Resource materialfor

Research

By

Jack Abebe

Research guide• Introduction• The general research process• Research guide• Material for Information• Tools• Understanding citations• Identifying journal titles from abbreviations• Advanced searching techniques• Evaluating information sources: Basic principles• Resource persons• Resource centres• Conclusion

The general research process

MMUST PhD 2012 CDS/H/220/12

Research guide 1.  Choosing a topic 2.  Refining a topic 3.  Searching for Information o How To Find... (Books, Articles, Primary

sources & more) o Understanding Citations o Advanced Searching techniques o How Libraries classify Books (and How to take

advantage of it)

Research guide contd4. Evaluating Information Sources:  Basic Principles Scholarly journals vs. Popular Magazines Evaluating Web Pages5.  Writing a paper: The writing studio can help! Citing Sources Avoiding Plagiarism Guide to Library vocabulary

1.Choosing a topic  a. Brainstorm possible topic ideas Consider your personal interests. Engage in conversations in class or with

classmates Read articles in encyclopedias or dictionaries

 and review class readings. Browse recent issues of journals or magazines

in Current Periodicals (Bostock 1). Browse the shelves for books on your subject

(see catelogue to know where to look).

b.  Review assignment requirements

What kind of assignment is it - 5 minute oral presentation, 10 page paper, 50 page paper?

How much information do you need? Does it need to be recent information? What types of publications do you want to

read - newspaper articles, books, journal articles, diaries, trade publications?

What formats do you need - visual, audio, printed, electronic?

Is point of view an issue? Do you need opinions?

How much time do you have?

c.  List keyword to define your topic

State your research topic as a question. Think about the significant terms, concepts,

and keywords that describe your topic. These terms will become the key for searching for information about your subject in library catalogs, online databases, and other resources.

Sample keywords for research topic e.g.”Assessing the effectiveness of the electronic waste disposal guidelines in Kiambu County,Kenya

d. Gather background information on your topic

It's hard to get started if you don't know much about your topic

Do some general reading in things like encyclopedias and subject –specific dictionaries to get an overview of the topic

  This is also a great first step towards refining

your topic

2.Refining a Topici) Narrowing a Topic: Too Much Information! If your topic seems too broad, consider

questions like:o What do you already know about the subject?o Is there a specific time period you want to

cover?o Is there a geographic region or country on

which you would like to focus?o Is there a particular aspect of this topic that

interests you? For example, public policy implications, historical influence, sociological aspects, psychological angles, specific groups or individuals involved in the topic

Example Original Topic: Government environmental

policies (too broad!) Focused Time Period: 2011-2012

Focused Location: KenyaFocused event/aspect: Electronic waste disposal

Refined topic: Effectiveness of Kenya government electronic waste disposal guidelines

ii) Broadening a Topic: Not Enough Information!

If your topic is so specific that you can't find sources that specifically address it, consider questions like:

o Could you add elements to your topic for examination?

o Could you think more broadly about this topic? Give thought to the wider implications of your research.

o Who are the key players in this topic?o What other issues are involved in this topic?

Example Original topic:  What is the effect of

deforestation on Kenya’s long-term ability to feed its citizens?  (too specific!)

Alternative place: East AfricaWidened focus: agriculture, sustainable development.Key person or group: East African govtsAlternative event/aspect: birth control

Revised topic:  How can the East African govts encourage their countries to employ sustainable development practices?

3.Material for InformationAdvertisementsArticlesAudiobooksBooksParliamentary papersGovernment resources/policy documentsCD-ROMsCitation GuidesCity directoriesData & Statistics

NewspapersOnline periodicalsResourcesPodcastsPrimary SourcesPublic documentsReservesLibrary MaterialsTax forms &

PublicationsTrade StatisticsCensus MaterialsInternet Websites

Dissertation & Theses

eBooksEncyclopedias &

DictionariesFilm & VideoImagesJournalsManuscriptsMaps & GISMicroformsMusic

4.Technology and equipmentComputers(Desk tops PC s, laptops, I-pads,

Tablet etc)Off-campus access to online resources – modemPrintersScannersComputer hardware ( flash disks, CDs, memory

cards)Computer software (SPSS, Microsoft Project,

Project minder)Databases

Technology & equipment (contd)Typing servicesPhotocopiersGroup study roomsLibraryLockers & carrelsMultimedia Project Studio

5. Toolsi) Planning tools

Work plan/Action plan/LogframePERTGANTTGuides to researchGuides to research report writingSpecifications from overseeing authority Permissions (MMUST,NCST)

ii) Writing toolsPen/pencilPaperNotebooksComputerPrinterLibrary catalogueSearch toolsMaterial for Information –listed above

iii) Research and Analysis ToolsInformation gathering tools• Questionnaires• Schedules• Procedures• Rules (sampling, organizational)Analysis tools Statistical approaches/ formulae Computer software Research assistants/Data analysts/statisticians

iv) Refining Tools

BrainstormingClass PresentationsDiscussionsCorrectionsExtract papersArguments

6.Understanding Citations

Citation:  A reference to a source used in an article, essay, book, etc.

Most citations of articles :

AuthorArticle titleJournal or magazine titleVolume number of the journal or

magazineDate of publicationPage numbers of the article (some

citations only include the beginning page number)

Example1. This citation was found in the database Web of Science:

We can identify: Article Author(s): Michael Bode and Hugh

PossinghamArticle Title: Can culling a threatened species increase its chance of persisting?Journal Title (Source):  Ecological Modelling

Journal volume number: 201, issue number 1 Article page numbers: 11-18 Date of Publication: February 10, 2007

Other information provided: Sp. Iss. SI indicates that this was a special

issue of the journal identifies document type as article (not book,

book chapter, abstract, dissertation, etc) identifies that the article is written in English

Example 2. This citation was found in the database PAIS:

We can identify: Article Author(s): Anthony N. Doob, and Jane

B. SprottArticle Title: Punishing Youth Crime in Canada: The Blind Men and the Elephant

Journal Title (Source):  Punishment & Society

Journal volume number: 8, issue number 2 Article page numbers: 223-233 Date of Publication: April 2006

Other information provided: provides the ISSN for the journal Punishment

and Society to assist in locating the item indicates that the authors (or main author) are

affiliated with the University of Toronto

7. Identifying Journal Titles from Abbreviations Titles of magazines or journals are often

abbreviated in citations. In most cases, you will need the full title to search for the journal in the online catalog or as an e-journal. Try:

Selecting a link for the "full citation" or "complete reference" in an online source

Selecting the link for a database's source list, and then looking for your journal title

Looking in the beginning of a print journal, book or periodical index, as there may be an abbreviations list

contd

Looking in the book Periodical Title Abbreviations, available at the Reference Desk and Ready Reference

All That JAS: Journal Abbreviation Sources provides links for the natural and social sciences, law, and philosophy

Ask a librarian

8. Advanced Searching Techniques

Natural Language Searching - A Search Like Google

Google has made most of us comfortable with Natural Language searching.  It takes the words you type into the box and searches for them using the Boolean operator 'and' (see below on Boolean searching).  It also tries to find instances where the words are close to each other within the result; this is called proximity (see also below). It does not search the words as a phrase unless you put quotation marks around the whole thing

Most online catalog and many of their article databases now use Natural Language Searching, so when you type in a keyword search like 'java web application' you will probably get some hits.  However, you will be able to significantly improve the results from your searching by using the following techniques

Boolean Searching

Broaden or narrow your search by combining words or phrases using the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT

The results of performing Boolean searches are sometimes illustrated by the diagrams below (called Venn diagrams.) The diagrams show graphically how using the AND operator narrows a search, using OR broadens a search, and using NOT excludes material from a search

Many databases and search engines have an Advanced Search interface that allows for Boolean searching; you can also try just using a Boolean operator in the main search box

e.g. Boolean searching

Parentheses (Nesting)

Use parentheses to clarify relationships between search terms.

Example: (television or mass media) and women

This search looks for both "television and women" and "mass media and women."

Truncation or Wildcards

A symbol at the end of a word stem provides for all variants on the word stem. The most commonly used symbol is the asterisk (*).

Example: educat* will retrieve educate, educating, education, educational, educator, educators, etc.

Be careful not to truncate too far, or you will retrieve unrelated words!

A symbol within a word provides for all possible variants inside a word or word stem. A commonly used symbol for internal truncation is !. Example: wom!n will retrieve woman and women.

You may combine truncation symbols in one search. Look at the help pages for the database you are using

to determine the truncation symbols. Most systems provide truncation but some provide only simple plurals.

Proximity Operators

Sometimes in a full text search you want words that occur close to one another but not as a phrase

  Many full text article databases allow searching

with proximity operators in their advanced search interfaces

  Consult the help pages of the database you are

using to see what proximity operators work for it

e.g. proximity operators

Field Searching

The Advanced Search screen of the Most online catalogs are a good example of field searching, where you can select a particular part of the electronic record to search

  Note that you can often combine different

field searches using Boolean operators

Most article databases have an Advanced Search interface that allows some kind of field searching

e.g. field search

9.Evaluating Information Sources: Basic Principles

QuantityEnough resources are needed to:

Support your argument Include a variety of viewpoints and materials

Diversity

Variety is necessary. Include many different resources.

Primary Sources Contemporary accounts of an event and original

documents Examples: letters, diaries, audio-recordings of

speeches, newspaper articles Secondary Resources

Retrospective sources based on primary resources; include scientific or scholarly analysis

Examples: books, articles, editorials, reviews, scientific studies

Date of Publication

When was the source published? Make sure the date of publication is appropriate for your project.

Current Events Research Use resources that are recent and reflect current

attitudes. Historical Research

Use a variety of resources from different time periods including both primary and secondary resources.

Quality and Reliability When choosing your resources, the most difficult

task is determining their quality and reliability. Factors to think about:

What is the tone? Who is the intended audience? What is the purpose of the publication? What assumptions does the author make? What are the bases of the author's conclusions? Does the author agree or disagree with other

authors of the subject? Does the content agree with what you know or

have learned about the issue? To help determine this, it might also help to look

over the source's documentation and read some reviews of the source.

Additional Resources

Does the source provide other leads? Documentation (i.e., footnotes and

bibliography) Provides additional resources Substantiates the author's research

Evaluating Web Pages

Before using information found on a web page for your research project, consider the following criteria to evaluate its credibility.

Authority Purpose/Intended Audience Currency Objectivity Support

Authority

Criteria & Questions to Consider Who wrote the page? What are the author's credentials? Can you verify the author's credentials? Could the credentials be made up? Did the author include contact information? Whose web site is this? What organization is sponsoring the web

page?

Tips & Ideas on authority Look for the author's name near the top or the

bottom of the page. If you can't find a name, look for a copyright credit (©) or link to an organization.

Look for biographical information or the author's affiliations (university department, organization, corporate title, etc.).

Anyone who has visited a chat room knows that people don't always identify themselves accurately.

contd

Look for an email link, address, or phone number for the author. A responsible author should give you the means to contact him/her

To verify a site's organizational sponsorship: Look at the domain (.com, .edu, .org, etc.). Look for an "about this site" link. Be careful of a web page that has a tilde (~) in the

URL, as this usually identifies a personal directory on a web site.

Purpose/Intended Audience

Criteria & Questions to Consider What is the purpose of the page?

Why did the author create it?

Who is the target audience?

Tips & Ideas on purpose/intended audience

The purpose of the page could be advertising, advocacy, news, entertainment, opinion, fandom, scholarship, satire, etc.

Some pages have more than one purpose. For example, http://www.dowjones.com/ provides free business information but also encourages you to subscribe to the Wall Street Journal or other Dow Jones products.

Identify target audience (contd)

To Look at reading level of the page: is it easy to read or challenging? Does it assume previous knowledge of the subject? Consider the design of the web page: are there

banner ads and animated GIFs, or does the page present a lot of text with little decoration?

Possible audiences include: academic researchers, kids, buyer's of competitor's products, participants in a support group, political extremists, and more.

Currency

Criteria & Questions to Consider Is there a date at the top or bottom of the

page? Is the information up-to-date? Tips & Ideas Note: A recent date doesn't necessarily mean

the information is current. The content might be years out of date even if the date given is recent. (The last update of the page might have been from someone changing an email address or fixing a typo)

(contd) To determine if information is up-to-date,

compare the information on the web page to information available through other sources. Broken links are one measure of an out-of-date page

In general, information in science, technology, and business fields ages quickly. Information in the humanities and social sciences age less quickly. In some cases, old information can be perfectly valid

ObjectivityCriteria & Questions to Consider Is the author being objective or biased? Tips & Ideas Biased information is not necessarily

"bad", but you must take the bias into account when interpreting or using the information given.

Look at the facts the author provides, and the facts the author doesn't provide.

Are the facts accurately and completely cited?

contd Is the author fair, balanced, and moderate in

his/her views, or is the author overly emotional or extreme?

Based on the author's authority, try to identify any conflict of interest. Determine if the advertising is clearly separated from the objective information on the page.

Support Criteria & Questions to Consider Does the author support the information

he/she uses? Is the support respectable? Tips & Ideas Look for links or citations to sources. Some

academic web pages include bibliographies. Does the page cite well-known sources or

authorities?

contd

Does the page cite a variety of sources? Do other pages on the same topic cite some of the same sources?

The web page in question should have a mix of internal links (links to web pages on the same site or by the same author) and external links (links to other sources or experts).

If a web page makes it hard for you to check the support, be suspicious.

10. Resource persons• Self Copy typists• Classmates Computer experts• Course tutors Legal experts• Fellow researchers NCST personnel• Consultants Funding agencies• Statisticians Research experts• Research assistants Security agents• Librarians Data analysts• General public Family/friends for stress management

11. Resource centres- Libraries- Universities- Government departments- Internet Websites- e-libraries- Research centres

ConclusionThe above is by no means exhaustive. It is just

a highlight of some of the resources available for research

Different areas and topics demand efforts in various other sections

There are emerging issues and technology everyday, ways of simplifying tasks or making the research process more fruitful

Referenceshttp://library.duke.edu/research/help/index.html

retrieved on 10/12/2012http://library.duke.edu/research/finding/

index.html retrieved on 10/12/2012http://library.duke.edu/services/instruction/

libraryguide/citations.html retrieved on 10/12/2012

http://library.duke.edu/services/instruction/libraryguide/librarycongress.html retrieved on 10/12/2012

http://library.duke.edu/services/instruction/libraryguide/scholarlyjournal.html retrieved on 10/12/2012

Thank you for

your attention