dissertationresearch2012
TRANSCRIPT
CATHERINE FUNNELLSENIOR LIAISON LIBRARIAN LAW AND
MARKETINGSHEPPARD LIBRARY
MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITYMARCH 2012
DISSERTATION RESEARCHLEX4160
Why Do a Dissertation?
Take 5-10 minutes and write down why you are doing a dissertation. What is the purpose of undertaking a dissertation?
What are the/your objectives?
What elements are involved in the process?
Why Do a Dissertation?
...................A Job/Personal Satisfaction
Objectives
To be able to undertake a substantial piece of academic study
To be able to develop a personal specialism
To put a personal stamp on a piece of work
To be able to explore the literature on a chosen topic
Objectives
To be able to refine and extend skills in finding,selecting and critically analysing information
To be able to refine skills in decision –making,task management and problem solving
To be able to refine skills in summarising and presenting findings
Cottrell, The Study Skills Handbook
Processes Involved
Planning/OrganisingLiterature ReviewResearchWriting
Literature Review
Signifies the systematic study of a topicDefines, describes and explains what
the topic isRequires the ability to access and
critically assess the various debates and issues the topic has generated
Salter M and Mason
Planning /Organising
Undertaking a Literature Reviewhttp://www.mondofacto.com/study-skills/writing/h
ow-to-write-your-literature-review/06.html
Useful Checklist
Some Useful Titles-1st Floor Sheppard Library
For Undertaking Literature Reviews
Researching and Writing Dissertations
Try using legal writing, legal composition and /or legal research as search keywords
Legal Writing on the Catalogue-27 Results
Some Really Useful TitlesMcConville is Available as an E Book
Have Developed policies to promote the research process in higher education
Within these policies they have identified the skills that a research student should be mastering whilst undertaking the research and writing of a dissertation
SCONUL(Society of College, National and University Libraries)
The Skills
Ability to distinguish the gap between what you already know and what you need to know to complete a dissertation
Distinguishing the ways in which this information gap may be addressed(awareness of different ways of meeting your information needs-variety of sources and channels, eg books, journals, reports etc)
Constructing strategies to locate information (getting the best out of your sources for effective results)
The Skills
Locating and accessing information(knowledge and skills to extract the information-using Boolean Logic
Comparing and evaluating information from different sources(comparing different perspectives, evaluating the information critically and carefully)
Organising, applying and communicating the information to others(bibliographic management tools, citing appropraitely)
The Skills
Finally, synthesising and building upon existing information with the creation of new knowledge,new content,new perspective
Recap
Ok, some of you may be enrolled in LEX4110, Issues in EU Law and you recently undertook a Research Proposal for your paper on an EU topic
So basically what you will be doing with your dissertation is a similar but substantively more comprehensive and longer version of the LEX 4110 assignment
But you will already have worked through the rudiments of what will be involved in a dissertation
Evaluating Information
Remember one of the objectives in undertaking a dissertation is developing your ‘talent’ for evaluating information-critically assessing the quality of the information you are gathering
You will need to evaluate for for both quality and relevance
Determine if what you are finding is both what you need and trustworthy
Considerations When Evaluating
Authority: Who is the author? What is their knowledge base/qualifications?Is the article published in a scholarly/peer reviewed journal?
Relevance: Is it ‘pitched’ at the appropriate level? Is it what I really need?
Objectivity: Balanced view? Are opposing views presented? Supporting Information?
Considerations When Evaluating
Intent: What is the purpose of the information-eg financial gain,propaganda, academic etc?
Currency: How old is the information? When was it last updated and by whom?
Evaluating Websites
Considerations are very similar to those evaluating
Information
Authority: Who is responsible for the page/site? A reliable organisation or subject expert(s)? Can you trust them?
Accuracy/Reliability: is the information correct? Grammar and spelling correct? Just one point of view? Agenda-is it their own? Fact/opinion?
Evaluating Websites
Audience: Is the information at the right levelto be quoted in your work?(general, public higher education)
Currency: Can you tell how upto date it is? Is it regularly updated?
Feel: Is the site well structured and easy to navigate? Links up to date and working?
If the site is well designed and maintained then you can feel
more confident about the information it provides
Have a Look at...........INTERNET DETECTIVE TUTORIAL
(http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/index/htm)
(http://www.sosig.ac.uk/vts/lawyers/index.htm)
Really useful site!
.................................And Also
Internet Lawyer
(http://www.sosig.ac.uk/vts/lawyers/index.htm)
Terrific Help!
Authoritative ?
Take 10 minutes
and evaluate
http://www.worldlii.org
Dissertations/Theses
Middlesex Dissertations
Search the library catalogue for Middlesex Dissertations. Use the default General Keyword option and type dissertation law
Click on the title to view details
Complete Request FormTake to Help Desk-Ground Floor
DISSERTATION REQUEST
(Please complete all sections)Please note this is a 2 hour
service Borrower Surname: ________________________ Date: ________________ Time: ______________ ID Number: _________________________ Author: __________________________________ Title: ____________________________________ Barcode: _________________ Year: __________
ETHOS-British Library
Where theses are digitised they are usually available as a free download. Register at ethos.bl.uk. See the ETHoS FAQ page for more information OR USE THE LINK ON MY Subject Guide
Index to Theses
Can access link from my Subject Guide
Getting Started
Step 1
Step 2
Abstract and Access to Thesis
Step 3
Step 4
Current Awareness
BLOGS!PODCASTS!
ALERTS!RSS FEEDS!
International Law-International Criminal Court
Important to keep up to date with developments, eg cases. Look at Press Releases
Access this site via link on my Subject Guide
Press Releases
Keep yourself informed about the status of a
case
Blogs
I have a number of key BLOGs on my Subject Guide but there are numerous other useful ones-see next slide
More Useful Blogs
Inner Temple Libraryhttp://www.innertemplelibrary.com/
Law Professor Blogshttp://www.lawprofessorblogs.com/
UK Lawyers Blog of Blawgshttp://www.ukblawgroundup.co.uk/
Martin Partington-Key Developments in Justice Systemhttp://martinpartington.com/
Podcasts
Legal Currenthttp://legalcurrent.libsyn.com/
Oxford Transitional Justice Research Podcasts(Recordings of selected seminars, workshops
and conferences)http://www.csls.ox.ac.uk/otjr.php?show=podcasts
Law Society Gazette Newsfeedshttp://www.lawgazette.co.uk/node/rssfeed
Other Libraries/Catalogues
Copac
Testing a Beta Version Try it out
Free access to merged online catalogues of many major university, specialist and national libraries in UK and Ireland(BL)
Choose Advanced Search
Step 1
Step 2
Searching for Theses on a Topic
Results
Published 3
Click On this 2
1
Availability
Availability eg .-BlackwellsIf You Wish to Purchase
Summary of Book
British Library’s Holdings
Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary Loan
Access From Library Services >Visiting Other Libraries
IALS(Institute of Advanced Legal Studies)
Access for full time taught postgraduate and PhD students only –with letter from Director of LLM Programme and MDX student card
Bibliographic Management Software
Save Citations and Format a Bibliography!
REFWORKS AND LEXIS
New way of displaying results
Search statement is lamfalussy w/p “european union”
Saving Your Results
Export to Refworks
It’s a good idea to save your results in a Bibliographic Management System
Click on Refworks Icon
Step 1
Step 2
Create a Folder
Register in Refworks and then create a New Folder
Step 1
Folders already created
MY MAIN REFWORKS PAGE-I HAVE ALREADY CREATED FOLDERS
Give the Folder a Name
Folder appears on
Quick Access
Set up Your Search on Lexis
Export to Refworks
Click on Export
Journal Citation Has Been Exported to Refworks
Click on Last Imported
Add to My List
You can create a LIST of citations that will then be converted into a BIBLIOGRAPHY
Once added to your list it will say COMPLETED in green
Create a Bibliography
Create a Bibliography
1
2
3
4
Bibliography Completed
Formatted Saved Bibliography
Barnard, Catherine, 'The EU constitution-dealing with the deficit - 156 NLJ 173' (2006) The New Law Journal.
Duina, Francesco, 'Book Review: National Parliaments and European Democracy: A Bottom-up Approach to European Constitutionalism - Eur J Int Law (2008) 19 (2): 454' (2008) European Journal of International Law.
Koskenniemi, Martti, ''By Their Acts You Shall Know Them ...' (And Not by Their Legal Theories) - Eur J Int Law (2004) 15 (4): 839' (2004) European Journal of International Law.
Kumm, Mattias, 'The Legitimacy of International Law: A Constitutionalist Framework of Analysis - Eur J Int Law (2004) 15 (5): 907' (2004) European Journal of International Law.
Snell, Jukka, 'European Constitutional Settlement, an Ever-Closing Union, and the Treaty of Lisbon: Democracy or Relevance' (2008) Eur Law Rev.
Thürer1, Daniel, 'Max Huber: A Portrait in Outline - Eur J Int Law (2007) 18 (1): 69' (2007) European Journal of International Law.
Export from BSC to Refworks
We’ll search the same keywords in another database and export to RefWorks
Result List
Click on the 1st result you want to look at
Export to Refworks
Step 1
Step 2
Results Exported
Click on View Last Imported
BSC Article Now in Refworks
Add to Designated Folder
Place a tick in the rectangular box, hover over downward arrow and click on ADD TO and then click on Folder you want to add to
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Create Bibliography of Merged Records(Lexis and BSC)
Choose the EU and Democratic Folder
Step 1
Step 2
Merged Bibliography
Barnard, Catherine, 'The EU constitution-dealing with the deficit - 156 NLJ 173' (2006) The New Law Journal.
Bellamy, Richard, 'Still in Deficit: Rights, Regulation, and Democracy in the EU' (2006) 12(6) European Law Journal 725.
Bellamy, Richard, 'Still in Deficit: Rights, Regulation, and Democracy in the EU' (2006) 12(6) European Law Journal 725.
Crum, Ben, 'Tailoring Representative Democracy to the European Union: Does the European Constitution Reduce the Democratic Deficit?' (2005) 11(4) European Law Journal 452.
Duina, Francesco, 'Book Review: National Parliaments and European Democracy: A Bottom-up Approach to European Constitutionalism - Eur J Int Law (2008) 19 (2): 454' (2008) European Journal of International Law.
Etzioni, Amitai, 'The Community Deficit' (2007) 45(1) Journal of Common Market Studies 23.
Fossum, John Erik and Agustín Jos Menéndez, 'The Constitution's Gift? A Deliberative Democratic Analysis of Constitution Making in the European Union' (2005) 11(4) European Law Journal 380.
Kitus, Andro, 'Europeanization, democratic deficit and the constitutional debate in Estonia' (2008) 21(2) Innovation: The European Journal of Social Sciences 111.
Koskenniemi, Martti, ''By Their Acts You Shall Know Them ...' (And Not by Their Legal Theories) - Eur J Int Law (2004) 15 (4): 839' (2004) European Journal of International Law.
Kumm, Mattias, 'The Legitimacy of International Law: A Constitutionalist Framework of Analysis - Eur J Int Law (2004) 15 (5): 907' (2004) European Journal of International Law.
Lord, Christopher, 'Still in democratic deficit' (2008) 43(6) Intereconomics 316.
Meadowcroft, John, 'The European Democratic Deficit, the Market and the Public Space: A Classical Liberal Critique' (2002) 15(3) Innovation: The European Journal of Social Sciences 181.
Snell, Jukka, 'European Constitutional Settlement, an Ever-Closing Union, and the Treaty of Lisbon: Democracy or Relevance' (2008) Eur Law Rev.
Thürer1, Daniel, 'Max Huber: A Portrait in Outline - Eur J Int Law (2007) 18 (1): 69' (2007) European Journal of International Law.
LEXIS
BSC
FLAG(Foreign Guide IALS)
Enter as Much Information
Results
Detailed Record of Holdings
United Nations Treaty Collection
http://www.treaties.un.org
Lawlinks-University of Kent
Excellent source for links to further useful resources
http://www.kent.ac.uk//lawlinks
My Subject Guide!
Dissertation Writing and Plagiarism
Book a time in one of these Workshops with staff from the LDU
Their Calendar is available via My UniHub>My Study>My Learning
