1. MSc DEMM Oct 2013
Finding research evidence
http:// unihub.mdx.ac.uk / study / library
2. In this workshop we will look at...
• How to find information
• Developing an effective search strategy
• Resources available and how to use them
• Evaluating information for quality and relevance
4. Books
What are they:
A written or printed work of fiction or fact.
May be electronic.
Good for:
Background information and inspiration
Not so good for:
Up to date information
5. Web page
What are they:
An information resource which can be easily created by
anyone on any topic.
Electronic.
Good for:
Very up to date information
Not so good for:
Accurate and reliable information
6. Newspaper
What are they:
A regular publication containing current events,
informative and diverse articles and advertising.
May be electronic.
Good for:
Daily information
Not so good for:
Balanced and well researched information
7. Academic Journal
What are they:
A regular publication containing articles on a particular
academic subject. Presents new research.
Maybe electronic.
Good for:
Latest research, critically reviewed
by experts
Not so good for:
Broad overview of a subject
8. Trade Journal or Magazine
What are they:
A regular publication containing news, jobs, products,
events and advertising.
Aimed at a profession, business sector or interest.
Good for:
Focussed up-to-date information
Not so good for:
Detailed and objective reports
9. Objects
What are they:
A material thing that can be seen and handled.
Good for:
Inspiration, ideas and sensory experience.
Not so good for:
Detailed information, context
and facts.
10. Find out more
MyUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Library Subject Guides
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/PDE
12. The real thing:
Redesigning the glass elevator in the Quad
•Keywords
•Alternative keywords
•More specific keywords
•Related subjects
13. So far so good
So far we’ve looked at:
• The range of resources available
• Choosing the right resource
• Coming up with useful keywords
Next:
• Searching and evaluating information
14. Finding resources
myUniHub > My Study > My Library > Summon
Select Summon and search for
information for your project
15. Google vs Summon
Google
Summon
• Familiar and easy to use
• Easy to use
• Finds too much information
• Finds lots of academic info
• Fast results
• Fast results
• Access from any computer
• Access from any computer
• Access to some books and journals
• Access to lots of books and journals
• Designed to sell you things
• Designed to find you information
• Search results sponsored
• Search results by relevance
• Searches for info from any source
• Searches quality resources
• Pay for academic information
• Free access to full text
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ennuiislife/3450743002/
16. Streamlining your search
product AND design
USA OR America
design*
cork NOT Ireland
-Amazon
“Festival of Britain”
+Ideo or “IDEO”
Define: “paper prototyping”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_miley/2614472057/
James Dyson invented *
Scandinavian site: design OR Scandinavian site: ac
Related:www.designcouncil.org.uk
17. Images and inspiration
•WGSN HomeBuildLife
•Special Collections
•Google Images
•http://www.flickr.com/
•http://www.pinterest.com/
•http://www.dreamstime.com
More info: http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/study/copyright/index.aspx
19. Keeping up-to-date with your subject
• Zetoc Alert
• CiteuLike
• TicTOC
• Google Alerts
More information on Library Subject Guide:
http://bit.ly/KeepingCurrentPDE
20. It’s not in the Library!
• Inter Library Loans http://bit.ly/InterLibraryLoans
• Sconul Access http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access
• Other libraries http://bit.ly/visitingotherlibraries
22. Evaluating information
Imagine you are writing an essay on Robots
Have a look at the 4 items that you have been given and consider
the following:
• Which items are the most relevant to your essay?
• Which items would be no use?
• Which item has the most academic authority?
• Which items might have bias?
• Which item is the most current?
25. How to avoid Plagiarism
• Always acknowledge someone else’s work
• Quote and paraphrase
• Use references and citations
26. Reasons to get it right
• Evidence of reading around your subject
• Supports your discussion and arguments
• Paraphrasing shows you understand the subject
• Demonstrates that you can analyse and evaluate
• Enables others to find your references
• Get better marks
28. Keeping in touch
• Librarian Blog http://satlibrarian.blogspot.com
• Librarian Twitter http://twitter.com/SATlibrarian
• Library Facebook Middlesex University Library
• Library Twitter http://twitter.com/MDXLibrary
• MDX App http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/support/app/index.aspx
29. Need further help?
Your Librarian is:
Vanessa Hill v.hill@mdx.ac.uk
http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/support/unihelp/
Editor's Notes
Welcome and intros.
How to find information for your projectsHow to develop an effective search strategy when you need to find information for an essay or projectThe range of resources available and how to use them to find good quality and relevant informationEvaluating information for quality and relevanceResearch from Uni of Huddersfield shows that correlation between library usage and good grades.
Hand out exercise Thinking about resources (PDE version). Groups10 mins
Many books in the collection at Hendon……reading list books, plus lots of inspirational books with images etc.Good for: Background information and inspiration .......huge range of books in basement to inspire you, as well as reading list materialBroad/general overview of subjectEdited for quality and accuracyMany books now available as e-booksNot so good for:May not be specific enoughCan be out of date
Could be the only source of information on very latest practitioners, trends, materials etcGood for:Easy to use/searchAll subjects coveredCan be very up-to-dateMobileNot so good for:No editorial controlUnreliable sourcesCan be created by anyoneMaterial can lack provenanceCan be out-of-dateNot everyone has access
Useful for exhibition reviews.Good for:Up-to-dateEditedReadily available (latest copies especially)Not so good for:Can be biasCan be unbalancedCan be sensationalistHard to get hold of/access (back issues)
Also useful for exhibition reviews, latest news, materials, projects, practitioners etcGood for:Up-to-dateSpecialist/focussedPresent latest researchEdited for accuracy/quality (peer reviewed)Lots of referencesNot so good for:Can be hard to locate/accessExpensiveMay be too specificMay be at wrong level
Excellent source for latest products, materials etcGood for:Latest informationCurrent eventsConcise infoProduct newsOften available online with RSS/Twitter etcNot so good for:DetailObjective information ie. can be bias, adverts, preferential products etcOften hard to find old issuesBack issues/archive
Good for:Inspiration and ideasCan handle/touchNot so good for:May lack context......don’t know where it comes fromMay not have any information eg. what it is, who made it, date etc
More information about the range of resources available on the Library Subject Guide.
Group discussion:What can you see in the picture…fruitIf 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 resultsCan you be more specific ie. Type of fruit: apples, oranges, bananas etcLocation: Stall, market, outdoor market, fruit market, BritainDetail: boxes, signs, astroturf, prices, colour of fruit, lights, pound £ signs, special offer etcPeople in background: old, young, male, female > stall holder, customers, browsers etcThink of related subjects eg. retail, commercial, financial, point-of-saleShopping, shops, fish/meat/clothes market, shopping centres, high streetTown, city, centre, British townNutrition: vits and minsAlso: Orange or Blackberry: fruit NOT telephoneApple: fruit NOT computerThinking beyond the obvious, looking for the detail that might make a difference.
Keywords (including things you might want to find out:Elevators: lifts, vertical transportHistory : examples, design, types, high-rise/skyscrapers/multi storey, building/vessel/structure, designere/inventors (Elisha Otis[safety], Werner von Siemens[electric], Frank Sprague[safety/speed]) etcTypes (Use): passenger, freight/goods, stage, vehicle (boat/aircraft), residential, dumb waiter, paternosterMechanisms: power (electric, water/hand), drive eg. gearless (traction cables/counterweight), geared traction, hydraulic (pistons) etc , control machinery (buttons, touch screen, microprocessor)Safety: health and safety legislation/regulations/law/legal/standards/precautions, issues/hazards eg. power failure etcCar design: cabin/cab/cage, materials (eg. glass/mirror, metal, wood, plastic), floors/wall/ceilings/door (hinged/sliding/cascading/telescopic), guardrails, seats etcShaft design: hoistway, pit, machine room, suspensionCosts: economics/finance/fundingFunctionality: dimensions/size/capacity/space, restrictions (space, money, local legislation), speed, ride (smooth), design/specificationsEnhancement: power (type, saving/eco/green), safety, control, overload sensor, air con, elevator algorithm/destination control system etcConstraints: site (building/architecture), mechanical/resources, location/substructure/soil, usage pattern etc), codes/regulations/legislation/law, floors/levels/decks
Next……….. Searching and evaluating information
Need to carry out a literature search:Finding the information available on a subjectFinding information to inform, underpin and shape your researchFinding what has already been written on a subjectAnalyzing, evaluating and making judgements about the info foundIdentifying the main trendsFinding appropriate information: the information needs to be suitable for your needie. right level, current if important, sufficient breadth or detail etc
Google Familiar and easy to useFinds too much informationFast resultsAccess from any computerAccess to some books and journalsDesigned to sell you things eg. shoesSearch results sponsored…no accident that Wikipedia, Amazon etc at top of search resultsSearches for info from any sourcePay for academic informationSummonEasy to useFinds lots of academic infoFast resultsAccess from any computerAccess to lots of books and journalsDesigned to find you information: up-to-date, focussed/specificSearch results by relevanceSearches quality resources eg. Peer reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings , research etcFree accessto full text ie. Information not freely available elsewhere
Discuss the ways that you can control your search (can be used on all sorts of databases including the Internet):product AND design (narrow)USA OR America (Broaden)design* (Broaden)cork NOT Ireland (Exclude) -Amazon (Exclude)“Festival of Britain” (Phrase)+Ideoor “IDEO” (Exact match)Define: “paper prototyping” (Phrase)James Dyson invented * (Fill in the blanks)Cork site: materials (Search within specific sites with specified subject ie. materials or domain eg. .ac or specific site eg. www.designcouncil.org.uk)Related:www.designcouncil.org.uk(Web pages that have similar content to the given site)Now have a go yourself searching the internet using some of these search tips.
Worth Global Style Network Homebuildlife: is an online trend forecasting and product design tool for the industrial design, home and interiors markets across 16 product categories including furniture, lighting, textiles, interiors and garden design…….trends, forecasting, business strategy, trade news and shows. Hand out instructions.Google Images:Search for liftsSubjects along the topClick on an imageGet suggestionsAdvanced searchCOPYRIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Remember more information about searching for information and resources available on LibGuide.
ZetocBL current awareness service - provides access to the British Library's Electronic Table of Contents of around 20.000 current journals and around 16,000 conference proceedings published every yearThe database covers from 1993 to the present, and is updated on a daily basis. It includes current awareness services, so that subscribers can receive notification of relevant new material either from particular journals, authors or on particular subjects (keywords)CituLikeHeadline articles from recent publicationsSome journals publish an electronic table of contents for the most recent issueBrowse all the recent articles in these journals just as if they were on your bookshelf Currently 13507 journals onlineTicTocSearch for 1000s of journal table of contents (TOCs) RSSfeeds by title, subject or publisher, export citations or link to full text, and then save TOCs in your ticTOCs account Also things like Google Alerts and Google Blog Search
Inter Library Loan service: request copies of books and journals not held by MDX. £3 charge. 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.Other libraries (specialist, catalogues etc):British Library http://www.bl.uk/COPAChttp://copac.ac.uk/COPAC is a union catalogue that gives access to the merged online catalogues of members of the Consortium of University Research Libraries (CURL). Twenty major university libraries currently contribute to COPAC.Search25 http://www.search25.ac.uk/:helps you discover library resources across London and the South East. You can also see where the libraries are and find out how to visit them.SUNCAThttp://www.suncat.ac.uk/SUNCAT, a union catalogue of serials (periodicals) for the UK, is a tool for locating serials held in UK libraries.
How do you decide if the information is any good? Especially important with the Internet.What do you think about this quote?
We’ve looked at the fun resources, now we’re going to look at more traditional resources……Divide class into group and hand out worksheet and 4x items.Discuss. No right or wrong answers. All items found by doing a search on Robots.Which item is most relevant:Journal Article: specialist journal of robots and roboticsBook: broad overview of robots and robotologyWhich item would be no use:Newspaper Article from the SunWebsite (fake)Which item has the most academic authority:Journal Article: peer-reviewed, citations and ref list, biography of authors, etcBook: author has some academic authority (back cover blurb)Are any of the items bias:Newspaper article could be depending on the subjectWebsites can also show bias if created for specific purposeAlso be aware of trade journals that have advertsWhich item is the most current:Journal article: Dec 2009Book: 1984Newspaper article: Nov 2004Website: Oct 2011Would need to continue search.
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?
Play video if possible or ask students to watch later.01:20
Quoting:Use when the original wording conveys the idea perfectlyUse author’s exact wordsPut “quotation marks” around the author’s wordsRefer to the author in text and include book/journal in reference listParaphrasing:Present the author’s ideas in your own wordsStill need to refer to the author….the words are yours, but the idea is theirsReferencing:Referencing and citation is the process by which you acknowledge the sources (eg. books, journal articles, reports, websites etc) from which you have obtained your information when writing an essay/dissertation. This allows the reader to locate the information used and to check, if necessary, the evidence on which your discussion or argument is based. By doing this you can avoid plagiarism.References:A reference is the detail of an item (book, journal article, website etc) that you have used in your work. References usually contain details of the author, title, publisher, place and date of publication, pages etc. References are usually contained in a 'Reference list' at the end of your work.Citation:This refers to sources of information (eg. books, journal articles, reports etc) that you quote or refer to in your assignments (essay, dissertation etc). You need to identify sources of information by citing them in the text of your assignment. Citations give brief (abbreviated) details of the source that you are quoting or referring to, and will link to the full reference in your 'Reference list'.
It is evidence that you have been reading around your subjectUsing references supports your discussion and argumentsParaphrasing shows that you understand your subject ie. that you are able to read, understand and put the information in to your own wordsParaphrasing demonstrates that you can analyse and evaluate information because you put the information in a context in your essayA good reference list enables others to find your references easily and see where you got your info fromYou could get better marks
Referencing and Plagiarism libguide includes information on how to reference material correctly.Also information about Plato, LDU support and links to helpsheets.Referencing tutorials available on request.EIS LibGuide bring together all the resources for your subject area.
