Finding research evidence

http:// unihub.mdx.ac.uk / study / library

MPIRICAL CCM4901 Feb 2014

Your Librarian is:

Vanessa Hill

v.hill@mdx.ac.uk

tel. +44 (0)20 8411 2191

Blog http://satlibrarian.blogspot.com

Twitter http://twitter.com/SATlibrarian

In this workshop we will look at...• How to find information

• Developing an effective search strategy

• Resources available and how to use them

• Evaluating information for quality and relevance

• Managing references

Thinking about resources

http://www.slideshare.net/EISLibrarian/thinking-about-resources

Find out moreMyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Library Subject Guides

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/EIS

Thinking about keywords

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossjamesparker/89414788/

The real thing

• Keywords

• Alternative keywords

• More specific keywords

• Related subjects

Finding resourcesmyUniHub > My Study > My Library > Summon

Select Summon and search for information for your research

Enter your search terms (keywords) into the search box and click ‘Search’

Click on this link to set the Middlesex University Cookie on to your home/work computer. This will make it easier to access anything available full-text online.

Human Computer Interaction

Your search results are displayed in a list

Number of results

This is a print book for example.

Your search will find print and electronic books, print and electronic journals, DVDs, conference proceedings, and reports etc.

Other things you might see on Summon

This is an electronic book, which can be read online or downloaded for a limited period.

This is a full-text journal article. Click here to read online or download

This is a full-text conference proceeding. Click here to read online or download

To get more information about an item…

….more information and an abstract will be displayed here

….hover the cursor over the title or click….

You can refine your search in several ways eg.

Limit to items which are full-text online ie. you can read the article or paper on your computer

Scroll down the screen for more refining options eg. refining by subject, date and language etc

Limit to scholarly journals ie good quality academic journals

Limit search within a discipline eg. engineering. Click on ‘More’ for further options

Other refining options are available further down the screen

Refine your search by subject, date, or language

To refine by date, select and drag the button, then click ‘Update’

Refining by Subject allows you to select additional subject terms ie. search terms/keywords

Click on ‘More’ to get a full list of subject terms, then select subjects to refine your search

Some items are available full-text online

Select ‘Full-text online’….

.…you can then open the PDF or HTML file to view the full-text article/paper

Look out for this icon

It is possible to save your references

Hover the cursor over the item you want to save and click on the ‘file’ symbol when it becomes bold

....the temporary file is at the top of the page. The number indicates how many references you have saved. Click on this file to see your saved references.

A tick appears on the ‘file’ icon and the item reference has been saved to a temporary file....

Once ‘Saved items’ is open you can ….

….convert the reference into the appropriate referencing style eg. Harvard, and email the reference to yourself

….convert the reference into the appropriate referencing style eg. Harvard, and email the reference to yourself

You can save as many references as you want to the ‘Saved items’ file

Journal DatabasesmyUniHub > My Study > My Library > Databases > Computing Science

Choose subjects for a list of relevant journal databases

Summon and journal databases provide:

• Access to quality information

• Information not available elsewhere

• Up-to-date

• Focussed/specific

• Full-text access

• Access on/off campus

• Personalize

• Citation and journal impact info

Citation searching• Which articles have cited an earlier article

• Find articles on similar/related subject

• How many times an article has been cited

• Best journals in your field

Web of KnowledgeMyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Databases > W > Web of Knowledge > Web of Science

If you are using our e-resources outside the University, you may sometimes experience problems accessing full-text items

A troubleshooting online guide is available :

MyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Library Subject Guides > Accessing Electronic Resources

Get online help using resourcesMyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Library Subject Guides > Computing

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/EIS

It’s not in the Library! • Inter Library Loans http://bit.ly/InterLibraryLoans

• Sconul Access http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access

• Requesting MDX books http://bit.ly/RequestingBooksDL

Register as a Distance Learner

Register as a Distance Learner by completing this form. The form can be found on the webpage below.

http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/study/library/services/distance/index.aspx

Keeping up-to-date with your subject

• Zetoc Alert

• CiteuLike

• TicTOC

• Google Alerts

More information on Library Subject Guide:

http://bit.ly/CSkeepingcurrent

But is it any good?

• Authority

• Relevance

• Intent

• Objectivity

• Currency

Evaluating information

Referencing and PlagiarismmyUniHub > My Study > My Library > Library Subject Guides >

Computing > Information Skills > Referencing and Citation

http://bit.ly/CSrefandcite

Managing your references• Use bibliographic management software

• RefWorks

• myUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Databases > R

• More information http://bit.ly/RefWorkshelp

Keeping in touch• Blog http://satlibrarian.blogspot.com

• Twitter http://twitter.com/SATlibrarian

• Library Facebook Middlesex University Library

• Library Twitter http://twitter.com/MDXLibrary

Need further help?

Your Librarian is:

Vanessa Hill v.hill@mdx.ac.uk

Ask a Librarian http://askalibrarian.mdx.ac.uk

http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/support/unihelp/