researching your dissertation: finding material and making connections ric licence chris b radford...
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Researching your dissertation:finding material and making connections
ric Licence
Chris Bradford and Sam Johnson (Academic Support Librarians)
I’m confident finding material for my dissertation
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0%
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0% 1. Yes2. No3. Up-to-a-point
What is a literature review?
• Fink (2005) “systematic, explicit and reproducible method for identifying, evaluating and synthesising the existing body or completed work produced by researchers, scholars and practitioners”
• Hart (1998) “the selection of available documents…on the topic…written from a particular standpoint to fulfill certain aims or express certain views on the topic and how it is to be investigated, and the effective evaluation of these documents in the relation to the research being proposed”
Analyse your question• Be clear what it is you are researching
– What different concepts are involved?– What terms may describe these concepts?– List your terms (keywords) by concept
• Dictionaries/Encyclopedias/Philosophers Index – International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioural
Sciences– Encyclopedia of Political Theory – Oxford Reference Online – Cambridge Histories Online
Identify your literature• Varies according to information you require
– Original documentation MRC• e.g. minutes, reports, correspondence
– Scholarly analysis and research catalogues, databases• e.g. books, journal articles, conference papers
– Facts and figures UK Data Service/National Statistics/DataStream
• e.g. official publications and statistics
– Popular commentary and analysis Factiva• e.g. news reports, political magazines, weblogs, twitter
The LiteratureJournal articles
Books
Reports
NewspapersWorking papers
Articles on a topic
• Abstracting and full-text journal databases• Broader and more focused subject coverage than
full-text services (and Google Scholar)– Key abstracting databases organised by subject
on the Library web pages– Or, via links from the catalogue or Encore
Indexing/abstracting databases
• Specialist subject focus• Broad coverage of scholarly materials in
discipline• High search flexibility and control• Transferable search principles/techniques• Similar functionality
– Search Select Save/print/email
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
Web of Knowledge
http://screencast.com/t/n6KfxFloe4Ehttp://screencast.com/t/n6KfxFloe4E
Citation data
How many words does the average user put in a search statement?
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1. 22. 33. 14
Nicholas (1998:p131) “Typically one –third of users enter one word in their search statements, about the same proportion two words and the remaining third three words or more. Just under half of all users employ just a single search during a session or visit and just under a quarter undertake two”
Looking at Science Direct – 35% 2-4 Searches being undertaken9% 5-10 searches being undertaken1% Over 10 searches
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keywords
Catalogue record
Journal IndexJournal article - record
Search planning
• Pre-planning makes for better searching– Look at database help and search tips– Identify and list your conceptual keywords– Use these keywords to build and refine search– Refine your search incorporating
descriptors/key-words/limiters from the database
Limiting your search horizons
Picture by CaptPiper, reproduced under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic Licence.
Too many results?
Too many results...?
1 2 3 4
0% 0%0%0%
1. Limit to title field2. Restrict the year3. Restrict the type of
publication4. Increase precision of
search terms
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Too few results?
• To increase recall of search:– Use broader terms to express concepts– Add alternative search terms (OR)
– Try another database
Statistics on a topic
• Ask: who would produce the data you want?– National statistical agencies? International
organisations? Trade bodies? Other?• ESDS database (http://www.esds.ac.uk/)
• Extensive UK, IMF, OECD and World Bank datasets• Registration (free!) required
• See Statistics subject page for access
Output – EndNote Web
• Keep records of your searches and results– Database alerts and saved searches
• Organise and manage resources you read– Bibliographic reference management software
• EndNote or EndNoteWeb
Staying up-to-dateDatabase search alerts
What do I do a journal article I want is not in stock?
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1. Give up and look for something else.
2. See if the article is available in another format
3. Use Article Reach4. Use Document
Supply
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Article Reach
Note –average request takes 27hours
Document Supply
SCONUL Access Scheme
Question your research needs
• Review your progress periodically• New ideas, concepts, events, people,
countries and authors to (re)search• Trace material from book/journal references
Questions?
Questions?
Picture by g - s - h, reproduced under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 2.0 Generic Licence
Further help
• One-to-one support from Academic Support Librarian
• EndNote Web Training
References• BIGGAM, J. (2011). Succeeding with your master's dissertation a step-by-step handbook.
Maidenhead, Open University Press.
• BOOTH, A., PAPAIOANNOU, D., & SUTTON, A. (2012). Systematic approaches to a successful literature review. London, Sage.
• HART, C. (1998). Doing a literature review: releasing the social science research imagination. London, Sage Publications.
• NICHOLAS, D. (2009). Digital consumers: reshaping the information professions. London, Facet Publishing.
• OLIVER, P. (2012). Succeeding with your literature review: a handbook for students. Maidenhead, Open University Press.
• RIDLEY, D. (2012). The literature review: a step-by-step guide for students. London, SAGE.
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