key skills – library research

Key Skills – Library Research

David Sowerbuttsd.l.sowerbutts@durham.ac.uk

Note

In this Powerpoint presentation the symbol

∞indicates a hyperlink to the service mentioned or to a description of it

Key Skills – Library Research

“Able to research appropriate periodicals, websites, books and other references to draw together the required information”

The Library’s Electronic Resources

Almost all of the Library’s electronic resources can be accessed from off site via the Library web pages

For electronic journals start from the Library OPAC

If prompted for a password use your ITS login rather than an ATHENS password unless other instructions are given

ConneXions

Introduced during Summer 2004 Develops links between Library OPAC and

bibliographic databases Provides links from many of these databases

to full text (where available)

Types of Material

Periodicals – printed and electronic Abstracts and Indexes (Bibliographic Databases)

Websites Google - try the Advanced Search screen ∞ Google Scholar (under development) ∞ Vivisimo (http://vivisimo.com) ∞ Gateways

Books Abstracts and Indexes (Bibliographic Databases) Library catalogues ∞

Newspapers Data Sources “Grey literature”

Databases (v. Internet)

Peer-reviewed MaterialRestricted accessCovers print as well as electronic

(usually)More sophisticated searching

Internet (v. Databases)

Generally, not evaluatedElectronic/digitisedLarge number of items but some “quality”

material not includedDifficult to assess results of searches

Understanding Databases

Subject ScopeInclusivity

Number of sourcesType of materialLevel of material

Date rangeGeographical bias

Understanding Databases

Search defaultsFeatures provided

Abstracts?Option to create subsets?Printing/Saving/E-mailing?Links to full text?Links to local catalogue?

Remember to use the help screens

Databases: Getting Started

Library home pagehttp://www.dur.ac.uk/library/ ∞click on Databasesor use Subject Information pages for

Economics or Business ∞

Database Searching

KeywordHierarchical StructureCoded Concepts

Keyword

Random matches patterns not concepts

Scope Title only Abstract Full text

Syntax Semantics

Ambiguities Alternatives Language problems

Keyword

Truncation (Stemming)Aggress*

Word combinationUsually Boolean

Boolean Searching

SyntaxSimilar to formula in MathematicsBUT symbols not used as consistentlyBUT “default” values vary between

databases

Boolean Searching

ANDOR

Either and BothNOT

To be used only with care

Word Combination Defaults

Interest Rate*may be searched as

Interest and rate* (e.g. Library OPAC)Interest or rate* (e.g. some search

engines)Interest rate* (e.g. Web of Science)

Adjacency and Proximity

AdjacencyPhrase searchingWords next to each other “same” and “sent”

ProximityWords within a given distance

Silence w3 lambs

Semantics

AmbiguitiesAlternativesThe whole and parts

Public sector employeesExcluding meaningsLanguage problems

Romans; Email

Semantics

“Where would I find information on currency?”

“I want some articles on operations to cure problems of the teeth”

Refining Searches

Financ* and Asia* not (Burm* or Myanmar)

Racis* and Polic* not (London or Metropol*)

Racis* and (Police or Policing) not (London or Metropol*)

Refining Searches

Truncation (stemming)Econom*

WildcardEconomic behavi*r

Wildcard and truncationEconom* and Tan?an*

(Examples from Web of Science)

Citation Searching

SCHULTZ, T.: Declining economic importance of agricultural land. Econ. j. 61,1951,725-740

Pre-dates Web of ScienceBUT Web of Science can be used to

trace subsequent references to it and thus find more recent research on the same topic

Hierarchical Structure

EconomicsFinancial Economics

Taxes and TaxationConsumer taxes

V.A.T.

Coded Concepts

Usually a notation for a hierarchical structureArrangement of books in a LibraryApplication to databases (e.g. EconLit)

Internet Gateways/Portals

Selected Unrestricted Electronic Resources

Often classifiedMay be evaluated/annotatedSOSIG (http://sosig.ac.uk) ∞See also other links from Subject

Information pages ∞

Newspapers

May include current debate on some possible project topics

Electronic archives for some available from Library’s “News, weather…” page ∞

Infotrac: Custom Newspapers provides multiple title searching ∞

Newspapers

Lexis-Nexis ∞ “Executive” is a prime source for Financial

and business news “Executive” can also be used for major

overseas newspapers “Professional” is useful for UK regional

newspapers

Data Sources

A selection is available from the Subject Information pages for Economics ∞ and for Business ∞

ESDS ∞ is increasing its coverage of major international datasets Simple individual registration needed (use

ITS login)Work through an access guide before using

the service

“Grey Literature”

Working PapersSometimes available free via EconPapers ∞

or IDEAS ∞Official Publications

International bodiesNGOsGovernmentsOften free on web site of organization