Music: Classical Music Subject Guide

The library catalogue lists physical items and ebooks purchased by the library.

Use Multisearch to search the library catalogue and online collections at the same time.

Google Scholar can be a useful search tool when starting your research, but it should not be the only tool you use. However, while you know you can rely on MTU library resources, it is up to you to make sure content you find on Google Scholar is safe to use for your assignments and research.  

Enter your keywords and click Search.

Did you know that you can link Google Scholar to the MTU Library so it always tells you when the full text of an article is available from the library

Visit the MTU Library website for more information on Google Scholar guide.

Searching the library's online resources is a bit different to searching Google.  Here are some tips to get you started:

• List keywords for each of the main concepts or ideas in your research question
• What is the impact of global warming on Adelie penguins on the Antartic continent
• Enter keywords not sentences into the search box
• Join keywords using AND
  • global warming AND penguins
• Use OR between words with similar meanings and put OR'd words in brackets
  • Adelie penguins AND (global warming OR climate change)
• Use quotation marks to look for phrases
  • Adelie penguings AND "global warming"
• Try searching with different combinations of keywords and see what works best.
• Use your search results to find new keywords

Things to think about when making your list of keywords

• Synonyms (words that mean the same thing)
  • drug abuse, drug addction or substance abuse
• Acronyms (abbreviations)
  • GP or General Practitioner, HSE or Health and Safety Executive
• Specialist language
  • narcotics vs drugs
• Word endings
  •  addict* will find addict, addicts, addicted, addiction, but child will not find children.
• Phrases (looks for words together and in order)
  • "controlled substance"
• UK vs American Spelling
  • colour vs color, analyse vs analyze, centre vs centre 

For more search help, check out out the Effective Searching Module of the Assignment Toolkit. and our Top Tips for Smarter Searching guide for more search hints  

Use  Multisearch to find journals and ejournals.  

Here is a selection of print and ejournals available through the library.  Click the "i" icon to quickly see if the journal is available in print or online 

Use these databases to do a more focused search for journal articles that relate to your music topic. Click on the "i" icon to see a description for each database.​​​​

You can find a full list of library e-resources on the library's A-Z of Online Resources page.

Here are some websites you may find useful.  Remember to always check the quality and reliability of resources you find on websites.  

CSM Fleischmann Library’s dedicated audio space for students and staff to explore, listen, and enjoy 4500+ Vinyl records and 7500+ CDs across multiple music genres.
The main aim of The Listening Spot is to provide the music, equipment and environment to help CSM students improve as Listener-Players, by developing the keener ear that comes from regular, dedicated listening.
Below is just a small selection of the music available for you to listen to in the Listening Spot, search the  MTU library catalogue for more

Find the Music you like

Explore the audio collections by clicking on this link MTU library catalogue and when you find the music you want simply ask for it at the issue desk!

Referencing is an essential skill for academic writing.  It is important to acknowledge the work of others to avoid plagiarism.  

We recommend you complete the following online tutorials from the MTU Libraries Assignment Toolkit.  

• Module 8: Referencing
• Module 6: Understanding Plagiarism

Here is a link to some very useful Referencing Guides covering all of the most popular referencing styles. In this section, you'll also find information on Referencing Software.

Look for a peer-review limiter on your search results page. 

How do I know if a journal is peer-reviewed?

• If you are searching a library database such as CINAHL, use the peer-reviewed limiter.
• Google the journal home page; this information is almost always located on the publisher's website.
• Ask a librarian for help.

Be careful, however!  Not all articles within a peer-reviewed journal are peer-reviewed articles.  

TIP:  Peer-reviewed articles will have an abstract and a list of references.

We recommend you complete the following online tutorials from the MTU Library Assignment Toolkit.  

• Module 7: How to Succeed at Academic Writing

You can also check out the Academic Learning Centre on the MTU Cork campus or the Academic Success Centre on the MTU Kerry campus.