beb100 – introducing professional learning 2009 researching for the built environment and...
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BEB100 – Introducing Professional Learning 2009
Researching for the Built Environment and Engineering Professions
Graham DawsonCraig Milne
Jennifer ThomasMarvin van Prooijen
BEB100 – Introducing Professional Learning 2009
• The research process• Planning for research• Search strategies• Search tools• Evaluating information• Useful resources and searches• Further help
Today’s objectives
BEB100 – Introducing Professional Learning 2009
1. Obtain your project brief and details of requirements
2. Define your information needs and search objectives
3. Develop a search plan as your guide
4. Consider the type of information and types of sources
5. Use your search plan and trial in the search tools
6. Evaluate results; develop and refine your searches
7. Use and communicate results
( page 2 )The research process
BEB100 – Introducing Professional Learning 2009
Define your information need:
• Analyse your project brief / assignment• Identify key concepts / synonyms / alternatives / plurals
• Make use of a search planner / concept mapping
Example – sustainability:
sustainable, ecological, renewable, recycle, “energy efficient”
( page 3 )Planning your searches
BEB100 – Introducing Professional Learning 2009
Using ‘AND’ - Infrastructure AND “remote communities”
Using ‘OR’ - Indigenous OR aboriginal OR native
Using ‘NOT’ - infrastructure NOT “information technology”
Use: “ ….. ” For phrase searching - “public private partnership”
Use: * For alternative endings to words - hous* , sustainab*
Think about the type of information you require:- background, statistics, technical, demographic, planning, research,
Think about the types of information sources you will need
- Journals, Conferences, Newspapers, Websites, Podcasts, Books,
( 8 - 11 )Search strategies: Symbols & tips
BEB100 – Introducing Professional Learning 2009
A: Google
B: Library Catalogue
C: Databases
Where do you start looking?
BEB100 – Introducing Professional Learning 2009
The Web Google Advanced Search
Google Scholar
Library CatalogueBooks, eBooks, book chapters
Also: DVD’s, journals, websites, reports, CD’s, newspapers,
magazines, maps, databases, standards, etc.
Databases The library subscribes to over 500 databases on various online platforms
Containing journal articles, reports, conference papers, news etc.
( pages 13-34 )Search tools
BEB100 – Introducing Professional Learning 2009
EBSCOhost – US / International• Academic Search Elite (Multidisciplinary)• Australia & NZ Reference Centre (Australian News)
ProQuest – US / International• Academic Research Library (Multidisciplinary)
InfoRMIT – Australian• Build, Engine, ATRI, Engineering Collection (Discipline specific)• APAIS-ATSIS, APA, ATSI-Health (Indigenous / Multidisciplinary)
Engineering Village – International• Compendex , Inspec (Engineering
disciplines)
Relevant platforms and databases
BEB100 – Introducing Professional Learning 2009
What criteria might you use to evaluate information?
Why?
Evaluation
BEB100 – Introducing Professional Learning 2009
Authorship and authority – who has written it?• What are their qualifications, experience, other publications, etc.
Date / age / currency of the information
Accuracy • Is the author objective or biased?• Is there proof or evidence to support the argument?• Does the author reference their sources?
Appearance – does is look good?• For journals - is there an abstract, list of references, is it refereed? • For books - "scholarly", specialist publisher, part of a series? • For websites – are the links unbroken, dates of last modification, etc.?
( pages 25-27 )Evaluating information
BEB100 – Introducing Professional Learning 2009
• Library text: Researching for the BEE Professions. 2nd ed. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/15668/
• Week 7 Tutorials: Searching databases
• Need help?: Ask-a-Librarian: http://www.library.qut.edu.au/help/
• PILOT - http://pilot.library.qut.edu.au/
• Library Homepage - http://www.library.qut.edu.au/
• Blackboard –BEB100 unit site
Further help and teaching