2. In this workshop we will look at...
• Resources available
• Accessing and obtaining information
• Effective searching
• Evaluating information
• Referencing
9. Library Search
MyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Library Search
Click on ‘Sign-in’,
choose ‘Middlesex
University’ and use
your university email
address.
Sign-in to check your library
record, request items, create
lists, save searches and create
alerts.
12. Google vs Library Search
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ennuiislife/3450743002/
Google
• Easy to use
• Information bubble
• Search results sponsored
• Any source
• Pay for access
Library Search
• Easy to use
• Finds information
• Search results by relevance
• Quality sources
• Free access
14. Journal databases
myUniHub > My Study > My Library > Databases
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/BuiltEnvironment/JournalDatabases
15. Google Scholar
http://scholar.google.co.uk/
You may be
able to access
the full-text
here.
Refine your
search
results here.
Create an alert for your search,
so you can keep up-to-date
with new publications.
Link to MDX resources: > Settings > Library Links > Search for MDX and save.
16. Google Scholar: Useful features
Full text available
from Middlesex
Uni and/or other
sources.
Click on author’s name (if underlined)
to view profile and check for other
research by the author on the same
topic.
Click on ‘Cited by’
to see other articles
that have cited this
article.
‘All versions’: The same article
on other websites – sometimes
useful for getting full text if not
available from MDX.
Create a
Harvard
reference.
28. Need further help?
Your Librarian is:
Vanessa Hill v.hill@mdx.ac.uk
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/BuiltEnvironment/Help
Notas do Editor
Welcome and intros.
In the session:
Resources available to help you find information for your dissertation
Accessing and obtaining information
How to search effectively
Evaluating information
Referencing
Sources game
Magazine (A regular publication aimed at a profession, business or interest....trade/popular)
Good: Latest news: events, jobs, products etc, concise info, easy to obtain
Bad: lacks detail, can be bias, old issues hard to come by
Standards (An agreed, often legally binding level of quality or way of doing something....regional, Nat, Internat, profession/sector)
Good: Created by experts, confidence
Company/market research report (Well researched overview of a company or product market. Could contain future trends, financial data, competitors and SWOT analysis)
Good: Up-to-date: latest research/data, Insider information: information not freely available elsewhere, objective, accurate
Bad: Hard to locate
Webpage
Good: All subjects covered, easy to use, mobile
Bad: accuracy, no editorial control, anyone can add information, provenance
Newspapers
Good: Daily information ie. up-to-date, edited, current issues accessible
Bad: Sensationalist, biased (unbalanced), harder to get back issues
Conference proceedings (Collof aca papers distributed after a conference, cont the contributions made by researchers, academics etc)
Good: Up-to-date: latest research, ideas, thinking on a subject, focussed/specialist, stringent quality control
Bad: Too specific
Journals
Good: Up-to-date, Focussed: specialist subject areas, quality
Bad: Too specific
Books
Good: overview, background knowledge, edited/quality
Bad: Currency, detailed/specific information
You can find links to library resources and other services in MyLibrary.
These are the things that I will be referring to in this workshop:
Library Search: Use to search for information (books, journals etc) on your topic.
MySubject: Gives you access to our library subject guides. Use these to find what resources are available including websites on a particular subject.
Databases: Gives you access to specialist collections of journals and other resources in a particular subject area. You can access most of these through Summon, but searching a specialist resource might save you time.
Inter Library Loans: Not a resource, but a way of getting hold of material that the library doesn’t hold or provide access to.
More information about the range of resources available on the Library Subject Guide plus lots of useful online guides eg. how to search for information for your project.
What can you see in the picture…fruit
If type ‘fruit’ into database will get millions of hits, how can you break it down ie. search for something more specific to get more manageable results
Can you be more specific ie.
Type of fruit: apples, oranges, bananas etc
Location: Stall, market, outdoor market, fruit market, Britain
Detail: boxes, signs, astroturf, prices, colour of fruit, lights, pound £ signs, special offer etc
People in background: old, young, male, female > stall holder, customers, browsers etc
Think of related subjects eg.
retail, commercial, financial, point-of-sale
Shopping, shops, fish/meat/clothes market, shopping centres, high street
Town, city, centre, British town
Nutrition: vits and mins
Also:
Orange or Blackberry: fruit NOT telephone
Apple: fruit NOT computer
Thinking beyond the obvious, looking for the detail that might make a difference.
Hand out worksheet.
5 mins.
Feedback.
We’re going to start off using Library Search.
Explain what it is.
Remember to sign-in.
Use Library Search to carry out a literature search:
Finding the information available on a subject
Finding information to inform, underpin and shape your research
Point out how to refine their search using:
Full text
Content type
Subject terms
Publication date
Language etc
Also how to create Harvard and IEEE references (Students can use either style for this module).
Ask students to search for information for their project.
Remember to use some of the keywords that we have discussed.
Explain how they can broaden their search using an asterisk* e.g. will find build, builder, builders, building, buildings etc
Explain how they can refine their search using “quotation marks”.
These two refining tools work well on Summon, but can also be used on the Internet.
These and other refining tools which can be used on the Internet are available on our EPQ LibGuide which you all have access to…….link on the screen.
Google
Familiar and easy to use but can find too much information of varying quality
Search results can be manipulated….information bubble…..search engines like Google start to learn what you are not interested in, so stop showing you some search results
Search results sponsored…no accident that Wikipedia, Amazon etc at top of search results
Searches for info from any source
Pay for academic information
Library Search
Easy to use and will finds lots of academic info
Designed to find you information: up-to-date, focussed/specific
Search results by relevance
Searches quality resources eg. Peer reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings , research etc
Free access to full text ie. Information not freely available elsewhere
Help available here on using Library search.
Students can also search individual databases.
Art & Design and Comp, Maths and Eng.
Find journal articles, theses, books, and more, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites.
Search across many disciplines
Locate the full-text document through your library or on the web: Change settings etc to link to MDX resources. You only need to do this once on your own laptop/device, but need to be logged on to MyUniHub.
Keep up with recent developments in any area of research
Save items in a personal library
Google Scholar is good, but limited ability to combine different keywords.
Older articles can appear first in results, so use the date limits on the left hand side of the screen.
Another useful resource is British Standards online.
Access as shown on slide.
Can search all of the British and adopted European and International standards. Only a small number are available in full text, but we can add required standards if required up to our quota of 150.
Full text documentation on legislation, regulations and standards for environment and health & safety professionals.
A few other useful sources of information….next few slides.
Trend and colour forecasting, business strategy, trade news etc
BoB is Learning on Screen’s on demand TV and radio service for education. Our academically-focused system allows staff and students at subscribing institutions to record programmes from over 65 free-to-air channels, and search our extensive archive.
Inter Library Loan service: request copies of books and journals not held by MDX. £3 charge. Register as DL first. More info on our website.
SCONUL Access http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/ The SCONUL Access Scheme provides reciprocal access and borrowing rights for staff and students to approximately 170 member institutions in the UK. Apply online.
Finally it is important to evaluate the quality of the information found. It is easy to find information, so it is more important than ever to make sure what you select is good.
Evaluation exercise
Ask students to stay in their groups.
Hand out one Evaluation worksheet to each group.
Ask groups to go to the website noted on the screen and on their worksheet.
They will find links to 4 items on the subject of Brexit (click on red links).
Look at each item and consider how we know if the information is reliable (c10mins). If time is running out then allocate an item to each group. It doesn’t matter if more than one group looks at the same item as long as they are all covered.
Students should use worksheets to record their thoughts.
After 10 mins take feedback/discuss.
These are the four items with some pointers:
Item 1 Wikipedia:
Good overview
Lots of references, but eclectic mix.
Can see contributors if click on ‘View history’ (top right) but authors often use pseudonyms such as BurritoBazooka, Luigi Boy, David in DC etc
Can click on contributors names to see a profile, but not useful. No idea of who they are and what they do/know etc
Item 2: Get Britain out Blog:
Has a derogatory tone e.g. “Cameron & Co.”, “interfering busybodies” etc.
Jingoist, historic overview of Britain success and power and how we can cope without Europe.
Author is knowledgeable, but has a very particular perspective.
No references.
Item 3: Guardian newspaper article:
Left wing paper so some bias.
Author is the Science Editor, although this might not mean that he is a science expert. However if you click on his name you can get an overview of his science background.
The article is well written and cross-referenced against other Guardian articles and refers to expert opinion.
No other references.
Item 4: LSE Centre for Economic Performance paper:
Reputable, academic source.
Contact and biographical details.
We are told that the centre has no institutional ties, the views are those of the authors and that one of the authors did not and does not support joining the Euro.
Funding for the centre is made explicit.
The paper is well written.
Citations, cross-references, expert sources, further reading etc.
Take feedback and discuss.
Authority : Who is the author? What is their knowledge base/qualifications? How have they carried out their research?
Relevance : Is this what I need? Will it answer my question? Is it at the right level?
Intent : What is the purpose of information e.g. financial gain, propaganda, academic etc?
Objectivity : Balanced view? Opposing views represented? Links to supporting information?
Currency: How old is this information? When was it last updated and by whom?
