Library Workshop for Preparation of Honours Project

Research Strategies

March 2007

Collecting information effectively for Social Work resources

Working on your project proposal

1. Starting Points Previous work done by the gradu

ates <Library’s Honours Project Databa

se if your dept. participated> HKBU Faculty and Staff Papers a

nd Reports Catalogue Identify gaps in the literature, other

areas that worth of exploration General background of the topic

2. Research Focus1. Discuss with your

professor

2. Is your topic too broad? Consider a narrower scope

3. Write down your research questions

3. Identify Appropriate ResourcesDepending on your needs:

Do you need current articles or historical articles?

Do you need government documents? Do you need the speech or opinions fr

om the government officials and members of the Legislative Council in LegCo meetings?

Do you need statistics? Do you need survey and polling result

s? Do you need interviews?

Books, reports in the Library Catalogue

Journal articles in e-databases/ e-journals

Newspaper databases

Finding photos/ pictures on the Internet

LIB Tools

Working on your project proposal

Information Scenario Exercise:

Scenario #1: you want to know about social service policy and planning for the elderly

Scenario #2: you want information that discusses the pros and cons on the social service policy for the elderly

Scenario #3: you want information on the distribution of the elderly by districts in Hong Kong

Information Scenario Exercise:

Scenario #1: you want to know about social service policy and planning for the elderly

Scenario #2: you want information that discusses the pros and cons on the social service policy for the elderly

Scenario #3: you want information on the distribution of the elderly by districts in Hong Kong

Searching Tool: Lib. Catalogue

Searching Tool: Databases

Searching Tool: Statistics @Lib. Catalogue/ Internet

Keyword Search Skills

TruncationTruncation Useful to find words in variant forms Search all words that start with the same characters Represent multiple characters Placement of truncation symbol is significant

Phrase searchPhrase search To search multiple keywords as an exact phrase

E.g. social role With limitations

e.g. “mental health of the elderly” CANNOT find titles with “Older people’s mental health”, “Home care support for elderly with mental health problem”, etc.

WildcardWildcard Useful to find words in different spelling, singular/plural form Represent zero or a single character

Combining the use of AND, OR, AND NOTCombining the use of AND, OR, AND NOT Useful to narrow down, expand your search To exclude unwanted concepts Use brackets to set search priority

cultur* VS cult*

cultur* VS cult*

Behavio?r Wom?n

Behavio?r Wom?n

mental health AND (elder* OR aged)

mental health AND (elder* OR aged)

(housing OR residen*) AND elder* AND NOT hong kong

(housing OR residen*) AND elder* AND NOT hong kong

Search Techniques – A Summary

AdvertiseAdvertiserAdvertisementAdvertising

Where would you put the * truncation symbol?

AdvertiseAdvertiserAdvertisementAdvertising

Where would you put the * truncation symbol?

Search Techniques – A Quiz on using “Truncation”

Keyword Search VS Subject Headings:Keyword Search VS Subject Headings:

Search Techniques – Keyword VS Subject Headings

Subject Headings:

老人福利 – 香港 (36 records)

Older people – Services for – China – Hong Kong (85 records)

Older people – Social networks – China – Hong Kong (6 records)

Keyword Search:

Social services for the elderly in Hong Kong (1 record)

Keyword search: Home support services

What are the subject headings found in the records?

Keyword search: Home support services

What are the subject headings found in the records?

1

Identify Key Words in your Topic:Identify Key Words in your Topic:

What are the KEY terms?What are the KEY terms?2

Research on: family violence in Hong Kong

Research on: family violence in Hong Kong

Search Techniques – Exact Phrase VS Identify the KEY Terms

How many records can you findin the library catalogue by using the exact phrase?

How many records can you findin the library catalogue by using the exact phrase?

1

Identify Key Words in your Topic:Identify Key Words in your Topic:

What are the KEY terms?What are the KEY terms?1

Combine the KEY terms using “AND”Combine the KEY terms using “AND”

2

Research on: social services for the elderly in Hong

Kong

Research on: social services for the elderly in Hong

Kong

Search Techniques – Exact Phrase VS Identify the KEY Terms

Field Search (Keyword=XXX)Field Search (Keyword=XXX) To search the keyword in a particular field To avoid retrieving irrelevant records

Search Techniques – Field Search

Keyword search:

Social role

Irrelevant to “social role” in Social sciences, social work

context

Irrelevant to “social role” in Social sciences, social work

context

Subject in community colleges

1

2

Relevant to “social role” in social sciences context

Relevant to “social role” in social sciences context

Keyword search:

S: social role

Subject in men, sex role, social role, masculinity

Field SearchField Search To search the keyword in

a particular field Example: s=subject, t=titl

e, a=author

StatisticsFormula: <topic> AND

<country/region> AND s:(statistic* OR 統計 )

E.g. 中國 AND ( 農村 OR 鄉鎮 )

AND s: 統計

Applications: Finding Primary Resources

OFFICIAL STATISTICS Hong Kong Annual Digest of Statistics ( 香港統計年

刊 ) Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics ( 香港統計月

刊 ) Hong Kong Social and Economic Trends ( 香港社會及

經濟趨勢 ) Census & Statistics Dept. Hong Kong Statistics (Onlin

e) at: http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/ (Under “Statistics by Subject” & “Social Topics Studies”)

Census & Statistics Dept. Thematic Household Survey Report

Social Welfare Services in Figures (Online) at: http://www.swd.gov.hk/ (Under “Publications & Press Release”)

Social Welfare Dept. Support for Victims of Child Abuse, Spouse Battering and Sexual Violence at: http://www.swd.gov.hk/vs/english/stat.html (Under “Statistics on child abuse,… cases”)

Social Welfare Dept. Annual Report. Non-profit organizations (statistics & questionnaires)

Applications: Finding Primary Resources

Surveys and ReportsFormula: <topic> AND

<country/region> AND

s:(social survey* OR public opinion* OR case studies OR 調查 )

E.g. a:( 香港青年協會 OR hong kong federation of youth groups) AND (value? OR 人生觀 OR 價值觀 OR 理想 )

Field SearchField Search To search the keyword i

n a particular field Example: s=subject, t=tit

le, a=authorFind out survey reports about families in Hong KongFind out survey reports about families in Hong Kong

1

Find out materials about 家庭 prepared by the 香港社會服務聯會

Find out materials about 家庭 prepared by the 香港社會服務聯會

2

Applications: Finding Primary Resources

Issues discussed in the Legislative Council

Database on particular policy issues:

http://www.legco.gov.hk/database/english/list.htm

Council meetings (The Official Record of Proceedings of the Legislative Council of HK i.e. HK Hansard)

http://www.legco.gov.hk/general/english/counmtg/cm0408.htm

Records of the Legislature (before 2004 Sept)

http://www.legco.gov.hk/archive/english/archive.htm

Field SearchField Search To search the keywor

d in a particular field Example: s=subject, t

=title, a=author

Find out discussion onthe policy of minimum wages in the Legislative Council

Find out discussion onthe policy of minimum wages in the Legislative Council

1

Legislative Council ResourcesE.g. (a:hong kong AND

legislative council) AND

official record*

Research on: mental health of older people

Research on: mental health of older people

Identify the main

concepts

List possibleSearch terms/

synonyms

Combine yoursearch termsappropriately

Formulate a Search Strategy

Mental health

DepressionAnxietysuicide

(a) Mental health AND (elder * or aged or gerontology) AND (depress* or anxiety)(b) Mental health AND (elder * or aged or gerontology) AND Hong Kong

(a) Mental health AND (elder * or aged or gerontology) AND (depress* or anxiety)(b) Mental health AND (elder * or aged or gerontology) AND Hong Kong

Mental health AND (elder* or aged or gerontology*)Mental health AND (elder* or aged or gerontology*)

1. Identify the main

concepts

2. List possibleSearch terms

3. Combine yoursearch termsappropriately

Formulate a Search Strategy

Older people

Mental health ElderElderly

Research on: mental health of old people

Research on: mental health of old people

Any specific?

AgedGerontology

Hong Kong

Electronic Resources: Databases

E-News

LIBRARY

Online Databases(including e-journals)

Social Services• Social Services Abstracts Over 1400 journals in social work, social welfare, social policy, and community development from 1980 onwards• Sociological Abstracts Literature in sociology and in social and behavioral sciences from 1963 onwards• PsycINFO In the field of psychology and psychological aspects of related disciplines, such as psychiatry, ,sociology, education, etc.• Child abuse, child welfare and adoption• China Journal Net ( 中國期刊網 - 教育及社會科學專輯 )

1994 年至今的国内公开出版的 6100 种核心期刊 与专业特色期刊的全文。

Social Services• Social Services Abstracts Over 1400 journals in social work, social welfare, social policy, and community development from 1980 onwards• Sociological Abstracts Literature in sociology and in social and behavioral sciences from 1963 onwards• PsycINFO In the field of psychology and psychological aspects of related disciplines, such as psychiatry, ,sociology, education, etc.• Child abuse, child welfare and adoption• China Journal Net ( 中國期刊網 - 教育及社會科學專輯 )

1994 年至今的国内公开出版的 6100 种核心期刊 与专业特色期刊的全文。

• WiseNews-HK, China, Taiwan & Macau news

• Lexis-Nexis Academic - international news• SCMP.com - rolling 7 days• Contemporary China Newspaper Clippings Database(1992-1998) • Hong Kong Newspaper Clippings Index 香港報章剪報 目錄 (1980 - 99) in CD-ROM @MLC • Ming Pao Monthly 明報月刊 (1995-2000)• People’s Daily Index 人民日 報索引 (1946-1995)

• WiseNews-HK, China, Taiwan & Macau news

• Lexis-Nexis Academic - international news• SCMP.com - rolling 7 days• Contemporary China Newspaper Clippings Database(1992-1998) • Hong Kong Newspaper Clippings Index 香港報章剪報 目錄 (1980 - 99) in CD-ROM @MLC • Ming Pao Monthly 明報月刊 (1995-2000)• People’s Daily Index 人民日 報索引 (1946-1995)

ONLINE DATABASES

Research Support

Three Ways to Create your Bibliography

Unit 2.2: Citing Information Resources @Library Tutorials

: Campus-wide Web-based Bibliographic

Management Tool

Functions:• Import references directly from major databases available through the Library homepage and the Library Catalogue or from text files, or enter references manually.• Create personal folders and organize references into folders for different topics• Format in-text citations• Create bibliographies in a variety of citation styles including APA, MLA, and Chicago.

• Access your references from any location via the Web Register for a FREEaccount from ITSC!Register for a FREEaccount from ITSC!

1. Database built-in “Cite this” record format in a citation style

2.

3.

Apply for a JULAC Reader Card HK$50 per application expires at the end of the academic year (i.e. 31st July) and

renew it in a new academic year endorsement from supervisor

Request books that our Library does not hold or that have been checked out, but that are held by other libraries with the status "AVAILABLE" through Hong Kong Academic Library Link (HKALL)

Online Interlibrary Loan Request (Final-year) First 20 articles per academic year free of charge Web-based HKBU ILL System

First-time user registration Keep track of the status of requests online Retrieve electronic articles on desktop HK$5 charge for each additional article filled by local libraries.

Access to Resources Beyond HKBU Library