Refresher Part 1: Starting Your Dissertation Research

Transcription

1 Refresher Part 1: Starting Your Dissertation Research Janet MacKay, Susan McCourt & Elaine Shallcross June 2013 LSC&M 2012/13

2 Aims Aims & Objectives An overview of methods and tools to search for books and additional information for your dissertation Includes: Planning a literature search Applying your search to Library catalogue, electronic books Web Managing your references Objectives To find and manage high quality background information for your dissertations

3 Research: writing Gather, assess and evaluate, form opinions, share Presenting own ideas Presenting what you ve learned from others Citations: precise, accurate and detailed information Allows the reader to check and verify evidence on which your argument/discussion is based Demonstrates the breadth of your gathering/reading and the work that you have considered in your research

4 Steps to Finding Reliable Information Step 1: Manage the information you find Step 2: Plan your search Step 3: What sort of information sources? Step 4: Search Primo or library catalogue Step 5: Use Primo>Find databases to identify relevant databases Step 6: Search relevant databases Step 7: Use Google for other support materials Step 8: Manage your results with RefWorks In all processes: be aware of copyright and avoiding plagiarism

5 Look ahead: how do I manage, store and keep track of all the references that I find? LSC&M 2012/13

6 STEP 1: Keep a record of what you find Be organised! You ll be gathering a lot of information Choices: Record material manually Use a spreadsheet or document to record bibliographic details Use reference management software Many products some free UoA uses RefWorks Use if more than 15 references

7 Q. How can I best manage the references I find? A. Can use software like RefWorks web-based software that acts like an electronic filing cabinet. It stores references and has features allowing you to create formatted bibliographies Note: other similar software available (Zotero, Mendeley, Cite-U-Like, Citavi) but no IT support for these

8 Q. How do I use RefWorks? Set up your personal account RefWorks confirms account in an + gives you a Group Code Begin your searches on databases Select references you wish to use... Export them to RefWorks

9 Creating a RefWorks account Go to Click on Sign up for a New Account

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11 Your supervisor may ask for a list of references - RefWorks creates a standalone bibliography

12 Always proof-read the output (relies on quality of records pulled in)

13 Q. How do I use RefWorks? Set up your personal account RefWorks confirms account in an + gives you a Group Code Begin your searches in e-book collections, databases etc (not in RefWorks!) Select references you wish to use... Send them to RefWorks to store handout available on how to do this Remember: ALL the references you want to use must be in RefWorks

14 Now What s next? Do you already have a RefWorks account? Yes remember your login details? Check that you can access your account No - Follow instructions in handout to set up a RefWorks account Use an account that you access regularly as part of the registration process You will be sent a confirmation by RefWorks keep it safe as it includes important information (the Group Code) Important: you will still be able to access/use the RefWorks service when you have completed your degree here at the University of Aberdeen

15 STEP 2: Plan your Search First things first take a pencil and paper and do some brainstorming Only takes a few minutes Saves time in the long run What information are you looking for? Analyse the topic

16 Planning your Search cont Think about Time Topic break it down into ideas (concepts); keywords Words spelling eg labour/labor, alternative words eg World Trade Organisation/WTO or child/juvenile/minor, truncation Linking words (Boolean logic - and/or) Write them down in a table

17 Example topic: Discuss the impact of oil spills on the marine environment oil spills marine environment oceans seas marine shoreline environment turtles dolphins whales

18 Impact of oil spills on the marine environment Concepts Alternative keywords Idea 1 oil spill* or and Idea 2 sea* or ocean* or marine and Idea 3 environment* or marine environment

19 Boolean Searching Linking of words, phrases and concepts for searching in databases and the Web AND, OR are main operators ocean OR marine oil spill AND environment

20 Now Use the planning sheet provided and brainstorm your keywords and search phrases Words/phrases for Idea/Concept 1 Words/phrases for Idea/Concept 2 (and for 3 if you can take it this far at this stage) Spelling? Truncation? Linking terms (Boolean operators) Any other information e.g. Author names

21 STEP 3: Where to look? Depends on type of document Books, Research theses: Primo or Library Catalogue E-books: Primo (or library catalogue), named collections e.g. Ebrary, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, CUP Research papers (journal articles): Databases and Primo (Find Databases option) Reports, commercial information: Google or other search engines * Look up the search rules for the databases you plan to search

22 STEP 4: Search for books

23 Primo Tells you what we hold Mainly searching at title level for books, journals, theses Special search to search across or articles in journals (not 100% accurate!) Can link out to electronic resources using the SFX service /pri/qgpri001.pdf

24 Login for extra services use your university computer username and password Go to or link from For Students / Library, Special Collections & Museums / PRIMO (print & electronic resources)

25 Primo Search Rules Link ideas with Boolean Operator - AND Link alternative meanings with Boolean Operator - OR Use a truncation symbol to catch singular and plural forms; word endings e.g. diet* finds diet; diets; dietary Use quotation marks for phrase searching

26 Looking for books on a topic Use Advanced Search Flexible Search across a combination of fields Enter keywords in any order Can limit to certain resource types, e.g. books, e-books, journals, e- journals Follow the worksheet containing exercises in your workshop pack

27 Log in to Primo to take advantage of all the advanced features on offer and to view your Borrower Record Click on Advanced Search link

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30 Paper format books: use Details and Availability tabs for further information Availability: One copy, held on Floor 5 at Dee, not out on loan at the moment

31 Search for e-books Four big collections: records in Primo Ebrary ScienceDirect SpringerLink Cambridge Books Online

32 Ebrary e-books Always opt for an Advanced Search Apply search rules Can search across the text of all the books in the collection Finds far more books than a search on Primo

33 ScienceDirect e-books

34 SpringerLink e-books

35 Cambridge Books Online

36 Now Follow the instructions in your worksheet: Use your search terms to find whether we hold any items that would be relevant to your dissertation research Check Primo Go direct to one of the e-book collections and search across it (you may need to look at the other collections in your own time)

37 Step 5: Where to look? Depends on type of document Books, Research theses: Primo or Library Catalogue E-books: Primo (or library catalogue), named collections e.g. Ebrary, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink Reports, commercial information: Google or other search engines * Look up the search rules for the databases you plan to search

38 Use Google (or another) search engine to find less academic material The tools you choose depend on the type of information/document you are looking for

39 Why are search engines useful? Useful for trade/technical and related support material Useful for reports/ grey literature not contained in databases Use advanced search features to refine searches Be careful what you use - anyone can post material You must evaluate content date, author, URL, bias

40 Web Search Engines Google popular Indexes billions pages; ranks results Good reputation for relevancy and wide subject coverage + search for images Advanced Search option tricky to find, but worthwhile! Always be careful what you use for academic work evaluation essential Can include web pages in your bibliography check the formatting requirements! Google Scholar - Scirus Science-specific, is included as tab in Scopus +350 million scientific items including journal content, scientists' homepages, courseware, pre-prints, patents, institutional repository and website information

41 Even Google & Google Scholar have search rules! Automatically links keywords (ideas) with Boolean Operator - AND Link alternative meanings with Boolean Operator OR Automatic stemming (truncation) e.g. diet finds diet and diets and dietary Uses phrase searching

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46 Keywords migrate automatically to Advanced Search screen - Google doing an AND search on each of the words

47 Use other advanced options to limit and refine your search e.g. Domain name, Date Be more specific if there are phrases that you want to use. Use singular form of word automatic truncation Apply more limits when the pages were last updated and domain e.g. US government

48 From 7,000,000 to 68 results using advanced search and refine options

49 Evaluate - checklist Accuracy Spelling errors? Content - editorial control? Authority Check credentials; domain Objectivity Aim? Bias? Sponsored? Currency Up-to-date? Undated = no authority Coverage topics (in-depth or summary) Supported by evidence? Research? References? Source evaluated e.g. subject gateway Contact information? Links to reputable websites?

50 Not recommended as main source for research Not a substitute for academic databases But can be source of very useful support material (in some instances the only source) document types not covered in the academic databases e.g.reports, manuals, trade literature can be more up-to-date re topical issues regard as source for practical/operational information use to supplement the academic/research orientated material always evaluate your results

51 Get organised! Bibliography - don t leave this until last! keep notes on each of your readings, or compile a Word table, or create a reference database (on Access?) or use index cards or use bibliographic management software Plagiarism = copying = cheating Keep backing up your work H drive, memory sticks.

52 Now Try out your search in Google or other search engine Concentrate on the tools or resources that are of interest to you Refine and modify your searches Ask for help that s what we re here for

53 Off Campus Access Technical Issues When on campus you are on a network that is recognised by our suppliers. Additional software (utilities/plugins) often already installed so that software works. When off campus you will have to: set web proxy allow pop-ups for certain sites, e.g. ebrary, RefWorks allow cookies for certain sites, e.g. ebrary install extra plugins e.g. ebrary Reader, RefWorks Write-N-Cite See relevant library guides and computing fact sheets at Check and

54 LSC&M 2012/13 Finishing off

55 Aims Aims & Objectives An overview of methods and tools to search for books and additional information for your dissertation Includes: Planning a literature search Applying your search to a number of resources Library catalogue, electronic books Web Managing your references Objectives To find and manage high quality background information for your dissertations

56 How can I find out more? Information skills wiki at Library guides and help all guides online, many printed free; podcast tours; vodcast demos via Quick Query: instant messaging service from the library home page - Library web pages Access problems IT Service Desk Tel (and out of hours service) servicedesk@abdn.ac.uk

57 Three things to remember Plan your search and your time Ask for help that s what we re here for Make sure your off-campus PC is set up properly to give you access to all our electronic material

58 Thank you. Please complete the evaluation form LSC&M 2012/13

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60 2012/13 Slides 1,3,16,21,23,26,31,40,49,50,53,56

61 Use RefWorks to create a standalone bibliography copy/paste on to the end of your dissertation insert in-text citations manually

62 Alternative option Write-n-Cite Plugin that formats your whole dissertation (in-text citations and bibliography) Must download on to your own computer from the Tools menu Download v.3 (not the most recent version) Don t have time to show you this now see how it works next week