Eresearch strategies

NUF: Electronic Information Research

Prof. Linda Rath

Graduate Services Librarian

[email protected]

646.312.1622

mailto:[email protected]

Today’s workshop …

• focuses on research for capstone paper

• is geared for “remote” research (off-campus and/or outside NYC)

• will have demonstrations & hands-on exercises, step-by-step research process

You will be able to …

• build basic search strategies (Boolean)

• identify relevant library databases

• find scholarly, peer-reviewed articles

• find the full-text of articles

• identify “local” resources

http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/

http://guides.newman.baruch.cuny.edu/nuf

http://guides.newman.baruch.cuny.edu/nuf

Multidisciplinary databases:•Academic Search Complete•JSTOR (historical)

Academic & Scholarly Articles(Peer Reviewed)

Analytical Sources

Newman Library: http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu *also contains scholarly/peer-reviewed articles

Books

Reports/Papers

Statistics

Subject specific databases:•Education Full Text•Medline•Social Sciences Full Text•and etc.

•CUNY+•Local library catalog•WorldCat

•PAIS International*•PolicyFile•websites (think tanks, govt., etc.)

•Statistical Abstract of the U.S.•TableBase•websites (local/state/fed govt, etc.)

News SourcesLexis Nexis Academic, Factiva, Ethnic Newswatch*Alt-Press Watch*, websites (organizations, associations, government, etc.)

Sources for Capstone Paper

http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu/

Topic Development

• Choose topic that interests you

• Is topic too broad or too narrow?

• Work within your time constraints

• Discuss topic with your advisor

Identify the Key Concepts - exercise

• How can web 2.0 tools be used to effectively promote health literacy to the Hispanic/Latina community?

Brainstorm stage-Create Keywords List for searching

Use Research Worksheet to write down & keep track of keywords: http://guides.newman.baruch.cuny.edu/data/files2/61768/reference-worksheet.pdf

• What other terms can be used to describe your concept(s)? (synonyms, related terms, names of people and places, phrases, dates, etc.)

• What broad or specific terms can be used?

http://guides.newman.baruch.cuny.edu/data/files2/61768/reference-worksheet.pdf

Brainstorm stage- Exercise 1 handout: Class responsesCreate Keywords List for searching

• Group 1’s responses

Web 2.0


health literacy


Latina/Hispanic


Brainstorm stage-possible keywordsCreate Keywords List for searching

• web, web 2.0

• internet, online

• social media

• social network(ing)

• Facebook

• community

• Latina/o

• Hispanic(s), H. Americans

• women, gender

• ethnicity

• culturally relevant

• minorities

• public health

• health education

• health knowledge

• education, instruction

• medical informatics

• information sources, information

• e-health

Web 2.0 health literacy Latina/Hispanic


Identify appropriate databases

Use Research Worksheet to write down & keep track of databases: http://guides.newman.baruch.cuny.edu/data/files2/61768/reference-worksheet.pdf

• Go to the Newman Library’s databases page and use “Search for a Database by selecting Subject”

• Go to NUF Library Guide, Finding Articles tab - Key NUF Databases

• Identify public library or local university library databases (if open to public)

Identify databases: Exercise 2



• Group 3’s responses• Group 2’s responses


Identify databases class exercise(possible, suggested databases)


•Academic Search Complete

•Communication & Mass Media Complete

•Sage Journals: Communication Studies

•Business Source Complete


•Ethnic Newswatch


•MEDLINE

•Social Sciences Full Text

•ERIC (Ebscohost)

•PAIS International


Searching a database

Boolean operators– AND– OR – (…)

Use AND, OR and (…) to combine your keywords(see handout)


How many records do we find using the search terms below? (Exercise 3)

Demonstration: Searching a database

Try again, using different keywords from your list. How many records now? (Exercise 4)


• Field (or segment) searching looks for keywords within a specific area of a database record, such as title, author, subject, etc.

• Proximity searching finds words near each other. (Check Help pages in database.)

• Truncate/Truncation symbol searches for variant endings to the root of a word. (Example: comput* finds computer or computing)

Boolean Logic Exercises

Fields/segments

Proximity searching, within 3 words of each other

Exercise 5: Changing Fields and Proximity

Boolean Logic ExercisesExercise 6: Changing Fields and Truncation


Click on the “Find it!” button to see if the full-text can be found in another Newman Library database.

Searching a databaseYou can limit your search results to “Scholarly” or “Peer Reviewed.”

PAIS International database

Academic Search Complete database

E-journal/Newspaper Demo

• How to determine if the journal you want is available electronically in a Newman Library database

E-journal/Newspaper @ Newman

1. Library homepage

2. ”Journals/Magazines” link

3. “Full Text Journal” link 4. Type in title of journal

5. If database(s) appears, check years of coverage

See Handout: Exercise 7

Information Management

• Use the Research Worksheet– PDF on NUF Library Guide

• Use citation management software– RefWorks (library database)– Zotero (firefox extension)

http://www.zotero.org/

Citing Information

• Use a style guide (APA, MLA, etc.)

• A good online source for help is:Purdue’s OWL:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

• Many databases have output options (email, print, etc. in APA, MLA and etc.)

“Local” Resources

• Public library systems

• Academic libraries (one that has programs covering your topic)

• Find a library, http://www.worldcat.org/librariesExercise: Go here & type in your home zip code.