Library & Information Skills (Natural Sciences):1. Planning & Mindmapping

Creator: Vashti Zarach CC BY-NC 3.0. Photo: Pathway

This short session discusses:

1.Keywords2.Mindmapping

Photo: Pathways. V. Zarach.

Contents

To find scholarly literature for your research, you will need to use keywords. Your choice of keywords is hugely important as it determines the results you will find, and you will usually have to try various different keywords to find a good range of sources.

Begin by looking at your essay title / research area, and the general themes, and break these down into possible key words.

When hunting in the library catalogue, Google Scholar and other resources, begin by using few and general keywords to see what results you get, and add more specific keywords if and as needed.

1. Keywords

You will find more relevant research if you use a variety of words, including academic terms used for a specific topic.

Try searching Google using the key words:telling the public about science

And now try again using the key words:science communication

Note the very different results.

Keywords and academic terms

Photo: Brambell Natural History Museum. V. Zarach.

Mindmapping can help you visually plan your themes and research topics. Members of Bangor University can use software called Inspiration 9. Click on the Start Button, and on Inspiration 9 IE (ot type Inspiration into the search box):

2. Mindmapping: Inspiration9

1. Click Start button

2. Click Inspiration 9 IE

An Inspiration 9 brainstorm on climate change and animals:

Inspiration 9

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