smllc year 1 ug academic skills sessions - information & research skills (library)
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Library Services
SMLLC Academic Skills: Information & Research Skills
libguides.rhul.ac.uk/modernlanguagesNovember 2013
Russell Burke
Library Services
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Aims of the session
• Overview of Library Services available to support your essay research
• Step 1 - Plan and conduct a literature search
• Step 2 - Use LibrarySearch and subject specific resources to find information
• Step 3 - Use more advanced search techniques
• Step 4 - Manage references to generate bibliographies using RefWorks
• Access eresources off-campus
• Using other libraries
Library Services
My essay question / research topic:
What do I want to find out?
Library Services
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Library Services
Developing your search strategy
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“In the avant-garde films of the 1920s, everything we see, including the human being, is subservient to rhythm & movement.”
Main concepts Alternative terms1. avant-garde films Experimental, art,
modernist / cinema, filmmaking …
2. 1920s Early 20th Century, pre-war, silent era …
3. What we see on film
Mise-en-scène, frame(d), screen, shot, represented …
4. Rhythm & movement
Pace, flow, repetition, flow, editing …
Step One: Think about your own research topic & related concepts and write down the keywords that you need to search for
Library Services
Now that I know what I want to find out:
What resources would I use?
http://prezi.com/24tl5r36eel5/developing-your-search-skills/
Library Services
Selecting information sources
Modern Languages Subject Guide: libguides.rhul.ac.uk/
Online databases (eresources): libguides.rhul.ac.uk/Databases
LibrarySearch: librarysearch.rhul.ac.uk
Senate house library catalogue: ull.ac.uk
Other internet resources…
These can also be found on the main Library webpage
Library Services
Why can’t I just use Google?
http://prezi.com/q5jglgamre6c/evaluating-information/
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Step 2: Go to the Modern Languages Subject Guide and note down which resources or types of resources you think you would use to carry out your research
Library Services
Now that I know what I want to find out & where to find the resources:
How do I search for information on my
topic?
Library Services
Making the most of synonyms
Use wildcard characters ($ ? * -) to replace letters in search terms
Examples
theat* - finds theatre, theater, theatrical, etc.
wom*n - finds women, woman, etc.
NB: Help pages in online databases will explain which character is used as the wildcard
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Library Services
Combining keywords - too many results?
Narrow your search using AND
e.g. avant-garde AND film
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Results containing AVANT-GARDE
Results containing
BOTH TERMS
Results containing
FILM
Library Services
Combining keywords - too few results?
Broaden your search using OR
e.g. role OR function
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Library Services
Combining keywords – phrase searching
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“French New Wave”
“À la recherche du temps perdu”
Step three: think about how you will combing keywords and enter your search queries (adjusting terms as you need to)
Library Services
Now that I have found information on my topic:
How do I know that it is what I want and good
quality material?
Library Services
Reviewing & evaluating your research
Do you have enough / too
much information
?
Is it relevant to
your research?
Does it answer the
whole question?
Is the information
current / within the date you require
Do you need to review
your underlying research question?
Library Services
Now that I have the information (books, chapters, journal
articles, webpages etc) that I need:
How do I manage & reference them?
Library Services
Keeping track of useful items
• Emailing links to yourself
• Using the e-shelf in LibrarySearch• Log in to LibrarySearch
• Click on the star icon beside useful results
• Go to ‘e-shelf’
• Create baskets, email, export results
• Most other eresources provide these functions
• Exporting references to RefWorks
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Library Services
RefWorks
Bibliographic management software
Capture, save and organise references
Access it via the Online Resources A-Z lists
Contains online self-help tutorials
Library RefWorks sessions:
Check the Library Information Skills Training Session on the Subject guide: http://libguides.rhul.ac.uk/
Step four: save the results that you need (references, abstracts, URL links, full text) and organise these so that you can find them when you need them
Library Services
Access online resources off-campus
Royal Holloway ‘Campus Anywhere’ (VPN)
The only way to access all of our electronic resources off campus is to install the Virtual Private Network (VPN) service, known as 'CampusAnywhere'.
Library Services
Using other libraries
You all get free access to Senate House Library (SHL)
Online registration for SHL’s eresources see the Library subject Guide for Modern
Languages
Library Services
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Questions?
Russell Burke
Information Consultant
2-07 Bedford LibraryRoyal Holloway University of London
01784 414065
SEE THE LIBRARY SUBJECT GUIDE FOR MODERN LANGUAGES / SMLLC
Leo Reynolds. Flickr. CC-BY-NA