postgraduate (research) - databases

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Postgraduate (Research) - Databases University Library Karen Chilcott | Faculty Liaison Librarian

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Postgraduate (Research) - Databases. University Library. Karen Chilcott | Faculty Liaison Librarian. Research Design. Preparing Research Strategy. Identify key concepts / ideas / themes Breakdown each concept into keywords or phrases, synonyms and word variations - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Postgraduate  (Research) - Databases

Postgraduate (Research) - Databases

University LibraryKaren Chilcott | Faculty Liaison Librarian

Page 2: Postgraduate  (Research) - Databases

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Research Design

› Identify key concepts / ideas / themes

› Breakdown each concept into keywords or phrases, synonyms and word variations

› Identify limits – date, language, document types

› Research Plan available from Library’s Information Skills webpage at http://sydney.edu.au/library/subjects/researchplan.pdf

› Think about the different sources you may need to consult: library catalogue and collections, databases, internet, people, organisations

Preparing Research Strategy

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Research Sources

Research Sources to consult

My Research

DatabasesFor: Journal articles, book chapters, reports, conference papers, etc• wide range of journals searched• some full text• sophisticated search methods• subject headings & mapping• items may not be held by our library

Library CatalogueFor: books, journals, reference, reports, conference proceedings, AV, reserve•items held at USYD•some full text journal articles•limited to what USYD holds•can access other libraries’ catalogues

InternetFor: material not found through other sources+ can give links to subject related sites, organisations, etc-need to assess credibility of the site

EjournalsFor: full text journal articles by volume/issue+ full text articles-limited collection of journal -titles searched

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Background Information

› Use Background Information to:

• Define or clarify terminology

• Obtain an overview of a theoretical area

• Locate key readings on a specific topic

› Find Background Information by

• Searching the Library catalogue

• Look for Dictionaries & Encyclopedia

• Available in hardcopy or eBook

• Internet Search Engines or Wikis

Background Information

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Finding Journal Articles

› You can find articles in journals by searching our databases and ejournal collections.

› Databases:

-  provide access to the content of journals within broad or specific subjects areas

- index articles, essays, conferences papers, websites, book reviews, reports and occasionally book chapters

- sometimes provide full-text versions of articles

› Summon:

- a simple and fast search engine that searches multiple collections at the same time,

- Searches the library catalogue as well as a variety of bibliographic databases

How to find Journal Articles

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› The Library has access to over 300 databases

- See listing at http://sydney.edu.au/library/databases/

› Use the Subject listing to find databases specific to a particular topic

› Many different types of databases including;

- General (eg. Expanded Academic or Proquest)

- Subject Specific (eg. Worldwide Political Science Abstracts)

- Resource Specific (eg. Factiva, or ABS)

- Other (eg. JSTOR (retrospective) or Web of Science (citation) )

Selecting the right Databases

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Common Database Features

› Many databases look different, but they all have some common features:

- Search a range of years

- Search by subject headings or your own keywords

- Download, print or email results

- Limit references retrieved by date, language or document type

Using Databases

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Search Syntax

› Truncation

- To use truncation, enter the root of a search term and replace the ending with the truncation symbol.

- Common symbols used are ; * or ? or $ or % or !

› Wildcards

- The wildcard indicates the symbol used is a placeholder for any unknown term(s) and then find the best matches.

- Common symbols used are * or ? or $ or % or !

Common Search Syntax

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Common Search Syntax

› Phrases –

- use double quotation marks - “ ”

- determines a search for the exact words in that exact order without any change.

› Boolean Operators

- Term X and Term Y: search results display articles containing both terms

- Term X or Term Y: search results display articles containing either term

- Term X not Term Y: search results display only articles containing Term X, excluding any articles also containing Term Y

› Nested Searches

- (A or B) and (C or D)

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Further Help

› Contact your Faculty Liaison Librarian

Karen Chilcott Arts Library Services Team | University LibraryThe University of SydneyT: 02 9351 7289  | F: 02 9351 6722  | M: 0431 606 898   E [email protected]

› Use “Ask a Librarian” service

http://sydney.edu.au/library/contacts/askemail.html

Need further assistance?