Frequently Asked Questions

 

Access

 

Additional Services

 

General

 

How can I find out what journals are available?

The A-Z list of e-Journals is a searchable and browsable list of journals Library users currently have access to.

 

How do I access Library resources remotely? 

Online access to journals and other scientific literature requires you to log in using CIT credentials and remote access security procedures such as use of Duo, or Yubikey access. See your group IT administrator if you need help. 

We recommend using the links on our Research Resources page or the search box on the NCAR Library home page to ensure that you are logged in.

 

How do I access journal articles?

You may search for journal articles via subscribed databases. There is not a centralized way to search for articles across databases so please feel free to use an external service such as Google Scholar or Web of Science to help you find articles.

The library provides access to many printed and electronic journals. Printed journals can be located by searching in the NCAR Library catalog using the search criteria of "journal titles". E-journals can be accessed and searched by titles A-Z or by subject on the A-Z List of e-Journals.

Note: You must be logged in to access most e-journal articles. 

 

What online resources are available in the Library? 

The Library offers access to many on-line resources. You can find these websites listed on our research resources page.

 

How do I find journal articles by DOI?

To get to an article by DOI, use the search box on the NCAR Library home page and choose “Search by DOI”.

 

How do I find journal articles by title?

To locate an article by title, use the search box on the NCAR Library home page to search for articles via Google Scholar. You can also search for articles by title from Web of Science or Google Scholar which are available on our Research Resources page.

 

What if I cannot access an article I want?

If you encounter a paywall, or are otherwise denied access to an article:

  1. Check to make sure that you are logged in using your CIT credentials.
  2. Submit an InterLibrary Loan Request to obtain journal articles not provided via our journal service.
  3. Contact NCAR Reference for help troubleshooting access.

 

What research services are available?

The library and its staff offer many services to support and facilitate scientific research and scholarship.

If you would like to meet with a librarian, please contact us at least 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment to ensure availability of staff and resources.

Learn more about our researcher support and services.

 

What is OpenSky?

OpenSky is the open access institutional repository supporting UCAR, NCAR, and UCP, extending free and open access to our scholarship for the benefit of research and education. OpenSky is operated by the NCAR Library, founded on the principle that public access to the scholarly record is essential to the advancement of science and society. The vision of OpenSky is to preserve and make freely accessible the scholarly record of UCAR, NCAR, and UCP, in support of the broad mission of UCAR to foster science, support its community, and facilitate the transfer of knowledge.

Visit OpenSky for more information.

 

What are the NCAR Archives?

The Archives seeks to preserve the institutional memory of UCAR/NCAR/UCP. The Archives acquires, processes, manages, and makes accessible to staff and researchers high quality information resources documenting the broad spectrum of activities undertaken by UCAR/NCAR/UCP in the areas of research, technology, education, and community building.

Vist the NCAR Archives for more information.

 

When and where can I visit the Library?

The Mesa Lab Library is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m. For Mesa Lab building hours, directions, and more information, please see the Plan Your Trip to the Mesa Lab Visitors Center page.

The Foothills Library is open to all UCAR/NCAR/UCP staff, but it is not open to the general public.

If you would like to meet with a librarian, please contact us at least 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment to ensure availability of staff and resources. Please email library@ucar.edu with any questions. 

Learn more about the the library campus locations.

 

What resources are offered in each Library?

The NCAR Library offers print and electronic resources for all UCAR/NCAR/UCP staff. Each location also has a unique set of hardcopy journals, books, and reports, as well as a self-checkout machine. Subject specialties and their specific locations are listed for each campus. You can consult the NCAR Library catalog, to access books, print journals and their location and availability. If you cannot find what you are looking for, you can submit an Interlibrary Loan request. If you would like to meet with a librarian, please contact us at least 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment to ensure availability of staff and resources. Please email library@ucar.edu with any questions. 

 

How do I check out, renew or request resources?

All NCAR/UCAR/UCP employees and official visitors may check out library resources from either library location.

Learn more about checking out, renewing, or requesting resources.

 

How does the NCAR Library support public access to federally funded research?

Since its inception, NCAR|UCAR has always embraced the concept of open science and open data. We have a long history of developing and sustaining programs, systems, and services that are freely shared and available to our research and educational communities.

Please see our Public Access Information for further information.

 

What is software citation?

Software that can be used by others should receive the necessary acknowledgement and recognition it deserves with a permanent identifier such as a DOI. Software forms a critical thread in our modern work; making it citeable provides the traceability necessary for our scientific endeavors. Visit our Software Citation Recommendation Page for more information.

 

How can I create a citation and DOI for my software?

Minting a DOI is easy and is handled through the NCAR Library. Please follow the link here to learn more: https://ncar.github.io/software-citation/index.html

 

How do I find books?

The NCAR Library's collection contains a wealth of resources in print and electronic formats. The collection consists of current state-of-the-art scientific research materials as well significant historical references. To search for printed books and journals go to the NCAR Library catalog.

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How do I find weather and climate data?

There are many weather and climate data resources available to provide data and "real time" information for local, national and international weather and climate.

 

What is a citation, and how can it be used?

The word "citation" has several meanings. It can mean a reference to a publication that includes the title, author, name of publication, etc. or it can refer to the citation count, which is the number of times an article or author has been cited. The Web of Science database provides comprehensive and multidisciplinary access to citations for journals and conference proceedings. The number of times an article has been cited can be found through either a basic author or title search in Web of Science. The times cited number is listed at the end of the reference. The number of times an author has been cited can be found through a Cited Reference search in Web of Science.

 

What is the H-index?

The h-index assesses the impact of an individual author's total output and takes into account both the quantity and quality of publications. The h-index is based on the number of publications and is meaningful when compared to others within the same discipline area. Researchers in one field may have very different h-indices than researchers in another (e.g. Earth Science vs Physics). An h-index of 10 means an author has published ten papers with at least ten citations each. The Web of Science database offers citation reports that address this impact of publication. Please note, the h-index is based on the publications indexed in the Web of Science database only. It does not take into account publications in non-refereed journals, books, and reports.