guides, Pathfinders and Tutorials.

Technical Reports

Full text of or citations to technical reports. See also Conferences and Proceedings.

Tests, Measurements, Questionnaires

Resources for taking and conducting tests, and for developing test instruments, e.g., educational, aptitude, psychological, social surveys, public opinion, etc. Does not include exam results.

UCSD Sites

Main websites hosted by UCSD, including home pages of academic, administrative, and research units and student organizations.

University and College Sites

Main websites of institutions of higher education other than UCSD, and directories of those sites, as well as home pages of academic and administrative units and student organizations of those institutions. See also UCSD Sites.

Video (Moving Images)

Moving images of all types, including feature films, documentaries, animation, etc. See also Data Visualization and Pictures/Images.

Web Megasites

Comprehensive collections of websites arranged by one subject (e.g., Physics or Philosophy) or all subjects, by function (e.g., best search engines, webcams around the world), by concept (e.g., foreign governments sites, best reference sources ), etc.